The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-22


York again safe city. Let us see the boosted
season OF reform bring with it such desirable
fruits as security for life, protection for prop
erty and respect for Law:
s.nctity .nesin1 in tn. Senate.
Political. cor1SsSson like murder is certain
to DISCOVER itseiatr.eP5ner or later. Last year
the whispe,giYs'of shameless bribery among
Senators and Representatives in Congress
were only an intangible scandal; but in the
past few weeks exposure has 80 quickly fol-
lowed upon exposure as to indicate an utter
lack of public virtue and private integrity.
Indeed, so lost to all sense of honor and de-
cency have many Of our politicians become
that they think themselves wronged because
their crimes have been exposed. Governor
Carney regards his treatment as peculiarly
hard-hard because things which should have
been concealed were openly told before all the
world; his consent to withdraw from the can
didacy for the United States Senatorship in
consideration of money paid to him by Cald-
we'll or his friends appearing to him per-
fectly legitimate transaction. Caldwell, too,
Il tks upon his treatment as extremely cruel,
and Harlan is as indignant as his pious soul
will permit.
The Senate, we are told, participates in
Harlan's Indignation regarding the conduct of
the House Committee in allowing witness in
the Credit Mobilier investigation to tell things
damaging TO the Senator as fragrant breach
of privilege. just here we have word to say.
If Harlan had been as good man as he
always pretended to be, and as Parson New
man, the chaplain of the Senate, endorsed him
as being, there would have been no occasion
for indignation for then there would have been
no bribery and, consequently, no exposure.
Dr. Newman in q circular which was distrib-
uted all over the State Of Iowa, recommended
Harlan's election because of the Senator high
moral character. It now turns out the Sena-
tor, so far from being 'great, good man."
was not only among the sinners of the par
sons Senatorial flock, but one of the vilest of
the lot. Ex-senator Thayer, of Nebraska,
stands in the same relation towards the coun-
try as Harlan, not because his piety was ever
considered sufficient to speak of, but owing to
the fact that he made up his lack of sancti-
monious irreligion by blatant patriotism.
Then comes Powell Clayton, of Arkansas. We
do not know that Clayton ever claimed to be
particularly patriotic or singularly pious, but
we know that some damaging facts were
proved against him last year, and yet he con-
tinues to hold his seat in the Senate without
the investigation being pursued to its conclu-
sion. Senator Robertson of South Carolina,
is another man whose election it is openly
alleged was procured by lavish outlay of
money. Other Southern and Northern Sena-
tors are as openly accused of having procured
their seats by bribery. Both of the Senators
from the largest and the smallest States in
the Union are spoken of with disrespect by
their constituents because of allegations of
like character. If the revelations of the past
few weeks continue two-thirds of the Senate
may be shown to have been elected by bribery
and fraud.
The incoming Senators seem to be no better
than those who are already in the Senate
Patterson, of South Carolina, is accused of
the offences Of which Caldwell and Harlan and
Thayer are such conspicuous examples. Bogy,
who is to be the new Senator frem Missouri,
is similarly charged. Jones, who is to sue
coed Nye, Of Nevada, is also in like category
Political affiliations seem to make no difference
among political corruptionists. Republicans
and democrats are both willing to buy or to
be bought. The Senate is body which shows
every appearance of sanctity on the surface
but an unlucky investigation reveals the sin
which is beneath. There may be honor among
thieves, but there no longer seems to be honor
among Senator'S How long are their crimes
to continue? When is the day of punishment
to come? Unless the honest and honorable
men who yet remain in the Senate take hold
Of the culprits in that body and expel them
from the Senate Chamber, few of them will
get even Parson Newman to endorse their
hereafter. Harlan could scarcely get another
circular from him now. Not only the igno-
miny of expulsion, but the ignominy of the
Penitentiary, must follow crimes like these
No station is too high to make it but q step
from proud official position to the cell of q
prison. If few of these debased and de-
PRAYED Senators are taken from their seats in
the Senate to the cobblers' stalls of the ALBANY
Penitentiary we shall hear less of political
corruption, and the purchase of Assemblymen
by Senatorial candidates will be discontinued.
The SYNDICATE ENDORSED The result of
the Congressional investigation of the opera
tons Of the Syndicate will be grand surprise
to those who fancied the inquiry meant