Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-03-01
Babcock-The Business of the
Republic is Corrupt.

49, SSAA - Hss
Babcock has been acquitted. There
is q general feeling of satisfaction that
be was not found guilty. The country
is glad that the whisky ring busi
ness was proven guiltless of the cor
ruption Of an officer who stood SO near
the head of the National government.
The startling disclosures of corrup-
ton in almost every avenue of business,
from the lcas; to the greatest, is sure
evidence OF the almost putrid rotten
ness of business life of the Republic.
To put a man into Office Is the next
thing to proclsiming him a candidate
for corruption. The business of the
country is so rotten that as soon As q
man is instalIed in Office il does, through
its organized channels, try to manage
him; and man, not having yet been
purged o; the innate deprsvity engen-
dered BY the fall Of Eve, the mother OF
the race, falls under the temptation
that is daily offered. One of the ugli-
est features of this mass of corruption
is that tie men who contribute the
funds to corrupt the officials pass through
society without . taint OF corruption
on their garments. They contribute
funds, and encourage in other ways TO
the work that produces the fall of an
oficial, and then are the loudest in the
Lunt to bring down the man who has
fallen by the wayside by the tempta-
iion of their money or influence.
1t is right that officials who are guilty
should be punished, but it is time that
the eyes If the country be turned to
the business eess-pcols behind the
scene, from which if a man once drinks
be loses his virtue. These pools are
among the business people in the
whisky business, in tanks, in mercban-
disc, IN the railroad business. They
are the circles that, from time to time
as they deem that their business re-
quires, sweep down the members of
Legislatures aud other officials.
Ii Babcock was tempted and did not
fall, which a Missouri jury said he did
not, and We are bound to accept that
verdict, then all honor to him for his
personal honesty. There are men who,
if put in Office, can and will withstand
every swell of corrupt temptation that
may be rolled up against Them, but as the
rottenness of the business of the coun-
try extends Itself, they will become
fewer and fewer, until their number
will be so reduced that it will have no
weight against the mass of rottcnness
that presses in from all sides.
There are writers now who publicly
proclaim that there is little personal
honesty, that cannot be bought, outside
of the army officials. 1t is not the pur
pose here to say aught against their
writing. If true, it is only a link in
the evidence against the corrupt busi-
ness of the country, COR the army off
GERS as rule are not brought into con
tact with the business world, and hence
are not contaminated by its slime.
The great mass of the people are in
terested in the purity Of their officials.
They should iOok little deeper, down
into the fountain, whence comes the
force that ruins their representatives,
and see that some responsibility at
taches also TO the circles who deSauch
90 many men, In nine cases in ten i.
is the business that ruins and corrupts
the officials. The business of the Re
public is corrupt.