The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-05-26
Can it be possible that history shall


mean to let history retell the story
told of Carthagenia, of Greece, of
Rome, of every former Republic?
Have we, as Americans, in the first
century of our lives, reached that cul-
mination of corruption which makes
dissolution inevitable?
1t is idle to talk wholly of parties,
to find the extent of the disease, or
limit its result to any one party. The
corruption, the venality, the barter
and sale runs throughout the ration
rioting like fever in the blood.
Neither narcotic nor cooling lotion can
stay its ravage the waters of APana
and of Pharpar will not avail to wash
the nation clean. 1t is the people,
in their mad desire tor luxury, in their
growing disgust for labor, in their
contempt for regularity, in their viii
ated apyetites, in their stimulated
tastes which makes all things clean in
sipid-it is in the efeminasy Of men
and the lush overgrowth of women; it
is in the wrapped and drugged children,
it is in the prccocity of youth, it is in
the badness and falsehood of theories,
it is in the INSCRIPTIONS hearts of a
generation mad with lust for all that
is strange and forbidden. Smother it
as you may, deny it as you may, the
world at large and the world of Amer
ica has run mad with license.
Corruption in public life is the out
come of corruption in private life.
Men and women trained to look with
unAinching eyes and uDblushing faces
upon harlotry, suicide, adultery, muir
der; unpon jewelled women who sweep
into privileged places with the price
of their sale upon them men who are
sought by cormorant and knelt to by
sycophant industry. who sell the hos
pitality of their houses, whose family
ties are made snares lor their uses ;
who heal in the flesh of the poor as
the slave dealer sells his ware to the
highest bidder are not the men and
women to evolve clean governments?
A people the streets of whose cities
reek with criles, committed without
hinderance and read without horror
people whose daughters are snatched
from their home and made pollution,
whose sons are veritable bersts seeking
something to devour country cry
ing from every foot of its ground fol
retribution, what can it hope for but
the deathe of'all that was noble, and
the ravening life of all that makes tn,
world hell? Read the columns o
the daily papers and say if these word
are overdrawn look upon the street
and say if We have named thing tina
does not exist. We are people fall
ing as swift as did the angels that fel
from heaven and while we 60 on
witnessing yet never stopping thes
things we have no right to deman'
either honesty in office or probity il
power.
Every man and woman who in thei
: own lives do protest against all thes'
are guilty of the public dishonor an
private'downfall of the whole.
The people whe laugh at sharp pra'
tice, and applaud duplicity, deserv
to feel their cords tighten adsut then
selves. America has demanded smal
men and elected them to Office
smartness, the thing that can compa'
chicanery, can meet cheating for chea
ing has brought them-what? Pul
lie Office without honor, and natio
distinction. Intelligence withot
purity sinks to the level ofunscrnpI
lous trickery; and long since purit
was left out of the demand made u
on officials. America has intelliger
men brilliant men magnetic men
powerful men. Alas, where are IL
good men? There is no law SURE
than the law of compensation mol
more exacting than the law of retril
ution. America has turned from Il
first, she is reaping the fruits of Il
last, and retributive justice is Il
power which alone can save her. Al
it is the worst punishment of tn
justice that the innocent in intent mu
suffer with the guilty. 1t is our plea
ure to know that there are wide po
tions of our country which would
and remain clean if they could. 1t
our sorrow to know that even these u
hold gilt by passive acquiescenc
and will become demoralized by
like passive acceptance. Yet, in the
are our hope. Rouse men, who
not love corruption, and send it At
ing from as your yet unstained door
Our law is strict against lotteri,