New-York tribune., 1873-12-11


manded for it more serious treatment.
But the Salary Grab had an Importance not
measured by the amount of money 1t conveyed
dishonesty to the pockets of those who voted
for it, or by the prospective increase of sal
aries. 1t was not by any means sudden
outbreak of the spirit of greed, an uncOntrol-
liable impulse to seize the public money, or
phenomenal gust Of covetousness without
cause or law, that took Congress OFT its feet.
It was an entirely natural growth, perfectly
consistent logical progress, that led to It, 1t
had rlpened slowly and in public sight. Bud
blossom, and fruit had succeeded each other
in natural order, and no process was c0nceaied'
All the conditions of the political atmo-
sphere favored it; all the potential
tendencies of strongly marked pc
rod conyerged and centered in it. Ii
is not difficult TO trace the stages OF TINS un-
wholesome progress, nor do we need 10 go "a
great way back to mark It's beginning. we
may date its earliest manifestation with the
opening of the war, condition which mas
always i'll the history OF nations tended TO
confuse the standards of morality and lower
the tone of society The inevitable apOtheOsis
of brute force followed the appeal to arms
in behalf of a great cause, and the higher
considerations of the principle for which the
war was fought we're sunk in the lower and
more pressing ones of the means by winch IL
was to be carried on. Material agencies were
uppermost in the public thought There were
money-making contracts, awarded OF course 10
friends of the Government, and the standard OF
mercantile morality fell before temptation and
opportunity. With the increase of currency
and imitation of prices that always go together
and are always cOrrupting, the contagion
spread. Large bOunties and immense dis
bursements brought the uDthriity ana danger
ous classes TO the surface by the oiler OF new
inducements and a new field for crime The
nernicious influence of flush times, an ire
deemable currency. and condition of war
which excluded thought Of anything but the
necessity of success, permeated all grades and
demoralized all classes. 1t was not strange;
il was logical inevitable. In the most natural
way in the world the war for an idea developed
the materalstc tendencies of the time and
gave them pronounced and unmistakable con
troll of the public conscience and the public
Judgment.
II WAS easv in such times for the loyal
statesman TO convince himself that it was
legitimate for him to take stock III profitable
enterprises endowed with special privileges by
his vote and easy for men OF gr0Sser mold TO
Use those enterprises to enrich themselves at
the expense of the Government. Hence the
Credit Mobilier. 1t was short process OF
casuistry by which they argued from the ne
cessity of having the Government supported,
the need of electing the right men to Office,
and then by arguing that men had "better be
paid for doing right than to do wrong
"for nothing" to come directly to
the purchase of votes, which their
command of the money making power enabled
them to do. This being done under the plea
of war necessity, how easy TO buy Legsla-
ture to save Senator, and how smoothly such
men as Harlan and Pomeroy slid into prac-
tees which in an earlier time would have
been called bribery 1t was not strange that
under such circumstances these good men and
the good men associated with them should
cease to be particular as to the antecedents
of their fellow members, and should not care
to scrutnize too closely the means by
which they had secured their seats. Dishonesty
had become habiha deceit second nature.
a
of their msdeeds were exposed on the eve of the
last Presidential election, but the remnant of
good character pertaining to the Christian
statesman sutliced by abundant Endorsement to
carry them through, and they entered upon
new term with more assurance than ever.
The most ardent supporter OF the Administra-
tion must admit that the last Congress ex-
ceeded any in our previous history in its dis
closures of widespread corruption and de-
moraizatiOn. Instead of being startled or
shamcd they laughed over them, and crowned
all by this stupcndouS grab at the Treasury,
by which they got away with more than mil
hon dollars. 1t was not sudden spasm Of dis
honesty. They had simply grown up to it.
Popular Indignation has at length reached
them and they are feeling about for way
out. 1t may be said of them that while they
are not so innocent as some OF them try to
appear they are not SO entirely without ex-
cusc as they have sometimes been represented.
A public sentiment that has been in gradual
process of corruption for years lies back of
the act itself Ii is the old story of the
tower OF Sloan. These are they OIL whom it
fell.
The fault and weakness Of this debate is
that it fails to recognize the growth of the
causes that led to the great mistake and
hardly comprehends the suddenness and the
extent of the popular reaction. Whoever of
them can read the signs of the times must see
soon, if noJ now, that the meaning of all this
is that period is ended. They will be wise
who gather themselves up to go in the new
direction.