New-York tribune., 1874-02-11
POLITICAL ETHICS.

A prominent ollcG-holder in NewEngland
city, writing to his homo newspaper an ac-
count of a visit to the National Capital, gives
us a reasonably clear view Of the notion of
political ethics which prevails among the lead
ing persons of whom he is type. Speaking
of the improvements in the District of CO.
lumbia, be says, with charming unconscious
ness of anything crooked in his logic or his
morals, If the Improvements could only have
"been made and enterprise could nowhere be
found except in the men who projected and
carried them out, even though they put a
little in their own pockets, | would prefer to
"have them done in this way than not done
"at ALL" This is only a little more bald
than the usual presentation of the sub
iect in Congress and by interested newspaper
| organs. 1t is assumed that there is somehow
an incompatiblity between enterprise and
/ honesty; that great public works cannot be
successfully carried on without dishonest
management; that it is impossible to find
! men to discharge great nfh"iol truots invnlvinn
the expenditure of money who will not, in
the words of this writer, put a little in their
Gown pockets" Upon this assumption he and
others of his kind say, give us enterprise and
progress with their inevitable Accomplishments
of corruption and theft, rather than dull
honesty that makes no show or parade, and
givcs'us no Improvements"
There's a world of moral rot i'll all this. In
the first place it is not true, as the political
pettifoggers defending their clients at the bar
of public opinion assume, that enterprise is
necessarily accompanied by dishonesty. Great
thieves have always shielded themselves be-
hind that argument. How often we have
heard it said of Tweed, that "even if he did
steal, he did a great deal to improve and
" beautify the city y of Louis Napoleon, who
went through France like a highwayman
through his victim, that he made Paris the
"mOst beautiful city in the world = Of the men
who stole railroad, that they managed
"the road in the interests of the
"publc, and did more to develop
ats business than any previous management
Of course it is all stuff and nonsense The
men who defend the District Ring in Wash
ingtOn because its members have exhibited
enterprise and made great Improvements while
they "put little in their own pockets" were
never fooled by such specious pettifoggery
themselves when the Tammany Ring was
hunted out and exposed. They laughed at
tlldt line OF ue1cnSe Wuen L WeeuS IIIcHuS
used it. 1t is just as weak and fallacions
when used for Shepherd as tor Tweed for
the District Ring as for the Tammany thieves
The plea that the District Ring showed en-
tcrprise and made improvements, or that the
Salary Grabbers "shed their money, as the
Grains fall, on the just and On the unjust or
that Credit Mobilier speculations joined the
two oceans and carried out successfully the
great enterprise of the age, or that Christian
statesmen were elected even if Legislatures
were blibed, or any of the thousand petty
plausiblities with which partisans de-
fend dishonesty, will not do. They are
the world old excuses for theft; the
age is beyond them There Is something
better than material Development something
beside vulgar display in this world, wortnler
the ambition of individuals and governments,
and that is character for integrity. We cen
have material progress and with it honest
administration. But if we cannot have both !;
If that is the deliberate judgment OF the MA
jority, then in the name of the truest and
surest progress, for the final triumph of virtue,
| decency and morality, let us stand still before
the world and be simply absolutely honest, and
| nothing else.