The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-07-01
BeuBERE AND BLACKmAILING.


to which he was lawfully entitled, by
the Board of Supervisors. He asks, in
letter to the Board, "what encourage
saent is there for an honest man to do
honest work for the city if the authori-
ties do not protect him from the horde
Of blackmailers who infest the city gov
crslnent? Must man when he bids
for city work fix price which will en-
;sbic him TO share the profits with the
members of the Board or their rela-
tives!"
Il seems that contracts are not let in
tee interest of the Taxpayers, who have
to foot the bills, but for the benefit of
tie authorities who have Che power to
let them. Almost every Office holder
considers that it is not so much his
DUTY to protect the axpayers, al
tough he is sworn to do SO, as to make
money for himself and immediate
friends by swindling the public. Bride
~ is not only tolerated but encouraged,
and the individual or corporation that
oaers the greatest inducements is
awarded contracts although their bids
may be the highest. The moment the
average office seeker is installed in
Office, he considers it his first and great
est duty to turn it to the best possible
account for himself; his next duty to
provide for his partisans, and his last
juty to look out for the public inter
ests. That is the modern politicians
platform, and the principles embraced
ID it are rarely violated. Men occupy
ing the highest positions in the gift of
the people are accused of accepting
brides for their influence in getting jobs
through State Legislatures and Con-
gress, and making appointments to lu-
crative positions.
General Belknap, late Secre-
tary of War, stood squarely on that
platform when appointing post traders,
and cxacting money from them in pro-
portion to the opportunities he gave
them for swindling the soldiers or
The Government Babcock, President
Grants Private Secretary, recognized
tae principle in dealing with the whis-
Ky rings, and used his position for all it
was worth.
The late Cakes Ames understood the
platform when he distributed Credit
Mobi.ier stock among Christian states
,nen who, as members of Congress, con-
trolled appropriations, and, as he ex-
pressed it, "placed it where it would
90 the most good
DeGolyer and the Shepherd ring, in
Washington, knew all about these
principles when they paid James A.
Garfield. Chairman of the House Com
mittec on Appropriations, $1,000 to
act as their counsel before the Commit
tee, Of which he was member.
Corporations live up to the politici-
ans platform when they go into State
Legislatures and get members for con-
hideration to violate all their pledges,
and enact laws directly contrary to
what their constituents desired and
they promised, and plead in extenua-
ton Of their rascality that the pledges
given by them as candidates before
election were not binding on them as
law makers after they were elected.
The people know that they are be-
trayed by the ofice-holders in whom
they conided, but they seem powerless
to help themselves. The party ma
chimes are run BY. men who profit by
fostering the rings and encouraging
bribery and matchmaking. and they in
conventions grind out resolutions APP
proving the actions of the office hold.
ers. whether right or wrong. Then the
Irejudices Or patriotism of the masses
are appealed to to sustain the princi-
pies of the party as declared by the
conventions, and the work is done
The rank and file consider the conven-
t:ors infallible. Those who neglect
their duties TO their constituents are
indorsed. The men who violated their