The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-05-02
LegfsIdtire Corruption.

islature of this State, but especially Of
the lower branch Of it, has become a
byC-word and reprO&ch to her former
good name and reputation, and is a
stencil III the nostrils Of her people.
There was a time, not very remote,
when the practice of brihing members
of that body was Hnheard Of, and when
an exceptional case did occur, 1t eN-
cited a feeling of indignant denuncla-
ton throughout the Commonwealth
But the times have sadly changed and
our public men have changed with
them, With a majority of them bri-
berry which can be made to assume a
great variety of shapes, is the rule and
honesty the exception, and men now
seek legislative honOrs, not with the
view Of faithfully serving their con-
stituents and promoting the welfare
and prosperity of the State, but for
the base and ignoble purpose Of cor
ruptly promoting their own pecuniaIy
aud personal interests.
Legislation at Harrisburg isnow and
for Years past has been as purchas-
able as the Roman purple became dur
ing the declining and degenerate days
OF the Empire, when the chief magis-
tracy was put up and knocked down
to the highest bidder. During the
. progress OF the campaign which is to
determine the m0teriei Of the LegiSla-
ture, the candidates indulge in honeyed
promises of retrcnchmcnt and reform,
only made to the ear to be broken to
the hope" As the session advances,
sinister and corrupt influences begin to
manifest themselves-the honest rep
resentativcS of to-day becomes the paid
instrument of the lobby tomorrow
and thus it goes on until both Houses
adjourn amidst a scene of the most
disgraceful debauchcry, after which the
members return to their betrayed and
outraged constituents with damaged
regulations, but with money in their
| purse What is the remedy for this
growing and intOIerabIe evil? 1t Is III
the hands of the people themselves,
who seem, however, criminally indif-
! ferent about applying it. As a gene
raj rule, a member whose Venality Is
notorious encounters no very serious
| difficulty in again being returned to
before Sam JOsephs, for instance, is
a living and instructive example O1
the profound depth Of infamy to which
member of the House can sink and
vet be returned by his constituents ses
sion after session, dd intijHtttm. AS
long as the people will condone the
sins and iniquities Of the men who rep,
resent them at Harrisburg, no amend
ment or reform can be hoped for.
The Philadelphia radical journals
since the close Of the last session, have
indulged in unsparing denunciations o
the base conduct of the members from
that city. They richly deserve all tina
their own home papers have said abOu
them. for more scurvy and villainou'
set of men never before Represented
that radical stronghold But most o
them occupied seats in the House dur
ing the previous sessiOn-their char
acters were well known-and Yet
when they came before the people 70
reelection with all their sins of omis
sion and commission resting them
these same papers, now so yirtuOu
and indignant, had not one word o
protest to enter against their election
What we have said of the corruption
and dcbauchery Of the Legislature o
this State may, with equal truth, b
affi .med Of almost every body of th
same kind throughout the Union
Recent evidences of that fact are s,
numerous and conclusive that ''he wht
runs may read.n The same stain rest
upon Congress, so that it may truth
fully be said that this is now the mos
demoralized and corrupt governmen
on the face of the earth. De TocquC
vile, a distinguished French write
who visited this country more than
quarter Of a century ago and who pul
lished a well known and celebrate
work on the institutions and nature c
our government, felt constrained t
say, even at that early period in on
history, "BehoId nation, rotten be
fore ripe r' What would be his Opir
ion if he were alive now and could rt
visit this paradise Of Legislative plur
! derers and official thieves?
+
2 THE country was somewhat startle