The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-09-08

is simply bribery indirect. According To the
latest and best deinitiou bribery is ''thc Offering
or accepting any undue reward, ~ or by etc.
etc = 1t extend, to the giving
receiving reward to influence the action of
voter
\ distinguished political writer of yDur plan.
ct, whose WORKS, am sorry to believe. are not
much stuiie by any class among you, has the
following striking language:
Indirect Dribes occur frequently, though
they arcsuiti ;icntly direct to bran them once,
in the eye of every honest citizen, with their
true character, an thou,h their shape can ap.
2clsc only those cDnscicuccs which are really to
derive comfort from the fern and not the essence
oftransaction4." of See LrEBEn's ) Politctl Ethics:
Vol. IL page lOi.
Again, says this same writer: "At all peri.
ols have laws pronounced the public adherence
of Uiibci voting, AMI all states where this evil
has become common, have been irretricvably
lost. The laws of Athens were severe against
bribing of any kind. both against the brber and
the bribcl. But Athens, ut length, sunk into
Democratic ahsoutism aud bribing became so
common that bribing companies were formed
The Romans carriel it on by way of giving fcs-
tivals, rs well rs money directly, upon the lar
gcst scale; soon public offices were cousd-
erel places for plumber, AMI the sums previous
ly spent to obtain them rs mere outlay to be
refunded by plunlcr after the office was obtain
ell" LrEBEa's Political Ethics Vol. III. PIP. 395
-f9I.
"rhc Romans carried it Oh by way of giving
festivals In this, history seems to be rcpeat. .
ing itself Of Late, on your planet. y class of
men, knowing the profuse libcrality l?) of office
seekers, and knowing that amDny you is n large
class of poor, unprinciplel fellow citizcus,'
who will follow office seeker anywhere for n
"trea, :" aud knowing th,, you have u molcr
ately fair allowance of office seekers on hand
have taken II lvaniagc Of The situuion to furnish
barbecucs On the ri sit an on the left, at which
most of the oiHcc seekers spend more or les )
money furnishing dinners for the spongcs and
parasites with which office seekers are infested
This state Of things is II burning shame, both to
the office seeker AMI the parasite. Yet, while |
ctn feel only in lisrttipn anl cpntcmpt for the
mn whp Soul | c'n?ronsc his mtnhpol and
disgrace his revolutionary ancestors by throwing
out htit an the ish. Al left. with which to
catch this class Of voters, feel only the pro.
t,unlcs pity for the ignorant, poverty stricken.
unprinciplel parasites, VIII, foinw the otlicc
seekers around for the corrupt an |, doubt :,
often grulgins tavors (?) which the Office seek
crs are accustomed to hcstow.
Again, says LrEGrE, in his rulitic,l Ethics -
''lt the universal spirit Of monkinI expressed
in the laws If all ages points out bribery AS
shameless crime il our conscience tells us uu-
cIuivnctlly ,hu it is 4 crime; if we know that
u representative government bee Imcs II mclan-
ch"ly farce. il we acknowledge the form VIII il c
we violate the principle no citizen, who val
ucs either his own hparr or Conscience, or the
safety Of the state or the essence Of civil liberty,
or ri 5ht, or virtue in ANY way, ought, any
account. tn ot,r or rc;civc u lircct an indi.
rect hribc, however safe the lui"r mi Lht bc
against ANY punishment, according to the lett cr
ot the Nv. i there n natural allcgcnce to
truth an lihcriy? We have called all acts hy
which elections are fllsifcl, treason agains
Liberty. Bribery is the worst Of these acts."-
You wIutl c,uut it treason of the highest kind
if, by any hin | II frau or clctnery. me one
else should hc substituted to fill an office instead
Of one who hal been lcgtimrtcly clcclc to that
office. l. it less criminal is il really rs Grim
al to substitute a counterfeit for 'nuinc pub
lie opinion the nurllripn on which The fabric
If civil liberty chictly rests. And do we not
commit these Suh>iiiutiuus if we allow ourselves,
by any consideration Of interest or favor to ote
difrrcnt, rom what our judgment tells us we
ought tn 10? Is this act not u guilticr lie than
u false wrrl in Il III re acsDin' Of an cvcut -
There are m'ny lies infinitely worse than lies