New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-04-17
list TIE SAME ETERYUHERE.

We fear that hereafter this will he distln-
cuished as the Age of Grab. Still there Is a
melancholy consolation in learning that WASH
iueton is not the only city in which there ia
yenality and corruption. In Greece. Nj.
BalIassapoulos, former Minister OF Eccieslas-
teal Affairs, has been fined and imprisoned
NJ. Nikolopouos, formerly Minister OF Justice,
has been imprisoned, and three ArchDishops
have been heavily fined for corruption ana
simonv. Their especial Oifcnse was the sale OF
offices in the church. We observe that III
Athens the Investigating Committees move
slowly as they do here. The inquiry Into
these questionable practices began last Novem-
ber and Judgment against the guilty Junction
aries was rendered on the 18th OF April.
However, the satisfactory result rec0nclles us
to the delay All things considered, it seems
a little more wicked to sell bishoprics than
to sell post-traderships. We may congratulate
ourselves upon that constitutional severance
of Church and State which prevents us from
having Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs
TO have such an officer caught disposlng or
sees and vicarages for his own prcht, and
pocketing the price of national pulpits, would
he dreadful. Our Senators and Representa-
tives are accomplished characters upon many
points, but church polity isn't one OF them;
and we are hardly sure that they would dis
tinguish themselves in handling case OF
smony, even if they know what that mysteTi-
Gus Oilcnse IL.
We believe that NJ. Ballass1poulOs has not
absconded, has not written any letters to the
peyspapcrs has not made loud prOtestatiOn
in the longest Greek words of his innocence,
but has gone mcekIy to Jail with his fellow
sinner, while the ArchbsbOps are quietly paying
up. We suppose that they all of them arc
glad that they did not live in the time Of
Socrates, TO die 10y dose of hemlOck. 1t IL
true that they would not then have scld bish-
oprics, because there would have been no bish-
oprics to sell but human greed never fails to
stimulate human ingenuity, and in some way
they would have swinded all the same. This
public dishonesty seems to be the one trouble
from which, under any possible form OF gov
ernment mankind is never to be freed. There
never was treasury which was not OCCASION
ally rifled there never were Offices which were
not sometimes sold and there never were tax
gathcrers without itching palms. We must
bear it IA well as can. If we are to ENJOY
the blessings of civilization. we must pay
price for them. Wherever there is money and
man, there is a chance that the man will
collar the money if possible.
Shall the nations then ait down in sackcloth
and ashes and submit to be etcrnaly swindledf
Certainly not, for if they do they will soon
have not even sackcloth to cover their naked
ness. The only way when public thief IL
caught is to give HIN prompt trial and speedy
10 Ia npl in "
can keep peculation ut a minimum, which per-
haps is the most we can hope for. The steal
ing will be just in proportion to the severity
with which it is treated. There are States III
which plumber OF the public Is not esteemed
crime ut all. Hardly any attempt il matte
either to prevent it OF to punish it when de-
tccted All il rotten in the body polite from
head 10 foot. In every department there IL
flavor of decay. Isn't it possible for our own
Republic TO DRIFT into precisely this condition.