Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-02-23
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MORALS.
Corruption In Legislation. In Chartered
Companies and Social Life.


In our halls of legislation, in oul
banks and railroad corporations, il
our business and social relations, bat
es'OOtsVs 20 tsSsss auu "rvuS are gvt
ting TO be sanctioned by the practice
II not the faith OF men. A large pro
portion Of the crimes which our daily
papers record spring from this source
False view Of life and its relations, a,
well as OF social obligation, are dissem
mated by men whose criminality fnd,
its only excuse in their shortsighted
ness or want Of reflection. The result
Of these cannot but be eminently dis
astrous.
II is scarcely surprising that our
civil tribunals yield to the pressure Of
popular corruption. II the tenth part
Of what has been published of THEN
subserviency TO private interests, po'
litcal intrigue and the arts of monop.
olisis is true, the stigma that rests
upon them is a shame 10 the commu-
nifty that tolerates il. And yet, SO fan
us human foresight can discern, the
evil is steadily aud almost necessarily
on the increase. Take, for instance
our largo corporation, aud see what
almost irresistible influence they can
bring to bear, in one form or another
upon our legislation and our courts
SO long as they appear in the charac
ter of rivals each aims TO out -bribe the
other, aud the very halls Of public
Justice are polluted by their strife
And yet il they combino-and the
manifest tendencies of the day all ia
vor more extensive consolidation
they appear not as appliants, bnt as die.
tators Of State and National policy
II is said that more thanhalf the pub
lie lands of the United States would
be disposed Of II the railroad schemes
that have been proposed in Congress
should receive their sanction. Scarcely
one, probably, of these schemes but
has "money in it, enough to overcome
the reluctance Of scores of doubtful
representatives. and still leave enough
TO pay princely premium on the
work Of corruption and intrigue.
The English monopolists under
Queen Elizabeth and James | had no
mean share in bringing on the great
crisis Of the so-called rebellion. Bot
all the monopolies of the seventeenth
century put together would shrink to
narrow dimensions by the side Of
many a single corporation that in our
days has It's control Of millions Of
wealth. These corporations, in def
ance of law and justice, can "water
stock" TO evadc specific statutes, orto
swell the already gigantic fortunes OF
their managers. The unity and con.
centration which characterize their
nolicv are often irresistible Sover.
eign States are sovereign no longer in
presence of representatives of consoli-
dated railroads and great practical
monopolies. The voice of justice is
hushed to a whisper when they speak,
Legislatures and courts Of justice even
become their tools.
Already the evil is vast and portcn.
tons Nor can we see any necessary
or natural limitation of it in prospect.
In presence of the forces which il
brings into play individual interest or
enterprise is buta football in the wnr
Of Tilsns Public opinion is outraged
yet the offenders scorn its rehuke and
laugh at the fecbloncss Of public jus.
tice. No one can fail to sec toward
what these things tend.
Meanwhile the eager pursuit ol
wealth. aud the madness which the
pursuit inspires, arc trampling down
those restraining Influences OF morals
and religion by which We might hope
to correct The mischief Our entire
civilization seems lapsing, with here
aud there an exception, in the dircc
iion of ma,erialism. Tho mass allow
themselves TO be absored in schemes
of gain, only indtlging in recrealions
which minister new Impulses 10 sense.