The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-07
- IsETAINIIlI.O

In the earliest and bctter--or at least
purcr-days of the Republic, this was a
word but rarely used. 1t is quite possible
that recollection of its meaning in the old
Baronial days in the land of their ances-
tors, and a vivid remembrance of the ty-
ranny and subserviency which the term
implied under the federal system had some
thing to with this but from whatever
cause, the term was rarely if ever used
save in the instance of client who had an
intricate and important case, and who, in
order to secure the services of some dis
tinguished and able lawyer, found it neces-
sary to pay an advance fee, or g retainer
And this seemed all right All was l" fair
and abovc-board." There was no corrupt
or corrupting influence used on the one
side, or any sense of wrong or degradation
on the other. 1t was fair business trans
action. Money on the one sidc-brains,
legal knowledge and services to be openly
rendered on the other and this it was to
be returned! in the days gone by. But
how changed has all this been within the
past few years The use of this word is of
late becoming unplcasantly common, and
the number of persons RETAINED in the
country frightfully large, and, as it seems
to us, unless some earnest measures are
soon taken to stay the march of this
maraudng army of vampires the most dis
astrous consequences to the country will
surely follow.
From the day when the odious doctrine
that :" to the victors belonged the spoils of
Office to the present time, has this system
of bribery been steadily fastening itself up
on us and from the retaining" of New
York roughs to "votc early and vote
often, we now see men in high positions
" retained to stife justice in our courts
to guide successfully legislation in the in
tcrcsts of powerful corporations, and, in
yading the halls of Congress, placing their
retaining" fees g where they will do the
most good at the feet of honorable SEN
ators, and even into the pockets of the
second officer of the government. And
thus have we seen these monopoles grow
| ing all powerful at the expense of the peo-
pie, not only pecuniarily, but by sapping
the vital principles of the Republic, and
casting blight and a mildew upon the po-
li,ical and moral virtue of the nation.
Moralists, philanthropists and reformers
may weave fine spun essays to prove that
the world upon the whole is advancing in
/ lao ,l,r ;.t; ;,.f, al
ity is steadily advancing throughout the
land, and that the approach to the millen-
ial day is being made with satisfactory
celebrity. But in view of the corruptions in
the courts and legislatures in many parts of
the Union of the easy virtue exhibited in
Congress under the late manipulations of
Cakes Ames; of the steady stream of de-
falcations, embellishments and frauds
which is constantly pouring in upon us
and which are all more or less instigated
by that nordinate greed which lies at the
bottom of all the evils of which we speak,
we fear that very many may take less
satisfactory view of the case.
Up to the present time it is to be believed
that Vermont has preserved pure record
in regard to the matters here briefly alluded
to; but we are sorry to say that even here,
so suspicious is the public mind becoming,
the pure air of the Green Mountains is faint
ed with Unsurpassed doubts as to the en-
tire integrity of all her public men, and
rumors are rife that the "retainer" has
made his appearance even in Vermont
that the trail of the serpent has defiled her
Capitol and that its slime is left on the gar
mcnts of some of those who should be
''most noted for their wisdom and virtue"
For the honor of the State we hope these
rumors may prove unfounded and that her
cscutcheon and the reputation of those sus-
pected may continue untarnished and in
the mean time let us hope and pray that as
Vermont had never the footprints of
slave upon her soil, so may she never have
that of "Rctained' or "Rctainer."