Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-15

picion Of corruption, make for all the
mournfal answer,o ofhetshameful con-
fession, that our, country stAnds TO-
day IN her weeds Of penitence,-dls:
graced IN the eyes Of the civilized
world saafy if,..a "t i.fa %.
This, dishonesty is not merely ma
tional. We can find the same things
in our own. county aud state. The
county of st. Louis has treasurer IN
the penitentiary for stealing the pub.
hcsfunds. 90 The late adj jutaut general
is under Indictment now for criml-
nal breach of trust. The headquarters
Of the whisky ring were ilI our owl,
metropolis; the chief proprietor OF
one OF enr lending papers is convict
awaiting sentence; while the editor
of another has fed to paris unknown.
or our county affairs prudence for
bids me to speak. 3 tafsi7it .- l5
'7t Thiss1s q sad, sad picture, but per-
haps the most sdisheartening fact re-
-mains yet to he told. We would say
that, at the disclosure of these acts OF
stealing, every rogue would cover,
and every honest man would be in
dignant. If this be trne, there are
more dishonest men than, we had
thought. There are men OF the high
Eess respectability who have been out
spoken apologists for our official
thieves. Upon what grounds, you
ask in. surprise. cas- 1t has been the
custom to steal these funds" say
these mistaken friends of the guilty,
eve ought not to blame those who
have last done so. 1t is customary,
and has been, to, sell Offices and con-
tracts, and to receive gifts aud bribes |;
80 let us not blame those who have
now been caught doing So" These
things are:cnough' TO make the heart
sick, and almost despair of the future.
Because the thief is. our personal
friend, or our fellow-partisan, or our
client, we begin to condone his Of
fense, and seek to shield him from the
>unishment which he deserves. Oh,
that we had more of the stern princi-
pie OF the old Roman patriot, W no ex-
ecuted his own sou when he felt that
the interests of his own country de-
manded it.
In a government like ours, where
our officers are chosen either directly
or indirectly by the people, an official
less just, on those who elected the
| miscreants to their positions of trust.
In the light of this truth, the general
corruption of our civil service is not
only u national, but almost q personal
Disgrace to our people. II, by my
vote, 1 have helped to place dishon.
est manin Office. must bear my share
of the responsibility. l may have
done SO ighorantly. In that event
my judgment alone is at fault. / may
have done. so carelessly. Then l an
no: guiltless. may have done &c
knowingly. am, then. partner iu
his crimes. .+s eIs.-" 80 .T!.'
til q noticeable, and, In some re.
spects, q gratifying fact, that in very
many of these cases which have
shock ed the moral sense of tho nation
and the world, the guilty parties
were not chosen directly by the peoi
pie, but were the appointees of exec
utive favoritism. This, however,
only removes the responsibility and
consequent guilt one degree furthel
from the sovereign electors. Ii
vote for a dishonest governor, need
not be. surprised TO find him dispen.
sing his favors to those of the same
| character.
But let US come nearer home to-day
tPossiblyi our consciences may refuse
to own the responsibility, of the vote
by which We have helped to put q
thief Or q patron Of thieves inio Office
Let us see if otherwise we are guilt
less. II is hardly probable that in the
house Of God here to-day there are tc
be found the horse thief, the gambler
the burglar or the highway robber
We all would he shocked, perhaps
did we think that such were sitting
with US in this place of quiet, solemn
worship; yet such are as welcome
here AS we. Are there none here
rho break the eighth commandment
Are there none here who steal
If take unlawfuIly that which j,
my neighDor's, steal am thief
Ill wrOngfully withhold from m,
nelghbor that which is justly his,
steal-I am thief. lam an employee
a servant "A clerk. l owe my employ
er q service for the wages that he pay
ME. fail to give it. Am | not a
truly a thief rs though L stole Iii,
money from his pocket !?
1 am merchant. l adulterate my
goods aud sell them with false weight
~ full prices. Am not thief, jus
as though had stolen so much meney
from my customer am trader.
decry the horse l am buying, ant
falsely praise the one am selling.
impose upon the Ignorance of my
meighbor with whom am dealing. Ii
any Of these cases am l not q horse
thief in spirit? IL b. >
/ am q lawyer. advise my ellen
to undertake All unjust sait, or tt
defend claim against himself, that
know to be Just. In any event am
all honest man? fmy client loses,
have defrauded him. Ii he wins,
have defrauded his opponent.
l am doctor. l make unnecessary
visits to my wealthy patients, ant
neglect to visit those who are unabl,
to pay me. Am not dishonest
have failed to give an equivalent fol
my demands. t'
am q farmer. 1 make it conven
lent to haul my hay when the air i
damp. Am not thief? am sell
ing water instead of hay.
am capitalist. L lend my none,
at an unlawful rate Of interest.
cannot do so.direct.y, for the law for
bids it, and I'might lose it all. L d.
SO indirectly. l take 5 per cent
more year than the law says that
may take. Anu honest? L have un
lawfully taken the 5 per cent. will
my victims consent, just as the high
waymam rides of with the purse
which his victim has freely yielded
rather than be murdered.
am taxpayer. own no land
but have many bonds and mortgages
and stocks. These can send away o
hide, and 1 do it. My neighbor OIL
his little farm pays more into tn
public treasury than l, when coul.
buy his home q dozen times. Am
not thief? have made my neigh
bor pay the debt which justly owed
lam business man. Involve my
self heavily. [ am not simply un
fortunate. 1 buy without any rea
sonable prospect of being able to pay
live extravagantly. My bills ma
ture. My notes go to protest.
compromise,witb my creditors st 2:
cents on the d3n.r. Am not dis
honest? have taken three-tourth
of nv nurchasoe xuitnDnt Duy;n,r f,,