, 1876-03-05

- service To make sale, to bring about
trade, or to facilitate business transact
= Of any nature whatever, it is not consider
- improper to lay al1 the ropes and pull all t
wires that may lead to the consnmmaion {
~ sired Commissions and " divisions
- nlf kinds md every conceivable mathematit
variety are invented to carry out the proje
;. in view. The closest tics Of friendship n
Y strained by the consideration OF gain. IT
j domestic relations are invaded With prescn
= and offerings to exert q secret inauenc
q Money is given and taken for the exercise
s mere personal or social influence, without +
: gard to the real merit of the inyestmc,
O which is promoted or the probable r
! suits Of the transaction thus forwarded
. Men and women Of Ill condition
! are subjected to the temptation Of usin
| some personal influence, at no cost I
, | themselves, in return for compensation!e
| some kind or other; and one encounter
almost daily evidence of the accomplishment
Of favo1itism, Of schemings, of influence, q
| | pressure, all Of which more nearly or r
moteiy hang upon the vice of bribery. It j
not strange, in view Of the common prevo
lence Of this pernicious practice in privat
and business life, that it should have infecte.
official circles SO largely as has been demon
strated in the various frauds that have bee1
unearthed during the last year or two. I
might be supposed that the law afixing
severe penalty would act as restraint upor
those holding official positions But there
are two weak points here. First, statutory
definition of an ofense does not make very
serious impression when the ofTense is found
to be practiced with impunity outside of
| official circles, and even sanctioned by Gus
tom; and, second, the law has followed the
! general tendency Of the community to con-
demn tho person accepting the bribe, but
not him who offers it. The result of this
! situation is that the temptation is con-
stantly present, since the tempter feels
| himself out Of dnnger; and the tempted per-
| son eases his conscience by the common
practices of the business world around him,
and quists bis apprehensions by the seeming
difficulty Of proof where the transaction has
been for mutual benefit and the exposure
would be for mutual discontinue In other
words, it is difficult matter to enforce code
Of morals in official circles of a higher and
more exacting character than that accepted By
society at large.
The downfall Of ex-Secretary Bz1zs1
was national disgrace, estimated by the
exalted position he held. At the samo time,
tho surprise and indignation exhibited By
Congress were somewhat beyond an honest
protest by q set Of honest men at the uue1-
pected revelation Of corruption in high
plnces. The universal horror which
was manifested ct the disclosure was
scarcely in keeping with somo Of the
secret history of Congress itself. When
virtuous Democrats denounced BEIESAp's
malfensance as characteristic of Republican
rule, they ignored the fact that every notable |
case of bribery and corruption so far has
hunted ont men on both sides of politics: |
When A1r. HESTER CLrMER so feelinely re-
ferred to the late Secretary of War as " but !!
tho proper outgrowth, the true exponent, of |
the corruption, eztravagauce, and nlisgoreru-
ment that have cursed the land for years |
past" he evidently forgot tha. the present
Congress, 30 preteutious!y favorable to in
vestigation and reform, has itself condoned !
the offanse Of bribery On tl,e nsrt of t7ro of
its members, one Republican and one
Democrat, against both Of whom the evidence
was as direct as against BELKSAp, and both of
@hom are equally amenable to the Law, which
reads as tolloWs:
SEC 1851. Every member OF Congress-. or any off,
s us .sens me who directly CT indi-
PROPERTY. or other v,nah1a eonsas.t.e se my money
rom any person for securing Or aiding to procure INV
ontrnct or Office or place Of the Government, or my
;tat.a tnr enesso arom any officer Of the United
ont,aet, once Or n1,cs rhetanars. M sas ..A' saca
very person who, directly or indirectly, ofera or
gree7 to give or gires OF bestoWs any money, prop
yer for nrocnriua =, a;ne 1L eons,aera.'on Is. what
uct contract Office or place, md eyery neahar .a y,
congress- who, directly or indirectly, taxes receives
agrees 10 .eceise any money property OF other val
ueh rnemsr tor s ,snttoa n.et me- election Is
decision On any question. cauas or nrocse'n su.e
hich may be pending. may by law, or under the
brought bafOrH IN in 7