, 1873-02-09

~ NAA-SA%A -A--7-I
is conceded that the public officer who accepts |
bribe for IN official sct is guilty Of crime; but
this admission is met by the query, What il q |
bribe7 What is it that man must do IN the
way Of purchasing IN election, or purchasing
legislation, or any Official act. to constitute tho
crime of bribery? The moral offence consists
in tho public officer accepting fee or
reward for rendering an official service.
Ths acceptance Of the compensation is tho
substance OF the offence. Would Judge |
of the United States or State Courts, who, |
il addition to his fixed salary, should receive |
regular or occasional pay from corporation, |
which might, ct some time have case before him,
be guilty of bribery, unless it could bo proved
Flat the Court had accepted the money under an |
agreement to decide cor1uptly in all cases in |
which the corporation should bo interested
Is the acceptance OF the money, without law
ful consideration, the substance Of the crime, or
is it the actual rendering Of the corrupt decision?
How much confidence would the. public
receipt Of pecunia1y compensation from one
OF from combination Of corporations? and yet
Why should the confidence be wanting If tho
fact Ct bribery is not fully completed7 There
Is no difference between tue case OF Judge and
that OF any other officer. Tho member Of the
Legislature, the member Of Congress, snd the
Cabinet officer, are all klike the agents and trus-
tees Of the people, and stand in the same rala-
ton to the public and to individuals that does
the Judge. When, therefore, member Of the
Legislature, Or Of Congress, Or Of the Cabinet,
accepts g1atuity from any person or corpora
tion who has OF may have business before him,
he stands precisely in the same light that does
the Judge who accepts money from actual or
possible Itigants.
But we are having new theories upon this
question. Senator-rlect from South Carolina,
who has paid 900 for his election, claims
that has conduct cannot bo investigated save at
the official request OF the Legislature from
whom ho purchased the election. A Secretary
Of the Interior, having control of the relations
Of the Pacific Railroad Company and the Gov
ernment, accepts $40, 900 from that corporation,
with the avowed purpose Of procuring his cleo
tion to the Senate, where, rs legislator, bo
would have to vote upon measures relating to
that Company, and defends the act Is consis-
tent with personal and official integrity.
In Nevada, Senator has just been elected who
does not deny that he has expended perhaps
one hundred ti1nes his whole Senatorial salary
to be elected. The expenditure Of money was
A1.n4E Eat han ~ traff
and defend it. Speaking to tho men by whoee
votes he Was elected, hc thus describes tho Of
dcc to which he has been chosen:
The position to which you have elevated me- Is ono Of
j grave responsibility and almost per1ous e1altednees.
The great men Of the nation have woven around 1t
speu Of genius, eloQuence, and grandeur, TILL Ike IN
Olympus, 1t has seemed sacred theatre Of gode to-
wards whoso Handicapped glor1es the mortal gazo
might be rcyerenty lifted but to whose lofty height
no ordinary mortal should eyer climb.
He then referred to the fact Of his having been
Chosen, and the various allegations as to the
means he had used, and, admitting the facts,
thus denlu11ed to the whole indictment:
deny that the recent canrass corrupt prohi-
gate beyond what might beos Justly charged against
any and every political campaign, whether municipal
State, OF National, within my memory. Money
Central Committee Of the various counties, and eg
Euatey the interest Of the Republican party
presenting clearly to all the true Issues involved in tie
canraIgn. There is not election gone By since
existence nation that has not witnessed and
toned Its like They who tnye:gh against political
expenditure Of this character simply decry the incyita
be and incur than suspicion Ct THUR canor and
intelligence. Corruption is no necessary
roilarr to the Of money. A vast
n::iooal debt might bc dsbursed End no be
rnFted. Ihc mezo disbursement Of money is blame
less in itself.
candidlJ acknowledge that money used in the
campaign, but not co1rupy. It used lesi.mately
and 1ghtiuly. The popular espousa1 OF my candida
ture aienatcd and institutions OF wealth. power,
ard influence who had heretofore been generous pa
irons Of the Republican party, and checked
eources Of supply and turned them into channels
wtich flowed into and flted the e1chequer Of the op
position. These powerful influences encouraged and
promoted discord within the organization. Thero
peril without; there craft, intimidation and
t1csche1y in every hand, cndangeriag alike the suc-
OF the pary and the interests Of the community
II through party and personal zeal volunteered to
stand the breach caused By the de4e1tion Of Others
sud tear the brunt Of the fight and the hcat and
burden Of the day, trust while arrogate to myself
no virtue for doing, that others will not tmpute 1t
10 me crime.
Tho plain moaning OF all this ia, THAT AIr. JONES'
finding tEht his candidacy Vas not popular, and
that whatever chance he had depended On tho
free expenditure OF money, r.: bra7e1y re-
solved to "bc.r the b1nnt !" il; cc words, he
'went in with his money, overwhelmed all op-
position by purchasing its followers, and at the
cost Of perhaps $500, 900 in State where tie
aggregate popular vote vas less than 10000,
found himself in possession Of Legislature
pledged to his election. It is natural that Mr.
Jones' should fatter himself that the usa Of
money by him was not corrupt beyond whnt it
has been in other elections; that its use has
tacn sanctioned By long usage; that corruption
is no necessary corollary to the use OF money
in elections; that he might have expended
two Thousand millions in ths election and no
ono be corrupted; that the mere disbursement