The Richmond palladium., 1873-10-11
The vIrt.e sr democracy.

The vIrt.e Of Democracy.
We have the following refreshine
resolution from the Maine Democ
racy 1t their recent State conysn
ton:
Resolved, That the Republicans
We're responsible for all the evils o1
which the country complains, in
cluding the seduction of Democrat
ic members of Congress to the cor.
rupt schemes of the Republican
party"
We had thought it possible to
strike sparks Of fire from an ice
berg. but the seduction of Demo.
cratic member of Congress is q
trifle too extravagant for us to be.
lieve. There may be degrees of &C.
duction, and it is possible that
Democratic congressman fell lit
tie lower during the last session OF
Congress than ever before. If so,
they have gone beyond the chance
OF recovery during the present CEN
tury. But for these fellows to be
seduced by the Republicans and
forced to sin against their inclina-
tions, is altogether too great an
outrage to pass unnoticed We
thank these hard shells from Maine
for ray of enlightenment. Hith-
erto we had thought it required
some effort to keep a Democratic
official honest, and that nothing
less than a strong lock and handy
cl1b in the hands of some lynx eyed
watchman could keep their arms
out of the public crib But we
take it all back; the poor innocents
have been seduced from the paths
OF public virtue. They have actu
ally been forced to steal against
their will and to pocket SIS, 900 that
they did not want, but had to take
it on compulsion. Poor fellows; sc
duced into the support of Repub
hcan measure! Some uncharitable
critic may marvel over the fact that
these Democratic innocents we're
not seduced into the support of
some other Republican measure.
where no money was at stake. But
that little curiosity can Be satisfied
when it is known that their politi-
cal virtue was fire proof on every
question where no money was to be
made. They were as strong as a !!
cast iron pillar when appealed to
on patriotic grounds, but went
down like broken reeds at the sight
OF greenback. It was always so. |
The love of money has been the
political death of more than ono
Democrat ''Boss" Tweed was se !
duced from the path of virtue by
the color of other peoples money. |
He couldn't keep his hands off; the |
temptation was too great. He was
forced to sin, and the punishment |
Democracy visits upon him is new
Indictment about once in six months.
We have been looking for some evi.
dence OF Democratic repentance on !
the back pay grab; but alas! they |
have sinned beyond the point of re |
pentance. They have got the mo-
ney, acknowledge the seduction,
and keep the golden bait, just to |
remind them of the fall. But we |
must forgive them. We can't well |
forget, but we can forgive when we
know that the Republicans did
tempt them to eat the forbidden
fruit. Thanks to the Maine De-
mocracy for this new revelation
The visitation of cholera; every
shade and degree of crime: railroad
and steamer accidents; fire and
flood; the failure of crops, and every
other ''evil of which the country
complains" are heavy responsible.
ties to lay at the door of the Re
publican party; but to charge the
party with ''the seduction of Demo-
cratic members of Congress is a
burden that we can hardly carry!