The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-10-02

lS%4$5 AZ ~! X AZ ~ e&N&l Govern
= IS \ bsssaxved ~ - ~ y VIA
arread, almsSt nniversal, disbopestyi anon
omdiAls. JIG has come to such : pitch cha
y = hardly any longer creditable to hold
public Office ffom President down to Con
stable, and with many people the title d
omce-hoider is about the same as that O
thief. 1t is true that not all officials hav
OPPORTUNITIES of actually stealing, but thos
VINO have not can make it up by takinJ
orloes. Some ofiice-holders have publi
moneys passing through their hands, bu
thelr sureties are men of straw, and theii
accounts become so intricate that they car
never be settled. Many others have legis.
lative or judicial functions. To pass law
granting monopoly, brides are necessary,
and members of the Legislature or Con-
gress retire rich men on a paltry salary
after one or two years. service. A Supreme
Court has the arbitration of important
moneyed interests. 1t pays litigants to pur-
chase their favor, and the most unscrupu-
lous lawyer knows best how to approach
them.
Of course it would be absurd to suppose
that rogues and intriguers succeed in get
ting all the Offices; a great many honest
gentlemen are found in public places prin-
cipal1y of q subordinate character. The
public is generally sufficiently discrimina-
ing, however. to give them credit for their
worth, while the corrupt official is at least
suspected. When we see a candidate
spending ten or fifteen thousand dollars for
election to an office worth nominally four
or five thousand per annum for two years,
it is reasonable to suppose that he intends
to steal, if he gets the chance. When a
judge has given one thousand dollars to
the Governor for his appointments, we ma
turally think that he is no better than his
friends.
In rejecting upon this melancholy state
OF things, two questions obviously present
themselves: What is the cause and what
may be the remedyq In monarchical
the case is not similar. We hear
of an upright judiciary and officials in the
revenue department who have grown old
in honorable labor with scanty savings
No Legislatures sell monopolies, no Street
commissioners come out rich men after one
Or two years. service. In the one system
there is no responsibility, in the other
here must be a considerable amount of it.
When we come to examine the two sys-
ems, we find the principal points of differ
'nce to consist in the mode of appointment
md the duration of Office. In Republic
learly everything is elective in mon
rchy the tendency is towards appoint
nents. The people elect without sense
# responsibility if their selection turns
ut bad there is no one to blame them. If
bad appointment is made by one who has
he power to do so, he is held to account
y the public. Even though this man
hould be King, he generally finds it to his
,terest to cultivate the good will of his
objects. This rule of self-interest does
OF hold, however, where more is to be
lade than lost by these bad appointments.
King would make poor bargain by fill
'g his pockets with money in exchange
# offices, if he should lose his throne in
but President would laugh /,
the $4,000 per annum of his second 4
rm If he could sell his influence during :,
10 first one for four or five millions. We
that incompetent and dist nest
en- are much more apt to succeed in !.
triguing themselves into Office where
is elective, or where the appointing
'wer is not responsible to a greater ex-
MT than the damage which their appoint
cft may cause.
1t is absurd, then, to give the appoint I
emit of officials to Presidents, Governors,
d other non responsible men, who may
It be able to resist the evident temptation
selling their power to the detriment of IL
bile interest. 1t is plain that people
ike enormous presents to Gen. Grant, ~
tn the confident hope that they are not g
ing to lose anything by it. Suppose d
SIX, for instance, should notify him that 40
consideration of his services at Vicks- O
re-, patriotism compelled him, the said
SIX, to place the sum of one hundred III
ousand dollars to his credit in a New .'i
rk bank. A week afterwards Mr.. f. Is
ght receive a hint that Government was ai
out to make a certain move which would Oh
Use rise in stocks or gold. Next day os
F. would pocket $780, 900 by the know DC
ge thus impaired, and the parties would ~
lsider themselves Squared" 1t would II
equally as easy to receive a handsome 10
cunt and afterwards appoint the donor Gil
| comfortable office. ire
IN the other hand, if the office must be al
d by an indiscriminate popular election, -