North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-03-02
BE Consistent,

BE Consistent,
The case ofthe Whittermore Member OF
| the house from S. c., is attracting some
| attention. The charges against him was
the disposal of Government patronage
for personal considerations, in his case the
! consideration was worse, but what is the
| difference whether it be money or other
personal service. A Member of Congress
says to a politician, work the convention
from your town or county for me and you
| shall have certain Office as eompensa-
ton for the time, and money you may
spend; or he finds an editor opposed to
him and says, conduct your journal in my
interest and you shall have the Post
Office in your place, or if you don't want
it you may name the officer from your
friends. The bargain is struck, the servi.
ces rendered and the appointment made
according to contract, fair business
transaction according to radical morals.
A Radical Congress has finally settled
one of the numerous cases Of this class Of
corruption and censured it by the follow
ing resolution unanimously adopted:
"Resolred. That B. +. Whittemore, late
member from the First District Of South
Carolina, did make appointments to the
Military Academy at West Point, and to
the Naval Academy at Annapolis, in vio'
ation of law, and that such appointments
were influenced by pecunary considera-
tons, and that his conduct in the premi-
s. has been such as to show him unworthy
of a seat in the House of Representatives,
and therefore it is condemned as conduct
unworthy Of Il representative Of the peo-
pie"
1t is said that men are never punished
for stealing but for being caught. 1t
must be that such were the views of Con-
gressmen in Furnishing Whittemore, fer
probably more than one-half of the same
Congress were guilty of the same crime,
except showing more adroitness.
But the Resolution copied above is so
much like one adopted by the radicals of
this Clayton County that we more than
suspect it to have been penned by the same
hand. The S. c. Representative sells
government patronage for money Congress
censures; an Iowa representative sells
government patronage for personal seryi-
ces rendered for himself For newspaper
puIs, for space in the columns Of journ.
al, an incorrupt people condemn the prac-
tiee ny adopting the following resolution
in their convention:
THAT while we are proud to acknowl.
edge that the past success Of the Republi-
can party has been largely due to its pa
triotic, free and Independent newspaper
press, we unqualifedly condemn the infa-
nous practice inaugurated in this con-
gressicnal district, of substituting ard
corrupting this, which should be the great
conse-vator of public virtue, by the use
of Federal patronage to accomplish per-
sona advancement"
This was in July, 1869; in 1870 Con-
gress follows the example set by Clayton
County. Whittemore goes out of Con-
gress, Allison goes not to the Senate.
Surely reformations begin with the people,
but will Congress stop with the White
more case. Why not come to Iowa as
well as South Carolina, the first of the
crime here is asserted by a convention
representing 10000 people, and has new
er been denied; perhaps if the rule ap.
piled to Whittemore were carried cut the
small number of Democrats now in the
House would constitute the majority.