The New York herald., 1871-11-13

81. -
cEs Rsssr.ausa II tAs B.uss 81 .
The enthuaiasm. OF the congregation q
Plymouth church was aroused last night -
It had not been since the close Of the rebellion
BY the stirring words or Mr.. Beechsr on the
reformation Of the ballot. We are not at oil
surprised to know that they applauded and
gave other evidences Of their hearty approval
Of the truths which he uttered. The moral
corruption Of Israel under Ahab's administra-
ton and Eltah's slaughter OF the four hum
dred prophets Of Baal gave Mr.. Bsecher
very good subject from whlch to treat Of
corruption generally, and especially of moral
and political corruption, and the best means
OF working reformation. y 5as.g
There are three orders of government for
mankind-absolute monarchy for savages,
aristocracy for the more civiIised, and re-
public or form Of democracy for the most cul-
tured. The ballot is the unit, the initial force
of our nation, and II 1t be choked or clogged
ruin to the Commonwealth must ensue. It is
the very heart Of our system of government,
and If 1t Is struck down the most vital part is
destroyed. The dangers that beset the
ballot, as pointed out by Mr.. Beecher,
are avefold. FIRST weak or ignorant
voting. 1t Is the lazy cultured men who,
through indifference, work the greatest mis-
chief with the ballot; second, wicked voting
third, passionate or fury voting, by which mon
may destroy in an hour what it has taken ages
to build fourth, insubordinate voting, by
which the minority seek to rebel against the
authority Of the majority; and, fourth, vepal
voting. We call that man scoundrel, said
Mr.. Beecher, who sells his vote for five dol
lars; but he who in the legislative halls sells
his vote for twenty thousand dollars is the
greater scoundrel.s This is undoubtedly true,
and though We have sweeping statutes against
bribery, they are dead letter, so thoroughly
have oil the interests Of society been
honeycombed with this destruqtiye ele-
melf. II ID, ks NJ. Beeohsr well
said, as common for money to
be used In elections now o. for printing
notices. Repeating, ballotbox stufang and
false counting are indeed terrible crimes, and
may well be classed with forgery and counter
kind Of treason, because It 10 secret enemy.
We can meet open and pronounced traitors
and whip them into submission to law and
lawful authority, but those sneaks and sooun-
drels who steal away our liberties while using
the ballots Of freemen deserve the utmost
punishment that can be inflicted. msa.i
But, as Mr.. Beecher declared, our greatest
danger arises from the indifference of the
educated and the moral voters. The higher
classes are perpetually giving tone to the
lower, and If they show BY their Indifference
that the ballot is Of little account why should
we wonder at the ignorant voter, who thinks
he can do as he pleases with it If the men
Of culture and moral worth had borne witness
to the value Of the ballot, there would not
have been seen such . mournful perversion Of
it. The minds Of our people must bs educated
up to the true worth Of the franchise. II
must be done In the Church, In the
school and in the household, and the whole
community must be lifted up to higher level.
We have striking instance Of It's power and
worth in last Tuesdays election In this city
and State. The evils here complained Of
have been practised by all the dominant
political parties, and neither can stand up and
say to the other, 81 am holier than thou"
We are utterly at fault In this matter, and it
becomes us to be- as active and earnest now,
when our liberties are endangered by another
foe, as we were in 1861, when rebellion raised
its naughty front in defiance Of rightful
authority. But, to prove effective, our re-
forms must have organised moral intelligence
thusiasm.
Mr.. Beecher did well In calling attention to
the corrupting tendencies of our civil service,
which he characterised as an organized and
standing threat against the liberties Of the
nation. Every Custom House In the land, said
he, is bribing shop. aud If the places Of
trust shall continue to be put up for sale, as
they have been, this government cannot exist
long. II is damnlng to the national conscience.
We have very little hope, however, Of any
immediate change in this regard. But il the
pulpit and the press and the other educational
agencies of the land will show the people that
to be good Christians they must be good citi-
zens, and will show them how to become both,
there may yet be brighter and better day
for self-government and rspubllcanism than
any that has yet been known. So may 1t be !
WHAT THEY ARE GoING TO DO ABOUT IT.
They are going to make clean sweep of our
present city government in all Its departments
public works, parks, streets, health, quaran-
tine, police, fire and all other departments and
bureaus. In this reconstruction, too, as we
understand, salaries will be limited, sinecures