Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-05
Aa1lcastcr flltelltgerrer.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JAN. s, 1873,
An Honest Man,

An Honest Man.
Thirteen swore by the book, eleven
with uplifted hand and six affirmed"
but Eckley B. Coke. of Luzerne, de-
clined to take the oath, because it re-
quired him to swear that he had ex-
pended no money for his election except
for such purposes as the law expressly
authorized it to be spent for.
The singular thing here is that Mr..
Coke refused to take this oath. But the
singular thing ought to he that thirty
men elected to the state Senate took it
without wincing; although it is nearly
certain that each one who took it COM
mitted perjury. And the hundred men
who were chosen to the House took it
and it is very doubtful whether there
was one who did not swear falsely.
The object of the law, in requiring this
oath to be taken, was to prevent the cor
rupt use of money in elections. 1t was
not intended to forbid such legitimate
uses as are mentioned by Mr.. Coke as
those for which he spent his money; and
probably a majority of the senator's and
legislators could conscientiously say that
they had used no money corruptly, rs
saying would take the oath, knowing
that they had no! violated its spirit.
But, undoubtedly, its letter was violated
by nearly every one Of them, if not, in
deed, by all. Every candidate who con-
tributes to campaign fund, without
knowing how every dollar of that fund is
expended. and without reserving the
power to forbid its Use for any purpose
not expressly authorized 10y law" is
forbidden to take the oath prescribed by
the constitution. For it is not possible
for him to say that he has spent no money
for purposes not authorized by law when
he has given his money 10 Others to be
used in the election. If candidate
could escape the law merely by handing
his money to committee, who would
unlawfully use it, evidently the law
would he nuilified. This is the way in
which candidates generally seek to escape
the statute, but it is 50 manifest an eva
sion that it would not save them from the
penalties of perjury, should they be called
to account for their oath in the courts.
We are very glad Mr.. Coke has brought
this matter SO prominently before the
people. We are glad for his sake, that
lie has had the courage to do what it
WAS right for an honorable and cOnsci-
entious man to do. We are glad for our
sakes, since the resultant agitation of the
question raised 10y him in the public
mind must be beneficial. We are sorry
only for the legislators who stOlidly and
unhesitatingly took this oath after Mr..
Coke had raised the question of their
power to do it, although all Of them
knew that he was us able to take it as
any one among them, and many of them
knew that he could do it far more con-
scientiously than they could, if he had
spent nothing corruptly.
Mr.. COXe's honorable conduct shows
the people the advantage Of selecting for
their representatives men who have
demonstrated their intelligence and rec
titude in their business relations among
them. Mr.. Coke, who is about forty
years old. is the leading member of the
strong mining firm Of Coke Brothers Il
Co.. of LuZerne county, and is a man of
education, fine business capacity, a dis
tinguishel mining engineer. and his
opinion in matters relating to coal is of
as much weight rs that of any man in
the region no one would think of ques-
tioning his good sense in business mat
ters anu no ole of good judgment now
. will hesitate 10 accord him the best sense
and the highest honor in political matters.
There may I've those who will incline
to sneer at him as over punctiliOus ::
but these will be only such rs never felt
the imperative fnrce,or even the mild in
tiuence, of Il sentiment Of honor. They
will be those. too, who have not the
good sense to recognize the fact that Il
law should I've obeyed by the citizen
strictly; and if it is injudiciOuS, that it
should lie amended OF repealed, not vio-
lated. We do not doubt that this oath
required of the members of the Legisla-
ture is wise; for no money should be
spent for political purposes that is not
expressly authorized by law. But the law
is in fault in not specifying all the uses
for which money may he innocently and
properly used. 1t sadly needs amend
ment, certainly, when it forces such a
man as Mr.. Coke out of the state service :;
and the attention of the Legislature
should be promptly given to its correc-
ton. Yet what can we expect Of men
who can so readily reconcile themselves
to despising the oath of the constitution?
If they were disposed 70 make the law
what it should he, it is not impossible for
them to do it; and one necessary safe
guard against the improper use of money
would he to prohibit its expenditure 10y
anyone but the candidate himself; and
another one would be 10 require him to
file bill of his expenses. RAINING each
item, in some public Office, within three
days after the election.
WHEN people are to be poisoned or
suffocated we do not imagine it matters
much to them whether the old or new
process of making gas is used to do it.
And when an inferior quality of non
Illuminating gas is measured by the
meter and charged in the bill the impO-
sition on the consumer is not assuaged by
the assurance that it comes from the
IS old - works instead of the HneW:' 1t