The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-04-08

cal whirlwinds 10 which our poliL
tics aie subject whose verysvio-
lencs will make il Of short dura-
ton. vfssl4 siai hsssIs.a.a
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a Lssssa q he Dey. sssS
$500 81 sEas sg-- A. gss .aaxsT ri
If the condition Of France to -day sssns u
show that people prefer 70 b. governed rethyt
than to govern themselves, is the sane tsstA
not iIlustratsd Il. III. .eesssryi What slss
sxpiSina the iiH r:noe Of 30 many intslidsat
men TO poiiticsf TIE New York capitalist,
for instance, is mot wholly unliks the peasant
proprietor in France. Re prefers 10 pay high
taxes, and 70 aubmit 70 the rule OF isnoran.
aud corrupt politicians, rather than 70 take
the trouble y ksep taxes low, and secure the
election Of intelligent and honest men. Tho
annoyance oi asesrtainine how TO remedy an
abuse leads 10 submissiou, until the abuss bA-
comes intolerabls and II the abassr d wary
b can readily avoid that Soths empire 10
New York rests upon the sans supinsnsss
which sustsissd the lats empire in Francs;
and it, power is cou6rmsd not only By the
sophissy sf iss paid advocates. but by shS
praise OF honest msn, who are willing b. ac-
eept certain good details as suhicieat pslli-
alton. If not Justification, of . bad system. 3
The argument for the French empire al
ways was that il preserved order, il cleaned
the streets, It bsautinsd the cities the taxes
were high, bat the results. upon the whole,
were cheap at the price. The fatal reply was
that which any systsn Of corruption and de-
moralizasion always encounters, that the
moral law = supreme, and that the pfosperf
y il an illusion. Il vas 80 with slavery ID
this country, for which the same argument
Vas urged. Itwas certainly 90 with the lsts
empire in France. AID Il Is no less 40 WITH
the system By which the city and State Of
New York are now governed. An important
bill has been lately pssding in the Lssisfa.
turs. It gives absolnts power over the taxes
o. the city Of New York to four men, one only
Of whom is elected BY she people. n wAsa
law over which An honest and thouehtful leg
isiator might veil pause before he voted. Yet
whom one such was found his hesitation vas
orenly and jsstinglys declared to be . mere
holding out for higher bribe; and when it
was announced that be had yielded it was
universally supposed that he hid been
bought. II is but An iliu stra ton Of condi-
s'on which - we'll understood. .ss
NOW w'sa political system Of corruption
nn merely . question Of tins. The princi-
pie OF the govsrnmsnt will be strong enough
70 throw 1t on. or the government viii be sub.
verted. II Is = with disease in the human
body. tis not stationary. There is strug-
gss' and the disease = expelled. or the pa
uens dies. The criticism, therefore. which is
% % made upon those Who defend the sys-
| ssm which y now supreme IN the city Is that
.asy ..fesss system which must be "a
u " Gan no' % overtb rown. A govsrn-
ment wnicf procceeds ~ skillfuland ruthless
eorrapt'on' even Il It should lower taxes and
onaid Stone piers md keep'ts books methods
cahy' unless the Laws Of morality and hunsn
nature are changed, will inevitably cost nscre
tnan any free community can pay, for il is
cheaper TO pay money than manhood. 81
parent improvements in municipal admni,-
them, are doing all that they can do 10 d..
bauch public opinion and to POSTPONE an
hrps of reform, BY commendine to general
favor system Of corrupftun and total politi-
cal inmorslity. The inevitable logic Of such
commendstion 10 shas the present " yssen is
good system that the legislators who estab-