The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-10-21
The Crime Of Bribery.

There are sins against society so
venal in their nature and SO destruc-
tive Of morality and good order,
that they cannot safely be left to the
judgment of public opinion alone
These offenses are called crimes, and
the laws of the country are invoked
to protect it against those who prac-
tice them. One of these crimes is
Bribery. 1t is the most cowardly
and demoralizing of all the crimes
in the calendar.
The Briber seldom goes among
his financial equals to ply his nefari-
GUS business. 1t is not the prosper.
GUS man with his full share of world.
ly goods that the Briber approaches
with corrupt proposal. Not that
he doubts the venality Of his peers,
for it is his maxim that "Every man
has his price," But he must pay too
high price for the prosperous man.
The same money which would buy
a Colfax, a Blaine, or a Garfield, in
an official capacity, would buy hun
bred of those who are classed as
"needy" and con the make" This
is the way he argues, and he goes
into the streets and by-ways where
want and squalor meet the eye on
every side. The sum that is but a
trifle to him, is a small fortune to
the poor, halfclad, half famished
wretches whom it is his interest to
use. He knows to nicely the me-
eessities of each one he tempts, and
offers not a penny beyond the price
he has pat upon each head. 1t is
purely a "business transaction" with
him, whether he is bribing a man to
part with bis birthright, or to vote
against his convictions, and the price
he pays ranges all the way from "a
mess of pottage" to a circular saw.
He is q keen observer of men and
things. His quick eye is the first to
note where large returns may be ex-
pected from small investments. The
field he cultivates knows no law but
necessity. He sees churches stag
gering under load of debt and so.
Letting aims from the public under
the thin guise of Fairs and Festivals
and asks himself "Who are more
needy than these! Where could 1
make sure Of larger return on q
small investment than to divide a
few hundred dollars among these
deserving congregations 7" He de.
cides to dot He draws his checks
and a half a dozen congregations
and the local press publish his "great
liberality" to the world. And he
makes by it. The very churches
that are benefited know his charac.
ter. 1t may be that it is of judicial
record that he is a Briber, yet they
take his money and sing his praise
with a zeal, which if directed to.
wards the revival of religion might
save hundreds of souls. How far
they fall short of the example of the
Savior, in this respect! We are
told that in one of His most hopeless
moments, when all the world seemed
turned against Him when He knew
that he was to be betrayed through
the fundamentally of Briber,
Satan took him up on to a high
mountain. At His feet lay far-reach-
ing valleys grooming with the rich
products OF a fertile cline. His
spiritual vision took in the vast ex-
panse of the earth's surface, and he
saw that the vine and the olive and
the pomgranate flourished bounti-
fully in other lands than those lying
along the banks of the Euphrates.
Satan, standing by his side, pointed
out the special features of the grand
panorama spread out before them.
he painted in eloquent language the
glory of that Kiu n uho oho,,l1 ou,o1