Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-05-07
[Froa #aEpsrE wsskIya
HONESTY.

/ The rumororfhe tsyeia iatiGnsof ffrand
and bribery In many Of onr egislatlEe
bodies, however EeF the moment dis
hearteniug, have one cheering eie.
ment, since they sh0W that political
corruption with 1s II soon brought to
light, and can not, as In other forms
Of government, be efiectually conceal.
ed. Every BtatesmanO or political lead
er among Us lives in the condition OF
the Roman Senator, and has q thous-
and ewes watching him abroad or ct
home. Nothing Is hidden from the
keen scrutiny Of the press, OF his
nei0hbors, or his opponents; every
apartment OF his house is thrown open
to the view of his fellow-citizens, and
no architect could build one that
would not afford the rigid puhlieity
demanded by the Roman chief.
Whoever attempts bribery In Kansas
or peeulation In California, WhoeFsr
takes giffs ct Albany OF offers Them ct
Washington, Il certain: to be dragged
before his feliow-eountrymen, and 90
rldely handled by press and people
that he can scarcely hope for another
opportunity % committing the same
Io1ense. Public ty Is the natural trait
Of 8 free eeTernment. Whatever our
faults are, we are anxious to, have
them told-we trust with the hope OF
correcting them II crimes and de-
faleations, political and moral cor
fuption, stArtle US on all Sides. Il is
one proof at least that the guilty are
not hidden from observation BY the
selfish delieacy Of 3 ruling caste, or
protected by absolute power from the
scrutiny OF the 1aIF., 49, q =. - -. -
Its safe to say that our principle OF
publicity Is not preserved under any
other form OF government. The Eng
lish constitution Il held TO produce o
high degree Of purity in statesman
ship and honesty In politicat leaders;
yet Il has many hidden. retreats Of
corruption, where the press seldom
ventures to intrude; or y here the pro-
Rress of reform has not yet penetrated.
Not many years ago IL is notorious
that the expenses Of an election %
Parliament were enormous, the cam
didates IaYished their money with .
profession that might have startled
even an Ames or q B0gys We believe
Mr. DisraeH brought n bin against
corruption, an d thatseyeral members
sell their votes. But the practice Of
purchasing seats In Parliament is 50
deeply impressed upon the British
constitution by long usage, by Its
perfect responsibility, and by the
eminent names that have given IT
their sanction, that we fear 1t still
flourishes in mnch Of Its ancient vigor..
We have no wish t0'press the tU quo
que argument; yet It Is impossible not
to feel that there are many traits In
royalty and aristocracy upon which
the English press exercises q discreet
silence that would ind 40 parallel in
the unguarded candor Of our OWL.
that the scandals Of American legisla--
tares are NOT wholly inepp pplicablg even
to the highest branches OF the Eng
lish. ,1t-.98H z.Al.ftgL
We should scarcely, indeed, have
thought It necessary. to notice the
faults OF other governmen nts In our
concern for our own had not the ins
accurate critioisms of several OF the
English journals seemed to require q
reply In one ultramOntane paper,
the London Td6Iet, We have 9 bitter
and unscrupulous assault upon re-
publieanisrn--A series Of ernoDeOus
statements and Of unjustt3able insin-
uations.A ! We are told that in the
United States ito know how to bribe
and how to deserve bribe is almost
an essential qnalif feation for the pop1-
lar vote, especially since the gentle
men of ths Sonth we're suppressed by
the civil war ~ that there arei as hon-
est men In any. Of the European King.
doms as In the United States, but that
they avoid or are ostracized from poll.
tics; that dishonesty In our politicians
is the surest way to the esteem Of our
people: that successful fraud only
excites them to''envious admirati0n;H
that our Hexecutiyen Is tainted with
dishonor, and our statesmen, since
the fall Of slaveEyiqutte un1s 10 meet
on equal grounds, In character and
native dignity, the rulers OF England.
In other words, our ultramontane
journal. the representative OF the
opinions Of Archbishop Manning and
Of the Papal Councial, lanents ovaf
the fall Of slavery denonnces repubyi
licsnisni IS thorough 81 dishOnest,snd
corrupt, celebrates the superior yir-
tues OF despotism, and covers our gov
eminent with nnfounded, oaiumnies.
Tbs danRsrof such causeless inlnna-
kti0ns Is chiefly thst they come from q
source which is looked upon as infal-
pIibIe authority By ihrgs bodies Of men
In Europe and ,America. To reply TO
them Is needless FOR any cultivated
readers; It's rather for their authors
thai We point the moral Of the theme.
If such extTavagant falsshoods are
propagated BY literary Journals OF
Tepnte In Europa, where can be the
honesty Of the class Tor which they
speake . ze4 H'l
Bribery has always been the vice OF
the British Parliament. The late
Napoleonic empire was so covered
with peeulation and corruption, hid