Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-03
RUTLAND HERALD
WEDNESDAY, JULY .. 1878.
a NEW PANACEA.

NEW PANACEA.
jeremiah S. Black, of Pennsylvania,
although bitter partisan, has always
enioyed the reputation of being man
of talent, education, and common sense.
He has been chief justice of Pennsylva-
MIA, represented his State in Congress, and
has been Attorney General and Secre-
tary of State of the United States, and,
from his standpoint of duty and policy,
discharged all these duties wisely and
we'll He is now member of the con-
stitutional convention of Pennsylvania,
and is credited with having made a
splendid speech" upon pet project
of his, which, he seems to think, VIII,
if adopted, put a stop to all corrupt leg
islation. His proposition is to require
every member of the legislature, at the
close Of each session, to make oath that
he has not been personally interested In
and has not supported any corrupt
proposition. We are not told what is
to be the penalty for refusing to take
such an oath, but are left to the pre-
sumption that such a refusal will be
followed by forfeiture of the enor-
nous pay, to which such member
would, otherwise, be entitled. While
we all know and feel the reproach that
attaches to legislation in some parts of
the country, is not the remedy as ridicu
lous as the fault is grave? What would
be the effect of such an oath? The
member, before entering upon the dis
charge of his duties, is required to swear
that he will faithfully discharge the
same, and if, Notwithstanding this oath,
he has perjured himself by the violation
thereof, would he again hesitate to go
through with the same formula? With
out saying anything in reference to the
insult to every honest man, in requiring
him TO swear that he has not, thereto
fore, sworn falsely, would not the
fraudulent legislator swallow the insult
and take the oath A man that would
deliberately sell out the interests of his
constituents, and put his vote in the
market, would readily prove himself in
nocent, if only the formula of an oath
was required of him.
Mr.. Blacks experience i'll Washington,
during the last weeks and days of Blu
chanan's administration, it would have
been supposed, would not lave tended
to give him the most exalted idea of the
sanctity of a legislators oath. He saw,
at that time, men high in official po-
sition, and in the confidence of himself
and his party, after taking solemn oath
to support the constitution of the United
States, engage in plots, conspiracies and
treason against that government. Their
oath was considered and treated as of
little worth-a mere formula. Mr..
Black was-justly or unjustly-credited
with a large degree of sympathy with
these violators of their oaths. Whether
this reputation was deserved or not, he
could not fail to see that a simple oath
had no restraining power. Would it not
be so in this case ? We have already
too many occasions to make oath in the
course of common business transactions,
and especially in dealing with the gov
eminent, whether State or national. Its
solemnity has departed, and the person
testifying to the truth of statement, or
the correctness of an account, commonly
treats the whole matter as an idle cere-
mony and formula, if not farce. If
men cannot be deferred from the COM
mission of fraudulent acts, from defraud-
ing the government, and cheating their
fellow citizens, by their own consci-
enccs, the moral sentiment of the COM
munity, or even by the desire of receiv-
ing the "well done" from their constitu-
ents and fellow citizens, an oath will
not do it. If legislator sells his influ-
ence and receives a bride for his vote, he
would not hesitate for moment to take
any form of oath that might be prescrib-
ed. We should very much dislike to see
any such admission, as would be neces-
sarily inferred from such a requirement,
engrafted upon a constitution. Our leg
islators may be bad enough, but we
doubt if they are so wholly bad as to
need such a constitutional provision,
even if it were possible to hope for any
good therefrom.