Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-04-03

ton and gangrenOuS c0rruptlon, MS mas
been her head centre. As such he must
appear to ordinary discrimination as
nothing less than wonderful, for While
the morals of Kansas have been fast
going to the d. dogs, her head centre
has always shown brilliantly in the
| church, and still attests the power OF
| the church to sustain in all trials and his
| own power to maintain a good standing
therein, York and bribery not excepted.
AS an economist, too, he is no less a
wonder, for while most Senators find it
difficult to save anything from the low
salaries which has been paid them, at
the end of twelve years he is transformed
from ''poor but honest" man to two
| or-three- million-heir. There's economy
for you. Yes, and there's something
else too. There is public sentiment
which tolerates trading upon positions of
trust, and by winking at it, legitimises
petty and gigantic filching on the part
of public servants. There is advance in
the wrong direction when such outrag
ing of the principles of honesty and
equality-principles upon which Re
publics alone can exist-ceases to excite
public apprehension. Such vices, like
weeds, and Southern Confederacies, only
ask to be let alone and they will develop
colossal proportions. The lamentable
feature of the times is not so much that
these things exist, as that public senti-
ment has sleepy, helpless way of toler-
ating them A hundred big thefts and
frauds by hundred nabobs are of in
finitely less Importance than the fact
that you and I, Mr.. Editor, and the
Smiths, Jones and Johnsons, the farmers
and mechanics, the butchers, bakers and
candlestick makers, all of which go to
make up the great school of thirty mil
lion little fishes, and to make the great
invisible ruling power of public senti-
ment. are being hardened by their mag
nitude and frequency into something
like indifference. Thequery is, may they
not yet become sort of popular? Well,
it may be asked whence all this ink and
quill, and apprehension over two defunct
politicians Mellifluous reader. The
Pomeroys and Caldwells are legion. Not
only in Congress, but in other high places
of trust they are in our churches and
pervade society from its under strata to
the upper surface. The two names
signify nothing, it is the spirit, which
feeds upon virtue and is hydra-headed,
and nothing but herculean principle can
save from its demoralizing influence.
THE SALARY BILL
Is not only provoking much criticism on
the part of the public, but it is also de-
yeloping some musical features of politi-
cal capital-making from passing oppOr-
tunities. Various members who APPROX
ed the bill and whose constituents don't
approve of the measure seem to be plac-
ed in bad fix. They don't want the
''smell of fire" to be found upon their
garments, and, yet 50, 500 a year seems
to be hard thing to be let alone. A
certain wealthy Senator who has arriv-
ed at the dignity of Eek made a des-
perate lounge for public admiration by
giving out word that his increase he had
donated to the Washington Monument
Association. The press sung peans of
praise to his munificence until some mis-
learned reporter dug down to the figures
and exposed the fact that he had first
drawn his mileage and that the muniff-
cent balance donated amounted to $3.50
1O-1O0 in ''cold cash" He was too bad,
that reporter In another instance
where member refused to stand by the
terms of the new bill, it was found that
to do so would bring him indebted to the
| government, as the old system of mile
age gave him the most. The Hon. Mr..
Potter of New York opposed the bill,
and his constituents support him in his
action. Altogether, they thought Mr..
P. well paid before, and that the bill
ought not to have passed, and of right
| he was not entitled to any increase. IF
| it does not, under the circumstances, be-
| long to him who does it belong to? The
| government of course, says Mr.. P, and
| thereupon he refused to draw the in
crease from the Treasury. A very hon
Orable action, indeed, as long as he is
convinced that he ought not to receive
it, and now he has only to fix it so that
none of his heirs can draw it and let it
lay there in the good company of other
honest contributions. This is not Origi
nal with Mr.. Potter, but it has the high
er merit of being the squarest thing he
can possibly do under the circumstances.
The majority have drawn their pay and
| gone on in silence, but a few yet scratch
uneasy heads over the perpleXing ques-
ton of how to keep it and yet not seem
to keep it, and various ways are suggest
ed, such as philanthropic institutions
and public benefiCiaries, where the prin-
ciple will do good to others, and heavy
| interest accrue to the donor in shape of
political capital, For consistency com
mends US to the lady who told her pas
tor that she felt that it was deadly sin
to wear jewelry, that for a long time she
| had felt as if her diamonds were drag
ging her struggling soul down to hell,
when one day, by fearful struggle she
| triumphed over temptation and took her
precious earrings off forever-and what?
put them in the missionary box ? oh, no
indeed, she gave them to her little sister,
THE DAILY MURDERER.
is the dismal heading used by New York
papers. New Workers never tire of
boasting their superiority over other
wicked spots on earth. But for diabol-
ical ferocity in that line, the winters
history here has been appalling. Early
in the winter, one Lyden here coolly
walked up to a fellow laborer, who was
lying down after lunch, and beat his
skull in with shovel; he then walked
away to his home, changed his clothes,
and walked out. Though we'll known
to the police and the authorities, strange
to say in the times of such wonderful
police efficiency, no clew is found of him;
before the murdered victim was cold the
ablest counsel in the city were retained
to defend him by friends" and the