The Opelousas courier., 1871-10-28
The Difficulty i'm the Way of
Reform.

Rctorm movements in different parts of the
country, make but slow progress although a
conviction of their necessity is universal and a
disposition to promote them is general among
the masses of the people. Why then arc they
restrained The answer to this query is one
which our readers may well ponder. We sup.
pose that the apathetic sluggish condition Of
the body polite is attributable to the fact that
| the disease which atf1icts it,, has obtained too
strong foothold and that the healthy part Is
, unable to recover its tone. 1t is with a moral
disease as with physical affection, and the
same laws apply to each. There are stages in
the diseases which seize upon our bodily frames
/ just as there are stages in those which take
possession of our spiritual being, and if we
suffer them to progress until the whole organi-
cation is affected, the case is beyond remedy
! There IS no absolute and certain cure for q
moral disease any more than there is for a
physical. The great secret to be learned by
the professors Of both arts is, how to assist ma
ture in throwing off the complaint and resumng
its normal condition. Our recovery does not
therefore depend upon the quantity or char
acter of the correctives which we take. but on
the recuperatlye power which We possess. If
we have lost that, our case is hopeless. The
question for us to consider then is simply this
has society become SO diseased as to b. una
BILE to shake off the complaint-has corruption
made such headway as to affect the entire sys-
tenn from head to foot 7 We are not vet ready
to admit that decomposition of our society as q
political body has progressed to this extent
although there are very suspicious symptoms
which call for the most vigorous treatment. But
But this treatment must not be prescribed by
one who is himself diseased. He who would
undertake to heal another must himself lc n
well man, must understand the complaint he is
called to cure know what remedies are appi-
cable and how and when they are to be admin
istered. He must understand the constitution
and natural pcculiarities of his patient as to
meet all the conditions of the case. Now it is
humiliatng confession to make that too many
reform movements originate and are sought to
be controlled by persons who are themselves
implicated in those acts of ms-government and
corruption which such movements arc designed
to check. Such persons cannot command the
confidence OF the public which is essential to
success for they have themselves performed the
acts which have produced tho unhealthy condi-
OF the remedies they would prescribe for others
Physicians who are sick should be recommended
to heal themselves before they undertake to
prescribe for their fellow men. The corruption
which has elected such widespread compi aint
does not however pervade the entire body of
our political system. 1t hogan at the top-that
is to say among our rulers-those who govern
IT'S. The lower limbs and the trunk are vet COM .
paratively sound and only need to he strength ;
ened against the stealthy advances of the .i- !
sease which has taken possession of the head. |
The rich among us, have all more less parti- |
clpatcd IN the misgovernment and the wicked
which at last begins to arouse the
from its death-like torpor Without
which has been squan,lercil ut such featfu ,
rate could not have been obtained. When this
ciaes OF the population cry out for reform they
are thinking of their possessions and how they
are to keep them, With Them the cry is a SCI {
fish one. 1t Is their taxes they wish to reduce ;
or some speculation public contract they |
have IN view 1t is not the interest of tho |
masses of the population for which they are !
solicitous. They are therefore easily satisfied !
by reduction of tkeir taxes or some other !
which enables them to make up their !
losses. For these reasons We cannot have much !
confidence in reform measures which are ini,ia- !
ted by the wealthy class of the community. !
What cares War1noth, for instance, whether lis :
taxes are one thousand or ten thousand dollars ,
to all accounts he has accumulated !
enough money to meet all such demands, and !
he has it in his power always to repeat the
operations by which lie has amassed his wealth. !
Reform with him cannot be sincere nor with |
those associated in his schemes. When reform /,
oe eaon and Sy the
talists and large propertyholdcrs, we shall !
have some hope Of change for the better in
". O. Bee, October Goth.