River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-02-17

poor humanity when, at Albany, Har
risburg, Springfield or Washington, il
is tempted by the demon of this mate
rial age-money--or its kindred de
mon. We see how extensively tn,
lesson of corruption has worked in oul
Legislatures, and our courts, and how
all classes and conditions of men ar,
subject to sad shortcomings under
temptation. We know that the pric,
OF liberty is eternal vigilance" a,
much now as it ever was. Ant
as the evils We seek to remove hav,
so many features of distempered DO
lltlcal parentage, we must look we'll tC
1t that our proposed remedies are not
as bad as the diseases that our new
doctors understand their subjects
These diseases are deep seated anC
malignant, and have been developing
Tor the past three generations, and Il
will require time and nerve and SkiH t.
master them without iniuring the gen
eral health of our government. Ii viii
not be simply the work of a few weeks
or months, of few fire speeches OF
well written articles, but it must be
the work OF years, the work of well
drilled, well seasoned, and ably gener.
aled armies that will work the desired
change.
The school for each crusader against
these and all wrongs, must be the vir-
tuous and honest homes of the com
ing man." There must be a full APP
probation OF the " eternal fitness of
Fs,f.s
principle of justice to all men, and the
inwoven elements of competent knowl.
edge, and an unfailing purpose to deal
Justly at all times, in every man at
tempting to serve his country as a
reformer, or injury to the cause and
disgrace to himself will probably be
the fruit of his effort.
Good law making is like good book
making, more difficult than is generally
supposed, and it cannot be success.
fully performed without knowledge
and skill, and more than farming, or
the invention and construction of ma.
chinery. A very worthy cause may be
brought into contempt if it is not ad-
vocated by men whose zeal is accord
ing to knowledge. And all honest far
mers and working men will agree with
me in the proposed reforms "gift of
CAB, and long-winded platitudes of
self elected mouth-pieces are neither
desired, or even tolerable, and they
should not be mistaken Tor the skill,
knowledge, and value required. They
will agree, too, that it is with some
anxiety We look along the political
horizon for the coming man, who will
combine, not only the will, but the
ability to serve us in this work, the
knowledge and skill to steer us clear
of the rocks, on the one hand, and the
whirlpools on the other.
The extortions of railroads, we fear,
may lead us to other dangers--to dan
gers more fatal to our national integ-
rity, viz, national railroads.
We have already several armies of
corruptionists doing the bidding of
the demagogues who are their appoint
ers and their masters.
The Postoffice Department, the Gus
tom House, the Interior, with all their
thousands, are but organized forces in
politics, and have been since the days
of Jackson.
And should we have system of ma
tional railroads and system of ma.
tional telegraphs, ETC., ETC., will we
not be organizing as many additional
engines OF corruption Suppose, too,
we undertake to establish a system of
national education, who will control
it Such men as Butler and Cameron,
and other noted criminal lawyers and
corruptionists, and sots, who defy
public decency, and ignore honor and
honesty. 1t appears to us we must
guard against this and every form of
organized national poaOer, subject to
the control Of such men (or any NAM,
so far as possible, since national power
corrupts. And while we are "march-
ing on, let us remember that our great
men, while they came from the rural
districts, and with their large heads
and strong arms grappled with
the million heroes and secured
their share of material wealth, they
have, In most instances, suffered from
the corrupting contact, and have disap.
pointed their early promise, because
too much money or power brought
more temptations than even a great
Webster or Clay were proof against
Let us soberly consider the question o.
adding any more material power to the
political wing of our nation. And il
view of the absurd and idiotic demands
made by the sloughing of the Ole
World, in view of Communism, and {
hundred like isms that swarm lik,
Egypt's plaques, from the pools of fes
tering vices that drip from decdyinS
humanity in the old world, let us ge
back TO the land marks of our fathers
and build on the foundations ofiustice
temperance, and economy. For othel
foundations can no man lay than tina
which is laid. JACOB SNYDER.
The TOw-BOat Monopoly on the Lowe
Mississippi.
A 4. l.. n.