Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-06-02


read with never failing interest the story
OF LeonidHs and his 800 Spartans, who,
at the pass of Thermopylea, yielded up
their lives that Greece mighs be free
What heart has not thrilled rs il recalled
Arnold Winklereid gathering 10 his bosom
the Austrian spears Who can forget that
most magnificent uprising of our own peO-
pewhen they realized that the national
life was imperlled ? The causes then tend.
ing to disintegrHtion and destruction have
been removed The questions tina. ther
divided sections of our country and sepat
ated powerful political parties, have been
settled in the court of last resort, and no
appeal j possible. Every day the Ameri-
can people are becoming more and
and pursuits, and methods of labor
are becoming more and more identical
The causes that made inevitable the late
civil war can never exist again, and if dis
ease nom threatens the National life il is
not the same as that which lately so nearly
succeeded in destroying our existence rs a
nation.
1t seems to me. on TIL. occasion. that &.
is our duty to look forward rs well ne back
| ward--to guard we'll the fruit which these
/ departed brought 90 flowers: to allow no
flaw, from want Of scrutiny. in the glorious
| superstructure which has been saved 80 us
at such cost of blood and treasure The
practical question of to-day is ' What dis
ease threatens this now united homogene-
| Gus and prosperous American Republic?'
/ Is II not that which has been for
/ seen from the beginning; the dan
ger of which is seen in the history of all
| Republics? Is there not warning for us in
| this very prosperity in which we so reioce2
Is not the corruption, both political and
individual, which comes with great mate
rial prosperity more dangerous in that 1t Is
| a disease whose symptoms are not always
/ to be dscerned, nor its manifestations al
ways of kind to challenge public atten-
| ton. 1t is a disease most insidious, creep
| ing slowly through the body polite, but
poisoning none the less surely the fOun-
/ tains Of life. | am not one of those who
| believe that former days were better than
the present, or that we are the degenerate
sons Of noble sires. | do do not believe
/ that human nature has changed greatly
since the days of Washington and \ cams,
| but | believe that temptations have
multiplied many fold a1d that
/ personal and official dishones ty-compara-
lively rare in the days of Hamilton and
/ Jetierson-have. in these DAYS, attained
( enormous and alarming proportions.
When the country was poor and sparsely
| populated temptations were comparatively
few and feeble
They have kept pace with our growth
and strengthened with advancing years.
| When the population Of ourGountry con-
sisted mostly Of the descendants of the old
Puritans. the English Cavilier. and that
rugged race, who have made the North OF
Ireland TO blossom like garden-when n
| great continent of fertile lands stretched
out before them, from which to select
| homes-cOrrupiion ard dishonesty found
| little liberation. But the conditions of life
| have become harder NJ each year has been
added TO our existence aS nation Then
wealth was more evenly distributed among
/ the people, and. while few were rich, hard
/ ly any were very poor.
! The tendency of the last half century,
| pa ticularly the last quarter has been TO
| accumulate wealth in the hands of few
at the expense of the many. Social dstinc-
| tiuns based upon riches have been created,
and society has been divided into two
classes. The struggle for existence has
/ yearly become more severe for the poor.
Added 70 all this u mighty food Of immi-
grafton has been pouring in upon and has
been absorbed into our nationality. This
element, little acquainted with our laws
and imperfectly versed in the practical
workings of free institutions affords to the
demOgogue ample material for mischief
Doubtless it is the temptation of these OPP
portunities which has multiplied the num-
Der of these who seek public Office for
a livelihood and who pervort it to the use
of private gain.
Then this growing and inevitable tend
encT TO evil has been greatly augmented
by the opportunities afforded by the great
est of all civil wars. While the hearts and
the hands of the patriotic and the good
were occupied in the struggle to preserve
cur national existence, they had little
time to look after the vermin entrenching
themselves in the public granari,s.
THE. POLITICAL MORALS OF THE DAY.
All wars are to degree demoralizing
and it could not be expected that a war of
the gigantic proportions Of ours would
prove an exception.
/ think / may safely add that the legisla-
| ton that has succeeded the war-neccssary
| legislation perhaps-legislatio that has
| brought into citizenship eight hundred
! thousand ignorant voters, and clothed them
/ politica. power, has contributed not
| a little to the current that is rap
/ idly separating the present from the days
/ of our fathers. From these causes the num-
| Der Of our best citizens, who habitually alb
! stain from any active part in public affairs
| have steadily increased They say, and
they say truly, that politics have become
! disreputable The results who is not
! familiar with them? In these days we
! have become familiar with stories Of State
! legislatures that have been bought and sold
! like sheep in the shambles-of men, occu-
/ pying lofty positions OF power and trust
/ who have proved themselves robbers-of
Judges, governor and returning board, who,
! by open, palpable and notorious perjury
and fraud, defeat the will of free people,
| as made known at the ballot box.
We hear of railroad rings, of legislative
rings, of custom-house rings, of distillers'
rings, and God knows how many other
rings. until we are ready TO fancy that the
world is governed by rings.
think sometimes that the most alarming
symptom of decadence in American
politics. Z, that we have become
/ so familiar with these things that
we view them with comparative
! Indifference. Once they would have
created such n storm OF Indignation as
would have swept the offenders to condign
punishment Now we are inclined to think
Them merely the sharp tricks Of profess
si0nal politicians ! speak of these matters
not as a politician. They rise above and
beyond all party considerations. They are
frsught with fearful danger 20 popular,
free government All branches of trade
and business sympathise in q greater or less
degree with the administration of the gov
eminent, and have become affected with
the tendencies of the times. Unless this
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