, 1876-03-19

The New YORK IYHZloh, WHICH often lakes
broad views of affairs, has an article On ''The
Economy and Simplicity Of Our Forefathers,"
which disposes very thoroughly OF the
thought1ess and impracticablo recommenda-
tions elected by the BE1KNAP catastrophe to
tho effect TINT we should return to the stand
ard Of expenditure which prevailed one hun
lred wears ago. The absurdity Of such
suggestion in this centennial year is manifest
from the fact that the whole country is
making elaborate preparations for celebrating
the progress Of the first hundred years OF
our national existence, and that this progress
is notably illustrated by the Development OF
our material resources, the increase OF money
making machinery, the improvementof trans
portation facilities, the growth of commercial
cities. the extension of our trade, and the
enlargement in almost every sphere OF life OF
the ratio of production and the accumulation
of wealth. In other words, we are ce!ebrat-
ing the very change Of standard, and are now
asked to bewail it in its specific application
to Mr.. Bz1KxAp and the particular class of
oficeholders of whom he is an example
The fact is ignored that full return to tho
sseconomy and simplicity Of our forefathers
necessarily includes u return to their prlml-
tive conditions in other respects, and that this
would include an abandonment of the rail
road, the telegraph, the steamship, the pow
er-loon,, the spinning-j jenny, and the thou-
sand subsidiary improvements for the more
rapid production aud exchange of con1modl-
ties, We would have to secure by some un-
discovered means Q return to The value Of the
dollar of those days, when its purchasing pow
er was equivalent to that Of Six OF seven dollars
ROW, We would have to abandon many
things which are now regarded as necessities
that we're formerly unknown, and, IN word,
90 backwards. Economy and simplicity ere
comparative; what was extravaganza hun
dred yea.s ago would be simplicity now.
The demand for n return to the simplicity OF
those times is idle, visionary, and meaning
less.
The corruption of our time, ns illustrated
by the BE1kSAr scandal, rests primarily upon
the lax;ty of public morals, which is IN out
growth OF the spois-system. Personal and
domestic extravaganza is simply an incident.
| If extravaganza and corruption hold the rela-
ton of cause and effect to each other, then
corruption is the cause and extravaganza the
| result. In any event, the cause OF the cor
r,,ntion must be looked for somewhere else,
and, so far as the cost of living is involved,
| it must bo traced as much to the
niggardly rate Of paying public servants
| who assume great responsibilities as to
| the EXPENSIVE habits of the day. OF
course extravaganza is no excuse for corrup-
finn. eny more than the converse of the prop
| osition would be true; but the pay of our
leading of1icinls is such as to expose to temp
tation those who are willing to accept the
Offices On these terms and to keep out Of the
public service men who are sufficiently capa-
Bile and honest to earn more money outside
| This YVES not the practice in the days OF our
| forefathers. It was then the rule to pay high
! public officials salary commensurate with
the demands upon TIE Office, and large enough
| to secure the best men who could be obtained
for the places. Tins the pay of the Presi-
] dent was fixed at S25,0oO, which was fully
equivalent to from $125,000 to $500 now:
t Yet this nav was never raised until four years
| ago, and now there is q movement to place it
| back where it was upon the first formation Of
the Government. The Nation says:
In ike manner when they catna to fix the salaries
of The Judges Of the Supreme Court, they did not
thrust one hand uaaer their coat-ta,ts scd the
other through their hair and pour forth stream Of
h1n,herskita about tho way ideal Judge ought to
l;re and about the smallness Of the suu for which
pood lawyers of their own acquaintance could be got
| to fiji the place. They said: The Supreme Co.1s
ought to contain the best lawyers in the country and