, 1877-04-14
COrrmpILOn In Politics.

Mr. David Dudley Field, contributes to O
recent number of the International RsEis,c a re-
markable article entitled Corruption u Pol
iiics," which should attract attention among
statesmen and thinkers. Mr. Field repre-
sents our Government AS greatly impaired by
political vices, and cur foreign commerce and
internal enterprise aud industry greatly in
;ured by the political Generalization which
Is ~ general.
He rightly traces the evils under which We
suffer to the inordina,e greed of gain, the
love of money" and to use the powers Of
government for the qualification of svariee.
Government is the greatest combination
of forces known 10 human society. II can
command more men and raise more money
than any and all other agencies combined.
IL is quite natura., then. that they whose
theory of government, if they have any. does
not forbid Its use for any purpose they deem
usefnl, should seek ita intervention III such
schemes as require great powers or capital"
This is true; and the great misfortune of
our people lies in the fact that the leading
men-the directing mindS-are creatures Of
the money power The Constitu ion is con-
stantly violated and measures constantly en-
wealthy class. The leaders are always found
advocating class legislation and very rarely
consider the interests OF the producing pOr.
ton of our population. The statute-book is
rePle'e with laws that enuTe more TO the good
Of individuals aud corporations than 10 the
people.
NO." says the writer, " If it be once as
snmed that the government Is OF may be con-
Terted into machine for making money.
and that the majority, who control it for the
time being, may use 1t for that purpose. then
there spring up ss If from the ground hos,
of hungry adyenturers, office seekers, public
p!underers, bent on using the power OF patro-
mage of the government for the enrichment Of
thems Ives. This is accomplished IN various
wsys-sCmetimes, by getting Office, or, if it
happens there be none already made, creating
them for the occasion sometimes by getting
appropriations from the public lands OF public
chest, or by procuring tariffs here and char
tiers TOR computations there
From the immense corruption that has
sprung up nnder this greedy passion and the
contempt il has inspired for he Constitution,
together with the bad administration Of pub
lie affairs that has grown out of the public
depraviry thus brought about. Mr.. Field lays
before his readers the following results:
We see a Federal Union, which being
free from public debt in 1896, now owts
debt of more than two thousand millions
which keeps in its service 30, 900 soldiers,
and 100. 900 civil officers, aud which pays
for 33O, 900 seryaut' more than twice as much
a. any European country pays for u like
mn k.r rfu- i.rhf
eight pay mel her principal nor interest; /; We
see cities, rOGnties and towns overwhelmed
with debt; ard all the while these various
governmen,s-frderal,st state and municipal
take from our people 10 taxes more than any
government In Cbrisfenoom takes from Its
people. We see Offices which it is the fuuc-
tiou o. the President 20 fill with The truest
and best, farmed out II Senator'S aud Rapre-
szntativeS III Congress We see offices claim
ed aud bestowed, not for merit. but for party
work, and as a nataral Consequence We see
rhe public srrvice inefficient and disordered-
We see yepal legislatures and executive Off
GERS receiving gifts We see customs tariff
which taxss 502 imported articles. and S72
different grades of th. 80 articles. some of them
10 the extent Of 100 eI cent. Of their value,
while the tariff of England taxes only II.
and the tariff Of Germany only l52, arranged
in 81 classes.'
Iu his article, Mr.. Field shows up the
burdens entailel on our people by the maehi- |
merry of our Government:
" Not ouly is it the most complex tmachi- |
nery), but j, Is also, if not carefully watched,
rhe most expensive. The federal government |
and state government have each an equip |
ment of officials. with their long list OF sala-
ries and perquisites. Our Taxpayers have to
bear the burdens of four governments; that
ia 10 say, the federal. the state, the county. |
and the town or city. 1t behooves them To
watch with the vigilance of interest and OF
patriotism combined, lest they lose their lib |
critics and estates together"