New-York tribune., 1873-04-18
FISHING ON TIE POTOMAC.

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newspaper, in default Of major matter 10
garnish his epistle withal, discourses OF pls-
catOry prospects and of the present war upon
the shad and herring, rock and perch OF the
Potomac, together with the packing thereof
in Alexandria. This is all useful and interest
ing to the dealers in fish as well as to the
consumers Of the same, but the writer might
possibly have made his letter still more inter
esting, if he had to the best Of his ability
discussed the great moral fishery which is al
ways going on in Washington, and of the bats
which the Isaac WaltOns of the lobby, casting
their lines into the turbid pools of pur Ameri-
can politics, employ to catch the souls OF men
and membersa Of course, there is great
variety of bait, from honeyed words to hard
dollars; from promises of place to paper GER
tificates of stock; from seductive suppers to
gifts good as TO nature and value. The shad
fishery of the Potomac is as nothing to the
exploits of these fishers of men," Con-
gressional shad has been known to migrate
into those waters Of Babylon, with no appe-
tite for any food except such as the most ylr-
tuous shad may bolt without danger to his
digestion. There was about him still the cool
scent of the waters of his rural home; he
was fresh in his virtue and not picked in the
sins of cOvetousness and venality. He bad
still q lively respect for the appreciation OF
the innocent little fishes of his district who
elected him. Do the willy WaltOns then de-
spair of him? Not while he has a stomach,
and can be asked to breakfasts not while he
has a purse sometimes in flaccld state; not
while he may desire to brave ocean perlls and
figure automatically in foreign lands; not
while he may be hankering for the smiles OF
fair, strange women not while he may be
tickled by the Establishments of fattery; not
while he is d fish--we mean man!
For we are at the end of our metaphor,
which we have already found it difficult to
manage We have all along been constantly
and painfully reminded that we were writing
of human beings with fine opportunities, with
noble chances of exhibiting q stern and un-
bending integrity, and with such responsible
ties as fall to the lot of no other Americans
Why should the business OF politics be so
often if not so uniformly cOrrupting and de-
grading? Certainly there can be no higher
calling than the making of laws for great
country, unless it be the administration or
them. In this the purest as well as the great
est minds mentioned in history have found
sufficient work, and have been content to do it
for the love of doing it. But this was states
manship and not politics-this was personal
and not party labor. The worst sign OF the
times is that we take Washington corruption
for granted. Disclosures which would twenty
wears ago have shocked the country are re-
ceived with a calm Indifference. The readers
of newspapers finding out that Member has
done this or that mean thing hardly trouble
themselves to shrug their shoulders. 1t is
what they expected-why should they explode
with wrath or why should they dilate with
any emotion whateverY
But the Credit MObilier scandal was enor-
nous enough to startle citizens from this
cold apathy. The fishing business in Wash
ington has received stunning If not n fatal
blow. The lobby must be wary in future, or
it will find its occupation, if not gone, hardly
worth following. The fish may be as hungry,
az willing to swallow the tempting hook,
but the awful spectacle of 0akes Ames dead,
though not picked. in his Massachusetts home,
will act ia terrorem, like hawk nailed to
barn door,