The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-04-21
p0IiticnI Morality.

the present exhibition, Is slowly and
steadily forcing patriotic and reflective
minds to doubt the permanency of liber-
ty, and to actively seek the wherewith
to avert anticipated catastrophe.
In the early days of the Republic, a
hightoned honor was the rule. Wash.
ington, Virginia gentleman, of con-
siderable fortune, could not think of
accepting Office either in q military or
civil capacity, with the idea of wrong
compensation for his services. All he
would ask or would receive of his
country was the payment of his expen-
ses while engaged in her service. Jeffer.
son, Madison and Monroe, after giving
a life service to their country, and each
in turn filling the Presidential Office for
eight years, retired to the walks of pri-
vate life bankrupts in their fortunes,
although receiving the same salary that
President Grant does now. These men
had no itching palms-they were not
the recipients of presents from Office.
hunting thieves-they entered into no
conspiracies to raise or depress the
money market-their relatives filled
none of the public places confided to
Presidential nominations and how
careful, how very careful, were they
that in no one thing they should over.
step the constitutional boundaries of the
authority committed to their care.
Alas! what a change do we witness in
the rule that governed the conduct of
our early Presidents from that which we
see to-day. But this great change is no t
confined alone to the rule Of action by
the occupants of the White House at
Washington. 1t is in Congress, on the
Bench, in the Federal officials every
where, in the Governors and Legisla.
lures of States-aye, to an alarming
extent among the people themselves, in
their support of wicked and unconstitu-
tional legislative measures adopted in
the interests of party organization.
1t has been accepted as truism that
party spirit is necessity to the preser.
walton of free government. In obedi-
cnce to the decision of legislative
caucus, where question of party inter-
est is involved, men no longer hesitate
to damn their souls with perjury. Look
at the war and reconstruction Acts OF
Congress for the past ten years, scarcely
one of which was constitutional-ad
mitted not so to be by the very men who
were adopting and enforcing them, and
who were sworn to obey and support
the constitution. Look at the bogus
Amendments, and their fraudulent and
bayonet ratifications, for the sole pur-
pose Of adding a half million of negroes
to their voting force. Look at party
action in the expulsion of members in
the various legislative bodies, including
that of Congress ITSELF which being the
most select ought to have been the last
to fall from its original high estate.
Look at the declaration of Mr.. Strang,
the leader of the majority party in the
House of Representatives at Harrisburg,
on the passage through that body of the
bill re.districting the State for the elec-
tion of Senators and Representative to
the General Assembly. Said he, 81
have no conc ealments. think the Re-
publicans have major ity in the State,
and 1 support this bill because it will
give them working majority. If the
Democrats don't taccept, we can get along
very we'll with the present arrangement
for the next seven years." The man that
said this, as well rs his compatriots in
the House, had all taken solemn oath
on the first Monday OF January last, to
obey the Constitution of Pennsylvania,
knowing that it positively required
them to make an apportionment of rep
resentatives during the present year.
To preserve a party majority in the
legislature, in despite of what a ma
jority of the people may wish, they pro-
pose to disregard their oaths of office, as
we'll as all regard for justice and fair
dealing, in offering the Democrats bill
that cannot be accepted, confidently
looking for thesupport of their partizan
friends in this great breach Of the moral
laws that all recognize as the necessary
governing rules among civilized and
free people. In this bill, which has
passed the House, to Allegheny county
are allotted three members in the Sem
ate, although deficient 6.5O0in the num-
Der of taXables emitting her to that rep.
resenta tion, while Fayette, Greene and
Westm oreland, with surplus of G,933,
are given but one senator. Luzerne, a
Democratic county, with surplus of
1892, is to have but one senator, while
Bedford, Fulton, and Somerset, repub.
lican, with deficiency Of 5000, are to
have one-aud Crawford also republi-
can, with deficiency of G,Gi7, is to have
another. Chester, Radical county,
with 10, 800, is allowed three members OF
the House, while Montgomery county,
Democratic, with 22,247, gets only two
members. This is political swindling
of the worst kind.
In the earl y days of the Republic nc
political party would have dared thus tC
have set aside their constitutional obli
cations, or shamelessly disregard the
laws Of morality in seeking to wron
the people out of a just representation
in the halls of legislation. Pennsylva'
mia may give fifty thousand Democratic
maj ority, apd yet the Republicans seek
to retain the power in the General AS
sembly through dishonest and unfair
apportionment bills. Party animosity
runs so high, and political morals sc
low, that no stopping place is found
where this great evil can certainly be
arrested. The early writers could moi
have taken into consideration the utter
abandonment of moral rules that now
pervade this whole country. They must
have supposed that free people, govern
ing themselves, would naturally cherish
special reverence for the rules of mo-
rality in their management of public
affairs. Could they have seen and real.
lied what is now passing before us
would not their expression of opinion
have been very much modlfied?-AAtea-
f...... N