The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-05
Effect OF the Credit Mobilicr Exposures
Upon tho Morals OF Public Mem.

Euect OF the credit mODlIler exposures
Upon tho Morals OF Public Men.
One of the most remarkable developments
growing out of the Credit Mobilier frauds is
the effect Of the exposures upon the morals of
public men. Our advices from Washington
inform us that every conversation upon this
question, either in public or in private. is
tinged by the moral OF, rather, immoral hue
OF official bribery as compared with other
vices which the world unites in c0ndemning
Men who were not accustomed to vaunt their
virtues have become the loudest of the Phar-
isees. A Senator noted for his volubility in
profanity is often heard TO say that though he
sometimes swears he has not yet learned to
steal. A Representative who frequently yields
to the rosy god of the overlooking cup con-
graduates his boon companions on the trivi-
atty Of their offences in comparison with the
offences of the sinners whose masks have just
been torn from their faces. The illiterate
men, the vulgar men, the bad men are now
the ones who make broad their phylacteries
and thank God they are not as other men.
The Senate and the House are the same this
year as last, but the relative positions of Sena-
! tors and Representatives differ. Before COL
| fax and Patterson and Dawes and Garfield
and the rest looked down upon their
struggling brothers from the lofty eleva-
tions of public probity and private
virtue The poor chaps underneath
looked up to them as upon the dizzy heights
of honor and honesty and truth. Now, those
who were above are below and those who were
below regard the erring ones with contempt
and disgust. Men who were not supposed to
be nice in their affiliations hesitate to take the
Vice President of the United States by the
hand. All of those who, like him, yielded to
the temptations of Cakes Ames 60 about with
the collar of the Evil One round their necks,
and are Stunned as the ministers of evil.
Some Of them are begging their associates in
Congress in the most piteous way not to allow
them to be utterly forsaken and cast down.
Their punishment is greater than even the
strongest of them can bear If they had sim
ply been corrupt they would be derided and
laughed at; but, having added perjury to cor
ruption, they are scorned by the dishonest as
well as the honest. Even the sycophants who
basked in their smile in the day of their power
wear an appearance of horror when they ap-
proach and are the loudest to cry "Hypo-
critic !" when they depart. The scoundrels
who are daily bought and sold in the Capitol
put on faces of injured innocence in their
presence, and go about gently signing, 81
never would have suspected such villany in
these good men!" Thus they go, and every
day they sink lower than they were the day
before.
If this were all the country might regard
their degradation with the joy that comes of
the knowledge that their punishment is de-
served But religion suffers from the crimes
of its professed followers. The Church is re-
garded with contempt and its ministers are
contemplate. The mention of the Young
Mems Christian Association raises q laugh.
''The Sunday school business is played out
is heard daily from hundred lips Christi
anity is becoming a reproach. Piety is re-
garded as cloak for fraud. Temperance and
all the virtues are pointed out as the covering
for corruption. There is nothing good except
evil. and nothing evil except being caught at
crime. The smirk of goodness is equivalent
to hypocrisy, and the affectation of immo-
rality the badge Of integrity and truth. The
want of private virtue indicates the possession
of public worth. The order of things has
been reversed, and the unbelievers are loud in
their thankfulness because the "good men,
have come to grief. The ''good men, cover
before the storm. They can never again be
their former selves, for, like the woman who
was happy in the love of her children, yester-
day wife and to-day courtesan, they carry
their shame in their faces. Like the unfaith-
full wife, they plead their temptation while
they deny their guilt, and thus make the
proof doubly damning Their fall is i'm
measurable, for the injury done to morality
and religion is as much part Of it as the
sins which occasioned it.
Looking back over the history of the Credit
Mobilier investigation, we are appalled, at the
enormity of these mems offences. We can
understand the avarice which tempted them
to ''invest' in Cakes Ames' bonds. We can
even appreciate the sophistry by which they
might try to convince themselves that they
were not bribe-takers. But we cannot under
stand why they should solemnly swear to lies
which were almost certain to be refuted. It
seems impossible that Mr.. Dawes should
assert that he had thousand dollars in the
hands Of the Sergeant-at-Arms "waiting in
vestment" when in fact he had no money TO
his credit on Mr.. Ordways books. 1t seems
impossible that Senator Patterson, while, as it
appears, perjuring himself and asking Ames
to commit perjury also in his behalf should
assert things to Ames' discredit which he
knew Ames had it in his power to disprove by
documentary evidence 1t seems impossible
that Vice President Colfax should goad Ames'
sluggish nature into furious activity by chargc
ing the latter with something like embezzle-