Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-02-16

alas, alas, how rare they are If we had an
Aristides '.the just" in our revenue service,
fear we should initiate the Athenians and
! Danish him. The noble Thcban, Epaminon-
das, lived life of purity in the midst Of
temptations. and it is said never told lie
even in Jest. All down the tract of time
such occasional instances of ipfexible honesty
are to be seen, like light houses along bar
rem and dreary coast, and our own history is
resplendent with names that were not born to
die. But in the times upon which we have
faleu;virtuous examples command no respect.
Ne are fast people. We boast of progress.
Nothing but steam and lightning can serve
us. The almighty dollar is the god of our
idolatry, and though we set mp as many lesser
deitles as we ever found in the Pantheon, the
supremest devotion of too many officeholders
is to that wonder. working deity who can make
moderate official salary issue in a few years
into princely fortune. And as a token Of
our extreme degradation it is worth noticing
that we no longer fashion our idol out of
gold and silver, but form him out of nasty
rags and whoever heard, lately, the gentle.
man from Massachusetts (Mr. Butler) and
the gentleman from Ohio (hIr. Cary), will
bear ME witness there are not wanting priests
on this floor to raise the shameful cry, These
be our gods"
Why, sir, in Democratic times, when the
Government collected aud disbursed only
from sixty to ninety millions of revenue, We
had 10 such scaudalous exhibitions Of official
corruption as the honorable gentleman has
now pressed upon our attention. Occasional
delinquences undoubtedly occurred. and are
always 10 be looked for in widely extended
operations where great numbers of agents are
necessarily employed, but they were not So
frequent gross as materially to effect the
revenues. Ur uur generai character. But with
the accession ot the I.epublican party came
iIsuu!0n and war aud debt and u redundant
paper currency, and with these sail our woes"
10 DC mere specihc-wheu the government
Isaueo PROMISES 90 pay money which 1t dues
not mean 70 pay how can II expect ITS c,ti-
zenS to be any more honest aud sincere than
Itself! NJ hen the government wastes iu rail-
road subsidies, army supplies. aud treed-
mems bureaus, millions of the peoples mouey
how nalural that dishonest officers say, This
moucy which is to be wasted If it reach the
treasury, may as we'll be kept by to be
given 10 j"bbers aud tavortes!' And when
the manufacturers OF whiskey and tobacco see
the government sngling out their occupations
for excessive taxatiUn, thereby charging an
undue share of the public debt upon them,
Whist is more natural than they should buy up
your inspectors and cheat your detectives IT
they can! Protective duties tempt to SNUG
Cling false Invoices aud all manner of frauds
Excessive taxes unequatly Imposed provoke
retaliation. Prodigai squanderlng OF our rev.
euues upon pet sche mes Of Legislation instead
Of ii faithful application of them to our ma
tiona debt invites aud encourages maversa-
ton and peculatiUn.
Aud thusit comes to pass that our own leg
isiation makes rogues to cheat us out OF $780,
UUU O0U year. L"t not honorable gentle
men lay the fatteriug JUNCTION to their souls
that the competitive examination OF appli-
canrs for Office will remedy this evil. Ii is
too deep.seated for any SUCH nustrum 10 reach.
1t has struck down to the roots of our social
life. In destroying the standard OF values
we have unsettled the foundation of public
lnOrals.
If we would reform abuses let US reform
our Legislation. Let US gD back to the one
only standard of values the world knows
Let US make our paper promises mean what
they say Let US impose taxes by some rule
Of uniformity. instead of puuishing fellow
citizens who choose one branch OF industry
instead OF anotber. Let Us have revenue
tariff with incidental protection, instead of u
tariff fr the protection of select classes at
the expense Of all consumers. Let us stop
subsidies retreuch expenses, and begin to
pay our debts. let us do these things, sir,
and you shall see the tone Of public morals
instantly improved. You shall see that hou-
est men can then be found, even with our
present modes ot selection, to collect our
reveuus aud execute cur laws.