Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-09-23

lCORRUPTIoN MORE DANGEROUS
THAN IGNORANEE.
According to the census OF 1870,
tshere were al that time in fne United
States 1855, 900 illiterate voters, Of
whose dangerous tendsnciesthere has
Ebsen constant and widespread appre-
tension. Such a mass Of ignorance is
icersafaiy not a Anvtingaooasempia-
ton, snd-yet populations are not
always, dangerous because they are
tunlettered.
The bane Of politics in this country
|is craftsmanship and too frequently
that is but the exhibition and measure
of a corruption more dangerous to a
free ballot and honest count than ig-
norance. a'a45fG tsinG4 ta'i /" 54G.i-
As Senator Conkling said a few
nights since in New York:
"a candidate in this country after
accepting party nomination IS not
allowed, on being elected, to become
a law unto himself. The higher party
obligations are not set down and
| signed and sealed by hand-manual,
they attach to pledged honor and
faith. OF this class is the fidelity of q
nominee, and, therefore, he is but the
exponent of a party. Few things are
more despicable than first to secure
elevation at the hands Of a party, and
then in the hope Of winning preten-
tious non-partisan applause to effect
superior sanctity and meanly to inn
ply that those whose support and
confidence were eagerly and deferen.
TALLY sought are wanting in purity,
patriotism or any other title of re-
tspect."
Integrity, and not ~partisanship o.
knowledge, was the cornerstone upon
which this government vas founded.
When the tocsin Of liberty was sound:
ed, the question concerning a either
and candidate was, SIS he sincere?'
sis he h~onest?''. This question an
swered and attested affirmatively.
made him q voter and officer.
If ignorance were the Creates
source of danger in this country
there exists abundant evidence of til
decrease. Although the number O
illiterate voters at the end of the last
decade was large, the preponderaact
of educated citizens even then. wa.
Igreat, and as it is ertain TIE census
of this year will evidence un1usaa
gains in the ratio Of those that car
read and write over such as cannot,
there is good ground for hope that in
another decade or two all will be ca.
pable of eemprehending the eonten.
tions of parties, and estimating cor
rectly the results of u%pholding them.
1t would be indeed Fortunate If the
evils to which the country Is exposed
from partisanship and .corruptior
could be as easily diminished, blu
the most dangerous politicians arr
usually the most Intelligent and b es
informed of their parties. A fraut
like that upon the presidency is i'm
L.. tE. pa .EHF+.. 4 a. .EL-. = 3 #-| o..
measurable, and, therefore, beyond
comparison. 1t destroys confidence:
and suggests repettions, and intensife'
~partlsanship and tempts party to jus
tify and uphold corruption. Il
Since 1876, no closely contested
election has passed without imputa
ton of fraud. The public accepts
such charges. IS matters of course
and the necessary result is loss o
confidence in elections. ,.
On this account, and as a rebukt
to corruption, a change Of admins
~tration is demanded on all sides. 1
the Republican party as such did no
commit the electoral fraud, it coun
tenanced, justified and sustained 1t,
and after doing SO, if the integrity 0
the ballot and public respect for it
is to be restored, that party mus
first retire, Its acts can be neither
forgotten nor forgiven, and as lone
as it remains in power, Apprehension
Of corruption will be in the ascend
ant, because the debanch Of the bal
lot will stand unpublished, and,
therefore, unatoned.