The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-30
PLUTOCRAoY IN POLITICS.

This will, doubtless, always be so; but their
number should be and must be steadily re-
duced in the interests of stable popular gov
eminent To secure this diminution the bet
ter elements of society must constantly be
awake. The American voter should
scrutinize candidates closely and insist
that they shall be fit morally and men
tally for the position to which they aspire or
none too much respect for law. But this
disrespect is not to be wondered at when many
of those who make and those who presumably
execute the laws are totally unfit for
the high duties that devolve upon
them. The source of this state of
affairs lies in the people primarily. The voter
who casts a ballot for corrupt, an ignorant
or even weak man, aids personally in prosti-
tuting law and in encouraging the in
eyitable disrespect that must follow.
To draw the line nearer where it
should be, no man should be elected to make
or to enforce law who himself is violator of
law, or who winks at lawlessness in any form.
That such men have been made councilmen,
aldermen, mayors, Legislators, c",, gressmen,
and even senators, is az
| -nlJ OF question. In our own State, not
many months ago, the mayor of a thriving
city was shot to death while in the act of
committing felony. His friends maintained
that he was entrapped into questionable
situation, and then murdered for revenge by
his enemies. But the court of justice before
which the issue was tried acquitted the men
who did the killing. Only the other day a
Chicago paper published the shame of that
city, by announcing that out of the present
| grand jurors three had been arrested for selling
liquor in defiance of law; that another was the
leader of ballot-box stuffing gang, and a
third had run gambling-house until within
few months. ''There are, says the Tribune,
''two or three decent men on the jury, but
they have very little force of character" The
improbability of securing an Indictment from
such grand jury is obvious, especially in
cases involving friends" or enemies who
might retaliate. 1t is pleasant to reflect, how
ever, that such grand jury is rare excep-
ton. And now report comes from Lafay
cite alleging that councilman Of that city
has been arrested for frequenting gambling
house. The Courier of that city says that he
had been losing heavily at the place, and to
get even had induced the Council to pass an
order to raid such dens. Without thinking
that the order would be obeyed so promptly,
he went back to the game and was caught
there that same night What kind of laws and
what measure of justice can be expected from
such men?
But the evil does not end here, nor does the
danger lie wholly ON the surface. Men Of
questionable character sometimes win places
of honor and trust by purchase. According
to the evidence of the most reputable men
and papers of that party the Democratic mem
bers of the Ohio Legislature put up and sold
the United States senatorship to the highest
bidder George H. Pendleton was defeated
by his former friends and supporters because
his opponents had control of money, and were
corrupt enough to use it and found Legislators
venal enough to sell their votes for price.
This is serious charge coming, as it does,
from fellow Democrats of unimpeachable
veracity and personal probity. It is enough
to provoke alarm for the future safety of our
popular institutions. If the corrupt use of
money can buy seat in the highest law
making body in the land, where is the end to
be, and how long may it be until 'justice'
is thrown on the market with billet at
tached indicating the price at which
it can be had9 Already we have
seen the nomination TO the office of chief ex-
eeutive sold like so much merchandise. We
have seen the defeated purchaser attempt to
buy the suffrage of several members of the
Electoral College, expecting thereby to become
President by the most shameless means known
this. Dealing in political futures" has
been introduced to the American public by
the Democratic party. 1t signifies the same
as buying futures in stocks Or produce-the
buyer expects to sell at an advance, and to
enrich himself. The people cannot safely
temporize with this corTupting and destructive
influence. If Samuel j. Tilden should
buy his way to the presidency tho gentle
man in Ohio has to the Senate, what recourse
have the people against the bargain and sale of
opinions and influence by such menf The
| magnitude of these offenses against public