Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-07-02
Corruution the Destroyer Of Republics.

history SHOWS that al the republics
that have persisted, fell through the
corruption Of their citizens; and it es-
tablishes another fact; this corruption
was the result Of prosperity. As long
~ the republic was poor the people
were free and honest. So soon as
wealth poured 10 by conquest or by
trade, greed, avarice and peculsti
became the ruling passions.
There is, 1t seems TO rs, . striking
similitude between our day and the
last period of the Roman republic. In
Rome, as in our country, 10 the early
times, when the State was poor, men
were willing to serve their country
from patriotism or for the honor of Of.
fee. But when the conquest of Asia,
Africa and Gaul had made the State
rich, public Office became 40 valuable
prize, that those who once held il
were willing to plunge the republic
into civil war rather than give it up.
Marius, Scylla, Octavius, Crassus and
Anthony did this rather than yield up
their command Of the proconsulship,
which was worth millions to each Of
them. Now, consider the parallel Of
our own history, remembering that
while Rome took FIVE hundred years
to reach the period of corruption, we
have taken less than fifty. II may be
said that until the time of the Mexi-
can war, and the accession OF terrific
ry which followed 1t, the prizes of of.
fee, though honorable, were not very
glittering. Public officers lived gen.
orally upon their salaries, which were
scant enough. But since that time
what change has taken place! The
country has extended its area in eve
ry direction, its wealth has increased
at Q prodigious rate, and multitudes
Of public offices, to which are attach.
ed consequent perquisites, have be-
come exceedingly lucrative, even when
the incumbeDts are honest. For OK.
ample, collectorships, Indian agencies,
and like. In addition to this came the
war, with itsfat contrac Il, and we know
to what tremendous frauds it gave
rise. Thus was awakened the dori1
scara fames," the crushed hungeriug
after gold, which has produced al
these rings, jobs, fraudulent claims,
swindlipg contracts, briberies, lobby.
ings, and all that variety of frauds for
which the English language could
furnish no names, and new words had
to be invented to designate them.
The same consequence follows with us
that did in Rome. To the victors be-
long the spoils--and those spoils have
become so immensly valuable, that
those who hold them will, If they can.
plunge the country into anarchy, ruin
and civil war, rather than yield them
up.
We had occasion some days ago to
sllude to the enormous deialcations
that disgrace the Government in all
its branches. But although these
frauds are every day assuming more
and more gigantic proportions, they
are in fact but tho smallest part of the
evil inflicted upon the nation. The
country is rich and can bear the loss
OF hundreds Of millions; but what il
cannot bear is the loss ofpublic virtue,
honesty and honor, followed as it must
be by the loosening Of all moral obli.
cations In private life. Can the spec
taole OF political proAigacy and of rap
id and scandalous fortunes realized
with impunity by peculatiou in Office,
DO without q deleterious effect upon
the young men Of the land1 But the
evil does not stop there. II is surely
and not slowly destroying the founds.
tions Of republican government. 1t
is making universal suffrage o mock.
cry-oxpressing the sense Of the peo-
pie less faithfully than French plc6.
lscife. Ii 0 convention is called il ia
managed BY q ring which employs
avery corrupt means to carry their
point. At the polls, bribery, patron.
age and the party lash at one point
bayonets at the other; the terror pro.
iuced by an iniquitous perversion of
he forms Of justice at third disgust
he honest, frighten of the the timid,
silence all opposition, and the trick Is
done. The intrigue of q ring Is foist.
ID upon the country as the will ofthe
people.
This suggcstsanother thought. When
generalization and corruption once
become fixed in the public life Of a peo-
pie, there Is no more hope of a return
of former purity. The dagger Of Bru.
Jus could destroy a Cesar, but II was
powerless to remove the degeneracy
which craved for another master. At
later day, when victorious general
was made consul for term of years,
how long was it before tho universal
mirage Of subservient people made
him consul for ten years, then consul
|or life, ana finally Emperor 7 There
aro enough points Of resemblance be-
Tween those times and ours to excite
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