The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-05-22


In the House Of Representative. one
day last week. TWO members Of Congress
ventilated the record OF each other The
letters of one member. showing personal
and pccuniary intimacy with the Wash
ington City Ring.-the member being
Chairman Of the Committee OH District
Afiairs.-were read 10 the House. There
upon the member thus inferentially ac-
cused OF dishonesty charged that his accu-
ser had served in the Rebel Army. and
produced some letters showing that this
man approved of the Rebellion Then the
two members stopped. One had charged
the other with dishonesty: and the man
thus accused replied that his accuser had
been traitor and Rebel. 4 few days
later the American Bank Note Company
Of New \ ork. ia answer 10 "A cOmmunicsi-
ton from the Treasury Department. dis
closed scheme by which the Treasury
Department was systematically robbed by
the engraVers and printers in IL employ !:
and the men thus accused OF robbery re-
-ponded that the New York Company
had engraved notes for the Treasury of
the Confederate Government. The ans
wcr 10 the charge of stealing. in this ease
a in the other. was that the accuser had
been in sympathy with the Rebellion.
Under the system of slavery il was a rule
OF law in the slaveholding States that no
white person should be- held 10 answer tor
any criminal charge made by negro: nor
should the testimony Of any negro be
heard in the trial OF any case where
white man was "A party. The proceedings
al Washington seem To recognize the same
principle. substituting participation in the
Rebellion for the color OF the skin: and,
entrenched behind this principle. official
dishonesty defies investigation. dcfies tx.
animation, defies conviction.
Ii i universally conceded that. AT this
time in our natisnal history, the great
struggle is between dishonesty in office
and the right Of the people 10 dislodge il.
The Investigations in the United States
Senate show that. for a series OF years. il
has been a practice 10 purchase seats in
that body. and that these seats have not
thus been purchased for the mere honor
of the office. but for the opportunity the
place afforded to make money. IL i un-
necessary To refer TO the revelations of the
Credit Mobilier affair to show that the
abuse of official position for pee MARY
gain has been more general than i con-
sistent with legislative purity. For years
the integrity of the men employed in fidu-
ciarv ipacities has been undermined, and
we have had innumerable instances of
paymasters. cashiers. and Officers of every
degree. charged with the custody of pub
lie money who have proved false to their
trusts This disease has extended 10 pri-
vate business. and the record of robbery
and defalcation in banks. corporations.
and private establishments has been UNI
precedented. But the example of Off
cial dishonety has been most baleful in
it, effect upon State. county. and city Off
cials. The changes in office i'm 1873. by the
Farmers and other popular movements,
unma>ked thousand or more dishonest
treasurers in all parts of the country.
These facts show that the great struggle OF
the day is whether this general corruption
and dishonesty shall retain possession of
the Governments. National. State and mu-
nicipal. or be dislodged.
The War. of necessity. made loyalty the
chief virtue for the time. But the War
has been succeeded by ten years of peace,
and the LOYALTY that covered dishonesty
during the War can claim no such exemp-
ton now. II j. no answer To detected THEFT
To say that the thief was - loyal" during
the War. Ii j. not sufficient excuse for
robbery 10 say that the robber did not en-
list i'm the Rebel ranks. Nor Is il any de-
Tense 10 a charge of official dishonesty that
the accu-er was disloyal. or a Rebel. or
Copperhead. during the War. That kind
of defense. always questionable and dis
reputable. has become threadbare. and it,
use at this date i an insult TO the intelli-
gence of the public, and an insult To every
man who j. patriot and not a thief.
Wherever there j. ease of official dishon-
esty, where professions of loyalty are used
"a a shield or a veil TO the crimes practiced
beneath it. the punishment of the guilty
should be more prompt and severe than in
ordinary cases. The man j. guilty OF
double crime. and shows that his loyalty is
not real. but assumed for a purpose. II is
time that the public should put peremp-
tory stop to any further professions of 10y
atty when the question at issue is whether
the officer i n thief or not -TJir0oo Tn