New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-02
UElJOCR1TIC EXAMPLE.

When a man of hOuOrcd name Is arrested for
crime, the community is apt to disregard It's
own share in the matter. 1t looks upon bis
alleged offence with indignant horror, and
wonders how any such a man ever could have
been tempted to such misconduct. The arrest
of General Shalcr has evoked many such COM
ments. People who are prone TO think the
worst of all public men, "a well those who
are disposed to think the best of him, unite i'll
spccics of incense Offering to the offended virtue
of the community. All think it proper to imply
that for such a man there is no temptation to
crime, and no excuse.
There will be less when the country begins
as rule to punish its criminals, Instead Of sup
porting them for high places of honor and trust
as Democratic rcfGrmcrs. Senator German
will be returned in Maryland, it is said, and
will retain his powerful influence with reform
Administration. Yet no one really doubts that
the grave charges made by influential and re-
sponsibc men in his own party in Maryland are
strictly true. If man like German is so
| honorcd and has power with reform Admin
| istration, why should General Shaler be ar
rested Mr. Tiden has been treated by his
| patty as a rare combination of sage and saint, in
spite of the disclosures made by cipher tcle
! grams What sort of example is that to set
men, in high places or low Senator Barnum
of Connecticut, it is said, is getting ready to
| buy IA seat in the Senate again, and nobody eX
! poets that his use Of corruption fundS-his buy
! ing "seven more mules" in lndIana-will do
! linn any harm. If 1ildcn and Barnum are dis
tinguishcd patriots, what IS the sense IN arrest
! Ing Shalcr! 4 ScnatOrship from ONO has been
bought, and another is in danger Of being
snatchcd by bribery If Democratic cOrruptiOn-
lists can find anybody base enough 80 take n
blibc. Governor Iloadly, who defended the
Oregon infamy, complained that the mere
nomination for Governor cost him s. 900.
Yet the men who take part in these perform
ances are not arrested. No temptation for a
man like Shalcr} No excuse, when Il great
patty 50 publicly honors men who are guilty Of
corruption and bribery? No excuse, when an
Attorney General still holds ~ 100000 tclc-
phone stock, which was given to him in the be-
lief that MS Influence as Senator and as public
man would thus be secured1
A few days ago. The World published an ac-
count of the cost of elections to Democratic
candidates for various Offices. 1t frankly stated
that, for some reason not known, the cost to
Democratic candidates was ordinarily much
larger than to Republicans, but represented
that the expenses of either were necessarily
very large. How are these men expected to get
back the money thus spentl Does a yirtuous
community really expect that poor men pay a
small fortune for an Office merely for the honOr9
Does not the community know perfectly well
that the practices in which it upholds the
Democratic politicians in this very city, and
which have made the government of the city so
discreditable, are radically corrupt With
such spectacle before him every day, how can
any man be said to have no -temptationl
When the people want public men to have no
temptation TO corruption and to crime, they will
| begin by aending corruptiOnists to the penlten-