Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-02-07
spare Not the cuIltY.
From the Journal Of Commerce.


Tho time lor stern and unrelenting treatment
OF the public betmyers has now arrived. A halting
course on the plea that il is merciful will no longer
answer. II the people forgive the great criminals
whose shameful deeds now fill the newspapers
and let them on without severe punishment then
We shall have entered upon the darkest days of
the republic The civil war in its mightiest is
sues was not gloomer and more periiious than
the present crisis. That was a struggle between
sections and institutions This is q conflict In
which economy, honesty and honor are arrayed
against prohigacy, vcnality and perjury and the
question is, which of these rival policies shall
take supreme possession at Washington Shall
We have a government OF bribe-takers, cantipg
knaves, and superior confidence men, or one in
which honesty and truth-telilng are the princDles
Of action: We would be lenient towards hmm
ble, ignorant criminals and first offenders but the
men who are guilty Of hIlbing their way into
the United StAtes Senate ana of taking Credit
Aobilier dividends and lying about it under oath
are not entitled TO the least clemency They
must be punished TO the full extent OF the Law
and made everlasting examples. Unless the per.
toDs now arraigned tor these iniamies can make
there innocence apparent, as they have not yet
done-h they are, IN fact, bribe-takers and per
lureEs-they must be treated like common cTiToi-
mails, with this differenee-thAt they deserve no
mercy whatever. The several States have their
own laws against the bribery OF lesislators and
Otnef Paohe on'eers As rule, these laws arc too
mild IA their penalties. Kansas is the severest in
her code on this point; years in prison is her
extreme award for the ofienss CHARGED agaiost
Pomeroy. 1t seems hard thata man OF Pomerov's
pEetenslons should wear stripes and hammer
stone for seven years, and herd with yulpnr foot
pads and thieves, but if he is guilty Of bribino
Col. York, OF the Kansas Senate send him TO pri-
son for the whole term, say we Not n wear
on from the seven; not a stripe less on the Jacket
and trousers; and no remission of the stoDs-haUn
mering and the coare fare If Pomeroy has done
half ths bad things alleged against him. he il a
more Dangerous man TO be loose on society than
any sWlndier or horse-thief in the Kansas Peni-
tenuaTy' StlH more strenuously do we insist that
tne Congressional "pals" Of the Credit Mobiher
shall not escape conviction and punishment, if
guilty.
Three years in prison is the term prescribed for
them y the law of the land, approved Febrna-
~ 1893. This sentence, and a tine three times
the amount Of the sum for which thew soId tbe;r
bodies ana seuls, and expnIsion from Office and
perpetual disqualification for holding any postIon
OF honor and trust under the Federal government
WOULD MHoold oe none TOO Impressive warning for ali
IatnFe trieksters an high places. Terrible though
these penalties are, they are all fully deserved If
the accused persons are guilty. II nav seem 70
some that We ara little ahead OF time-that we
SnogAa WAL lor these Eaen 10 be convicted before
We begin TO telk Of the punishment which 1TonSd
then Be their dus-and that Il Il unfair n ,onso
pubhe opinion against them by dwelling upou the
Onormity of the impRted ofenae We hava no
unkiEd or uneharitaeie motive towards them
We DO not proclaim them guilty till they are pro-
we'd 90. Bat NO must do our part towards coun-
teEacting the apathy with which most Of the no.
lieal and personal friends Of The accused partles
choose 70 regard the cAae. They treat fhs most
testimony before the committee az UIt
we're only joke. Ihey are ready with their de-
lenses and apologies for men who have AZ vet
IaAds no good defence for themselves, and Wbooo
lame explanations most signaily refuted by tha
looords. There IL an effort visible in nlany aaar
oEs 10 treat this whole bribery business a. Il IL
gers matter Of no consequences, and 70 convince
leoFe tnat the stain that IL leaves s no disgrace
8alfss tAih tendency 70 underraie the magnitude
& ths alleged eaense and the feriopsnals of fhe
latioaAi crisis, We raise our earnest protest We
Ell TIE pablo that Il the etatsmeats about the /
'ra6il Mcbise are facts, and il the Conqreasraon
uilty of tak.ng bribes aud pe1uring themselves
- noa panlahea % the full exEant Of the hw
zen tbs c0watEy hss entered upo1 an era Of cor.