The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1870-10-20
Cause of Corruption and the Remedy,

Cause of Corruption and the Remedy.
1t is dangerous to permit any polt
ical party to obtain too great a prepon.
dcrance of power in republic. History
has proven that powerful majorities in
a representative government are very
apt toacttyrannically and sure to become
corrupt. The conduct Of the Republi.
can party in this country is an instance
40 point. Coming into power during a
period of intense political excitement,
its leaders pushed their ideas to the ex
IRENE, aud plunged the nation into u
gigantic civil war which wiser councils
would have avoided. During the strug.
gle the very worst elements of society
were thrown to the surface. Congress
was filed with mlu who paid no regard
TO constitutional restraints, and the most
sacred rights Of tie citizen were as com
pletely disregarded by a government
protesting to be Republican as ever they
were under any dcspotism. Thieves
lswarmed in public places, aud the cost
,Ofthe war was greatly increased by the
corruption VIII ch pervaded every de.
partmcnt Of the government The most
desperate means were employed to con
troll elections and up to the present day
it has been impossible to secure an i'm
partial investigation Of any act of Con
grcss or the doiugs ofany pablo official.
Every attempt of the kind has either
been summarily crushed in its ncipiency
or referred to a packed Committee for
the express purpose Of insuring the
presentation of withdrawing report.
When the war closed shoddy contracts
and divers other devices by which for.
tunes were suddenly accumulated were
swept away, and new plans for plundcr
ing the public had to be resorted TO.
King legislation in Congress aud in our
State Legislatures continued to flourish.
and the system which had sprung up
during the war was perfected. IL came
to pass that nothing could be done with
out the stimulating influence OF brides.
Capitalists could count with absolute
certainty upon securing the passaga OF
""1 "St th'v"Sh Nohpicso VI u hduiCdi
State Legislature, provided they were
willing to pay the price the ring dc
manded. By such means the salt mon
opOly and the Bessemer steel monopoly
were sadded upon the country, aud
other legislation Of the kind putthrough
Congress. One improper and iniquitous
tariff bill after another was passed by
purchased votes, aud as regularly us
Congress assembled the subject WAS
re.opeued, in order that the usual p: of
table means of settling it might be re.
sorted to. The public lands offered
tempting bait, aud au area greater than
the entire territory Of France aud Prus
STA combined has been given away to
private corporations, Congressman tax.
ing care to secure liberal payments for
their votes. R'scllity Of similar
character, but on smaller scale, has
been the rule in every State Legislature
where the Republican party has had a
minority Other branches Of govern.
ment have not been free from corrup.
ton, and multitude Of officials have
become defaulters to large amounts, not
one in fifty Of whom has been called to
account
Ii the Republican party had been
less powerful it would never have be
come SO feariully corrupt as it is. When
BY means outrageous gerrymandering
in the Northern States, and the control
OF the South by force, it managed to
prevent fair expression of the opinion
Of the people, the door for corruption
aud extravaganza was thrown wide open,
and an army Of thieves marched in to
take possession of every department of
the government. The fight made by
the people against the prevailing cor.
ruptlou aud extravaganza was conducted
under disadvantageous circumstances;
but they have been slowly sapping
the foundations of the edifce which has
been founded upon tyranny aud reared
by fraud and rascality. All the elections
which have taken place during the
present year show uniform current OF
popular feeling setting steadily in favor
OF reform. The rising tide has even
touched the base of that mountain OF
political prejudice which has been
thrown up in New England, and the
elections in Vermont aud Maine afford
hope and encouragement.
I.et these who desire to see the gov.
.ernme1t restored to its condition Of
primitive economy and purity cast their
Votes solid against the party which in
,troduced aud has upheld official ertrav.
,agance aud corruption aud the power
of the party which is responsible Tor all
that we condemn will be broken at the
coming elections. = Lancaster MteH.
1encer.