Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-12-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Some Facts about Corruption i'm Washing
t0n-TWO sides 10 the Picture-CrItI-
clSmS OF Grants Administration.

throng Of attendant visitors and lobbyists.
The latter compose numerous class, but
are not as respectable and influential as
many suppose. 1t is very common thing
for newspaper writers to magnify the ex-
tent of corruption in Washington-in and
about Congress and the Departments.
There are many correspondents who make
this subject their stock in trade They
would have little else to write about, for as
class the men who constantly write on
that subject have not brains enough to find
other material of which to make interest
ing letters. When L say this, / do not
want to be understood either as saying
that there is no corruption here, or that
newspaper correspondents do not often
have just foundation for their complaints
On the contrary, every shrewd observing
visitor in Washington will see some dis
honesty and selfishness OH the part of
public men, and realize also, that the
newspaper correspondents at Wash
ingtOn, as a class, are an able, fearless
and valuable corps of gentlemen who
render the public a great service in
closely watching and exposing all jobs
and the many selfish and dishonorable
motives that govern some men in the
public service. But unfortunately there
belongs to this corps few who are chronic
grumblers and men of narrow views and
worthy and incompetent men in office.
They see mean motives and corrupt influ-
ences governing them in their acts. They
straightway suspect every one, and where
there is the least ground for suspicion,
Jump at the worst conclusions. They are
encouraged to do this, for their letters and
dispatches burdened with these tales of
malfeasance in office, and with many sus-
piciOus and grave charges, are eagerly
rood Inv fhOirSa n6S Of OprSnnC Wbn ara ol-
ways ready to believe everything of their
kind that is bad. Such readers call cor
respondents of this kind "spicy" and Gin
corruptible.n The Democratic papers very
natUrely give undue prominence to such
honest truths Gas they call them and
tickle the writers and their papers by COM
mending them as independent" &c.
Such influences act very freely upon some
men, and always serve to keep hard at
work some dyspeptic soreheads, who write
many unjust and unfounded stories about
public men in Washington and elsewhere.
But, as / said before, there is some corrup-
ton here as there is in every place
where public monies are dispensed, and
there always has been and always will be.
1t is very natural that dishonest men flock
where the plunderis to be found.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE.
But there is another side of the picture
to every man that suspects in
tegrity and ability in public servants |
There are men in high position here and |
am glad to believe them largely in the ma |
iOrity who maintain their integrity against |
every temptation. These temptations are
great. Men of moderate means come TO |
Washington with their families. They find |
many unexpected demands upon their |
purse. Their wives and daughters ming |
ling in the social circle want fine dresses
and costly Jewels, They are invited to en-
and, Of course, want to re- |
,iDrOcate, In these and other ways their |
salaries soon melt away. The conflict be- |
tween ambition and pride and their sense |
Of duty begins. Temptations are placed |
before them by cunning rivals or personal
enemies or determined men with heavy |
Jobs and gigantic sWindling enterprises. |
They see where they might make 3 thou
sand or ten thousand and not be discover |
ed. Some yield, but many resist and fight |
manfully through, spurning dishonorable |
advances and exposing dangerous COM |
binations. There are many men inpublic life
to-day, as there have beenheretofore, whose |
struggles in this respect present sublime |
OF Baoral hefoism. / could name
able and incorruptible men who have
stood I'D like heroes and fought eorFYEti6n |
in every form for years, and all through |
their public life had nothing but their |
salary to support them and their families. |
They are, ana glad to say, the men of in |
huence and character here to-day and their |
word is worth more to defeat corfGptiQns |
than powerful Hobbies are to press them !
through,
The example aud influence of one such |
man is worth more to promote integrity |
and fidelity in the service of the Govern |
ment than the example of those whose |
dishonorable acts are being exposed and
every day. 1t seems to me that |
the public want to know something of this |
side of the picture, and they would hear |
and see more of it, if, by their actions, |
they gave these grumblers to understand |
that their constant prating about corrup-
ton was rather suspiei0Gs Gnd certainly |
not acceptable, unless based upon reliable !
or reasonable proof. might |
mention some correspondents here who |
have attained considerable reputation. /
ought, perhaps, to say notoriety, because |
Of their constant lamentations on the de- |
OF the public service, who
we're, at the very time, acting as the hired |
.ools of lobbyists. These tools, accusing |
public men here of all sorts of personal /
vices, were themselves victims of the very |
same abuses, and, in fact, often based their |
suspicious upon their own experiences. IL
is very easy W 1llt0 lt1u1O cthA NAi0
some very naturally run into that rut. |
They see the weak points of public men,
but Shut their eyes to the strong points.
They see corruption, but turn away from
shining examples of integrity. They look
after subservfent, weak men, but pass
Dy fearless, independent ones. They see
reasons for suspecting wrong, but they 90
not wait to give their victim the beneht |
Of the doubt. They seem never to think
that it is far easier to destroy regulations
than to build them up that it is pleasant
er to throW Stones than to be struck with
them, =, q. szf r7rr.ar q ww " =
But it is useless TO follow the subject
farther. The whole matter can be summed
I'D by saying that if half the stories and
suspicious Of corruption in Washington
were true, we would not long have a Gov
eminent. If laws were enacted without |
regard for the Constitution, or if they |
were executed without reference to the |
public service if Legislators in providing