Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-02-14
THK .uDR.fL OF 1T.

even for the opposition to enjoy. II does
not, on the whole, make much difference,
as far as the credit of the country is con-
cerned, whether the members accused by
Oakes Ames took the stock and got their
dividends or not. The fact Is that nearly
every one Of them gave dlsingenuous ac-
count last summer of their connection with
the road, showing that there was something
wrong in this connection or that they
thought there was, and did not hesitate
about resorting 10 ambiguous pbraseology
and mental reservation In order to hide IL.
II is a mistake TO suppose now, as some ad-
minstration papers seem to do, that the
matter can be disposed of by expellng
Oakes Ames. He cannot be made a scape-
goat, and will not be. No attempt will be
made TO expel him and If there Is, Il will
tot succeed, partly because bis term Of Of
flee is too near its close, and partly because
too many politicians are implicated, in
greater or less degree, in whatever was
wrong in his operations to make II possi-
BILE TO single him out for punish ment. Pub
lie reprobation cannot be satisfied by deci-
nation or any form of vicarious sacrifice.
The affair will have to lie in the public
mind just as the einvestigation leaves II, ev-
cry man carrying his own share of the
blame.
But 1t is a mistake also, to suppose that
mere punishment Of any kind will reme-
dy the state of things which this investiga-
ton has revealed; that it will prevent
members of Congress from taking pecun-
iary interest in undertak ings on which they
may be called on to legislate, or govern
ment din ectors from taking stock in corpor-
ations whose operations ii is their duty to
watch. Nothing but a high sense of per-
sona' honor will ever keep public men out
of mire of this sort, and a high sense of
personal honor cannot be created by the
lash, whether it be the jailor's cat or the
EDITORS abuse. 1t is partly the gift of God
and partly the result of education, and con-
stituencies must take 1t where they can
find it, and be thankful for 1t, and give up
all hope of in fusing it into any man either
by reward or punishment. The character
of the Congressman will always be the
product of the social and moral condition
of the community which elects him, and
there is no use in trying to make 1t any
thing else. The thing to he done towards
Improving the tone of public life by active
measures is the removal as far as possible
of temptation from the path of public off,
GERS. This is the one field in which legis-
lation can accomplish much in aid of polit-
ca morality. If we want good judges,
there is no use in threatening to hang or
imprson them if they take bribes or per-
vert the law. What we have to do is to pay
them we'll and surround them with securi-
ty and consideration, or, in other words, re-
move from their path all inducements to
go astray. In like manner, If we want
pure legislators, what we want to do is, rs
far as possible, to shut them out from all
fields of legislation in which IL Is the inter-
est of individuals to buy votes. This is
generally recognized all over the country
as the best mode of dealing with that fruit
full source of corruption special legisla-
ton. This has been absolutely prohibit
ed in Illinois, and with the best results,
and il is conceded that it is from similar
course that any thorough publication is to
be looked for in the state Legislature of
New York and Pennsylvania. Now, there
is in special legislation itself nothing more
dishonest than in general legislation but
prob biting special legislation means pro-
hibiting that species of legislation for which
large numbers of persons are willing TO
pay heavily-it is, in short, depriving Leg
islatures of all vendible powers and privi-
leges.
These vendible powers and privileges, in
the case of Congress, consist mainly in the
power of taxing particular commodities
for the purpose of protecting native indus
try, granting subsidies in aid of railroads
and steamboats,, and of engaging the gov
ernment in industrial enterprises. The
"Credit Mobilier scandal" Is only the nat
ural result Of long course Of legislation
| in which the seeds Of corruption are thick
| ly sown. The first assaults on the virtue OF
| Congressman were undoubtedly made
| through the tariff, and they could not have
been made in more insidious way. Once
the House got into the habit Of listening
favorably to the arguments of men who
4 sought to have taxes clapped on for the
awowed purpose of raising the price Of ar
| tces produced by themselves, the down
ward road was entered on. There was, is,
and always must be "money" in every
scheme of legislation, no matter how fine a
name may be given to 1t, which suddenly
and on day named enables A, B. or c to
sell his goods at an advance. No Legisla
ture which Is armed with this power, and
which exercises 1t az recklessly as Con-
gress has done, can long remain pure. II
il not in human nature to sit hour after
hour listening to men pleading for your as
sistance to increase their incomes thirty or
forty per cent, without the feeling gradual
ly springing up in your breast that you
ought to have a share In the advance. II Ii
not in human nature, either for man whos'
annual revenue Is only $4,000 or $4,000, and
who is only sure of 1t for one year, and has
no profession or calling TO fall back on, al
il the case with large number of Congress
men, TO listen to great capitalists clamoring
day after day for hundreds of thousands o
dollars to help them to run steamboats,, ol
millions of acres of land to hell them build
railroads, without asking themselves wha
harm can 1t he 10 make these speculation'
pay little for the vast "potentlality o
growing rich" which they so glowingly de-
scribe in their speeches and prospectuses
The process of degradation in which al
this results has been going on for many
years. 1t begins to bear fruit at last In the
vast jobs and defalcatons; the small loans
the muddled accounts, the falsehoods pre-
varications, and "confllcts OF veracity," L
which we are now treated, because tn
enormous powers assumed by the govern
| mani Auriny tho laat fan yaara enunla.