Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-12-13
SALARY Stenlers- Public Virtue and
RnrlN I1lmndcrino.

From the New York Herald, Of yesterday,
Public virtue is said 10 be the essential princi-
pie aud vital spirits OF The governments like ours
yet whole Congress gives an irreiIugaole evi-
dence that 1t Is not unwilling TO profit by petty
larceny; TO plunge its legislative arm up 10 the
elbow into the national treasure chest and pocket
what it was trusted 10 guard. SO that If Montes-
quieu was rlght-if virtue is the vitality OF re-
publics-then our grand political experiment is in
a bad way or our CongIessmen greatly belle the
nation in pretending 10 represent u; Perhaps the
truth iS between these points aud laps little
ON either alternative Congressman are not fair
types Of the people of their districts and this IL
a truth that has no partisan application, for the
men of both tides will plunder on any convenient
occasion with q noble indifference 10 platforms
and party lines. They are superior to narrow dis
senClOn on political issue in presence OF any op.
pOrtunity TO put money in their purses. This is
the essential point In the ring system of public
robbery, and we find the superiority of the peo-
pie their representatives n the very fact that
before they successfully steal on any extensive
combination congressman must first bctray Leir
constituents; they must agree not to recoguIze as
an obstacle to their operations those principles
which the people elected them to uphold they
must agree with their political opponents that II
is better TO act together for the more successful
prosecution Of dishonest schemes III their own in
Ierest than TO act IN opposition for the assumed
interest Of the people. They are tTaitoTa, there
fore, before they are thieves and II The system
upon Whlcn men IN OllC6 OpcTHH was acted uDOQ
BY the people at large in their general dealings
with another, then lose of confidence. distrust
aud suspicion would sap the foundation Of our
whole fabric Of industry ana commerce Broad
cast among our people there Is dishonesty, Of
cOpTse, there is in every country but il Is not
found with as in greater proportion to the num-
bers than 1t is found eseN here, while we DOUBT IL
there ever was a legislative BODY so shamcfully
corrupt as the present Congress In utter disre-
gard Of It's responsibility towards the Southern
States, with an indifference ~ the welfare OF
those great communities thai was partly revenge
the republican party permitted reconstruction On
principles that let in the crowds of carpet.bap
Representatives ana SenGt DIS and thus the person.
al composition Of Congress was aoulterated the
governing body was debased by the coming in OF
3 horde OF scoundrels, political yagsbonds, refu.
gees, bAnkrupts-wretches who had been forced
y leave By turns every community where there
was any administration Of justice OF respect for
the night. If Q mass of clipped coin is put into
The circulation and is gwen ana taken on an equa!
;tY with good coin, sllthe good coin soon beeomes
clipped also or disappears. So II has been with
Congresa the bad reduced the mass tO lis level.
and all Congress Is animated by the pTinciLl and
morals that the carpet-baggers brought there ;
and this Is the retributve justice tha, makes the
III we permit 70 be done 70 others catastrophe 70
ourselves.
Investigation has plehtifuiiy shcw2 low Coz
gTess teens with Toguery but Ihe most AsRra Mt
act in violation Of common hOnesty yet GIo i,.ht
10 Its door is that particular appropriation Of tie
public money which it has eoyrted Win tie hin
sEuisss Of the Salary bill.
Any individual whatever who has been employ
cd in the government and has rcceI7ed Tor his
services what he agreed 10 take has Just as much
right to have i've or ten thousand dollars voted
into his pocket as those CongressInen lad and the
CongnssSmen had just o. mach r,ght 10 VOC
themselves q hundred Thousand dollars apisee as
one; two or i've thousand dollars WY die tney
not do IT, Only from apprehension with regard
10 their own political safety and The inmnlent
danger to their future pi0spects Ot any oulra-
geons violation OF the public sense Of pIoprety.
Like the burglar R1d the pickPocket, tho embeEzl-
ing cashier aAd The sWind,ing confidence man.
they HALTED their faFtive operations by cOnsdera
tIons Of the peril ana the Oonseqaences. Ready
to sleal, they grasped, however, only 80 much a.
they thought Il safe 70 take; undeiened by any
innate sense OF honesty, they stopped 1T the lmff
only within which they thought they might escape
pOPulag fepro5ation.