Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-02-05
The Causes of Corruption.

cepted the office Of District Judge, and in
reply to the handsome encomiums which
they passed upon his Senatorial service -
al would not undervaue popularity, but !
should not dare to make it the rule Of my
official or personal conduct" Mr.. Prcniiss
was lawyer of large experience and at
tainments, a judge Of clear intelligence
discrimination and impartiality, Senator
OF great influence and usefulness, a man Of
incorruptible integrity and honesty. He
never made use of his official position to
take for hi. own use a sheet of note paper
or solitary pencil that belonged to the
government. lie belonged to that splendid
array Of statesmen and jurists who illus
trate the earlier period Of the history Of
the u. 5. Senate. His opinions and judg.
ments could not have been bought with the
gold Of the Indies, aud bride would have
been resented with burning indignation.
Nor was be more honorable in these things
than his compeers.
But the United States Senate has chang
ed in the character Of its members While
Washington was the executive, aud
even subsequently, it was customary for
the President to go into the Senate chamber
and converse with the Senators informally,
on all the public questions that were sub
mitted to them. There was free inter-
change of views and opinions between the
President and Senators, in earnest CONVEX
sation, on all matters on which they we're
to act. There was no speechmakpg, no
fishing for popular applause, no regard to
the elections.
But at length the number Of Senators
was increased, the Senate chamber was
greatly enlarged, galleries were built and
the people began to gil them, and Senators
commenced to speak to the crowd instead
Of TO one another.
At once the material Of the body began
to diminish in weight, in dignity, in charac-
ter. Young men. ambitious of reputa.
ton, politicians, fresh from the conflicts
and passions Of the elections, legal men,
pushed and sustained by heavy corporations
that needed legislation, came into the seats
that had been vacated by a race Of indie
pendent and able statesmen. Senators be-
gan to cater TO public sentiment and pas
siops, TO address themselves to the audience
in the galleries, to watch the currents Of
popular feeling, to make themselves useful
to private, local and corporate interests,
aud to make popularity the rule Of con-
duct"
At the same time with this change in
the Senate, there has been 4 change in the
country. Huge corporations have sprung
into existence manufacturing, railroad,
steamboat, banking agricultural, iron aud
steel, whiskey and cotton corporations
controlling immense capital and ready 10
use it lavishly and unscrupulously in order
to secure legislative protection through the
tariff or by direct subsidy. These corpO.
rations have been able to manufacture pub
p lie sentiment or control it, make and un.
make Senators and Representatives and
even Presidents. The United States Senate
smaller in numbers than the House of Req
resentatives, less directly responsible to the
people, and elected by a few electors id ou
State Legislatures, has been the specia
theatre in which the agents of these vas
corporations have operated. Its member
have often been elected to serve specia
interests, to protect certain commoditio.
10 guard the objects Of local corpora
tions. Their popularity has been in To
proportion that they have succeeded j
serving these private enterprises which hav
elected them.
1t is in this state Of affairs that the col
ruption which has lately been partially T,
vealed has sprung to such large proportion
The members of Congress have had fal,
standard Of official action. They ha,
measured their success by the efiicienc
with which they have subserved the speci
interests which have elected or sustained {
bought them. They have not hesita,ed
receive rewards from those whose adva
tsge they have promoted. In many cas-
Senators or Representatives, who were
moderate means when they went to Was
ington, have become enormously rich.
little care given to some modest article
the tariff; little interest shown in Il
matter Of the whiskey tax; little devote
to some handsome claim; humble vo
given in the crisis OF the affairs Of sor
railroad corporation; little considerable
given to the iron or cotton manufacture
and the Congressman has cleaned a ri
harvest and supplemented his income
the grateful. remcmbrances Of his favor
constituents.
1t is an understood fact, as notorious
il would be difficult to prove, that the ST
sides given to the Union Paci6c, the Nor
srn Pacific and other western railroa
were voted by many members Of Congr
for a consideration. 1t is an asserted f
that members Of Congress have waited
the agents Of corporations who were Sc
ing Congressional subsidies to their obje'
and demanded the quid pro quo for tn
services. 1t is fact, we are inform
that the Northern Pacific Railroad Il
grant was not voted until its managers C
scented to the greedy demands Of the mt
bers Of Congress. When they yielded
the demands il was at once found that
public interests required the charter Of
road with its imperial subsidy.
The committees now investigating Il
subjects have not yet touched bottom.
nay be possible TO limit the investiga
and end the matter with the exposures
ready made. But We cannot believe
the atmosphere which has infected VI
ington for the last twenty years, has v