Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-05-08
Corruption the Destroyer Of Republics

Corruption the Destroyer Of Republics
History shows .hat all the republics
that have persisted, fell through tho
corruption Of their citizens; and Il es-
tablishes another fact this corruption
was the result Of prosperity. AS long
as the republic was poor the people
were free aud honest. So soon as
wealth poured in by conquest or by
tradc, greed, avarice and peculation
became the ruling passion.
There is, it seems to US, a striking
similitude between our day and tho
last period Of the Roman republic. In
Rome, as in our country, in the early
times, when the State was roor, men
were willing TO serve their country
from patriotism or for the honor of
Office. But when the conquest of Asia,
Africa and Gaul had made the State
rich public Office became so valuable a
prize, that those who once held il
were willing TO plunge the republic
into civil war rather than give it up.
Marins, Scylla, Cesar, Ootavius, Cras.
sus and Anthony did this rather than
yield up their command or their pro-
consulship, which were worth millions
TO each OF thcm. Now, consider the
parallel Of our own history, remem-
bering that while Rome took FIVE
hundred years to reach the period Of
corruption, we have taken less than
fifty. 1t may be said that until tho
time Of the Mexican war, and the ac-
cossions of territory which followed
u, The prizes OF Office, though honora-
bic, wero not very glittorins. Pablo
officers lived generally npon their
salaries, which were scant enough,
But since that time what change
has taken place The country has
extended its area in every direction,
its wealth has increased at prodigi-
GUS rate, and mullitudes of public
offices, to which are attached contiD-
cntperquisities, have become exceed
ingly lucrative, even when tho in
cnmbents are honest. For example,
collectorships, Indian agencies, and
the like. In addition to this came tho
late war, with it's fat contracts, and
we know to what tremendous frauds
i. gave rise. Thus was awakened tho
"drta sdcra fdmcs," the cursed hun
gering after gold, which has produced
all these rings, jobs, fraudulent claims,
swindling contracts, briberies, lobby
ings, and all that variety Of frauds
for which the English language could
furnish no names, and new words had
to be invented TO designate them.
The same consequence follows with
us that did in Rome. To the victors
belong the spoils-and those spoils
have become SO immensely valuable,
that those who hold them will, if they
can, plunge the country into anarchy,
ruin and civil war, rather than yield
them up.
We bad occasion some days ago 10
aIlude to the enormous and universal
defalcations that disgrace the Govern
ment in all IFS branches. But although
these frauds are every day assuming
more and more gigantic proportions,
they are in fact but the smallest part
Of the evil inflicted upon the whole
nation. The country is rich and can
bear the loss Of hundreds of millions
but what it cannot bear is the loss of
public virtue, honesty and honor, fol-
lowed as it must be by the loosening
of all moral obligations in private lite.
Can the spectacle of political proAiga-
cy and of rapid and scandalous for
tunes realized with impunity by pecu-
lation in Office. be without delcterious
effect upon tho young men OF tho
land ! But the evil does not stop
there. 1t is surely and not slowly
destroying all the foundations of re-
publican government. IL is making.
suffrage mockery--ex-
pressing the sense of tho people less
than French plcbiscte. If
a convention is called it is managed
by ring which employs every COR
rupt means TO carry their point. At
the polls, bribery, patronage and tho
party lash at one point; bayoncts at
the othcrj the terror produced by an.
iniquitous perversion Of the forms OF
Justice at a third disgust the honest,
Irighlen off the timid, silence all OPP
position, and the trick is donO The
intrigue OF ring is foisted upon the
country as the will of the people.
This suggests another thought.
When decentralization and corruption
once become fixed in the public life of
a people, there is no more hope of =
return Of former purity. The dagger
Of Brutus could destroy Caesar, but
it was powerless TO remove the do
generacy which oravcd for another
AT later day, when VIC
Lorious general was made consul for
Lerm of years, how long was it before
he universal suffrage of u subservienL
people made him consul for ten years,
then consul for life, and finally En-
peror There are enough points of
resemblance between those times aud
Durs to excite apprehensions OF similar
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