The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-07-17
7le DoQaldlsoqqviHe Chief
Two Dollars Year.
Written for the CHIEF.
CORRUPTION IN POLITICS.
IBERv1LLK, June, 1886

IBERv1LLE, June, 1886.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The corruption in American politics 10 q
phrase in everybody's mouth, not only ia
this country, but in others. What does ii
mean? Is it true? And if true. what can
le done for change? These are questions
which We propose, 60 far as We may be able,
to answer in series Of articles in the CHIEF
followed from week to week.
The season is fit one for such inquiries.
As with persons so with nations, there are
occasions especially fitted for self exami-
nation. The present is one of them.
When it is said our politics are corrupt
what do we mean? Is it that the offices are
obtained by corrupt means or that they are
yeorruptly psed, OF both? Is it that govern
tpent is eorruptiy perverted from its true
ends? Or is it merely that from inatten-
ton, offices are unworthily bestowed or
.unworthily performed: in other words, that
though there is Improvement it is after
all only negligent misgovernment7 The
truth ia, We do not doubt, that both kinds
of government prevail, the intentional and
the negligent; and both in a certain sense
are corrupt, for neither can exist without Il
violation Of duty on the part either of the
elector or Of the holder of Office. But in
the ordinary sense that only is accounted
corrupt which is Intentionally wrong. It
would be sometimes difficult to draw the
line between intentional and merely neg
ligent, because intentions. being DISPOSE
tions Of the mind, are invisible to the NOR
tai eye. But that there is great deal of mis-
government, is palpable enough. and much
OF it must be Intentional. For proof of
the former We need only the evidence of
Our senses, and with their aid to compare
what is with what should be- The result is
before us and the conclusion is inevitable.
It is strange that these conditions should
have existed and that political corruption
should exist by the side Of our social puri
ty, but that is one of the anomalies of our
present social and political life, arising, we
are inclined to- believe, from causes acct
dental and removable, and not from in
herent and ineradicable vice.
When we speak of our political condition,
we have to distinguish between that which
is theoretical and that which is practical.
In theory our political constitution is ire
proachable: it supposes government of
all, for the benefit of all, or az the politi
clans put it, government of the people, by
the people, and for the people; but when
this theory is reduced to practice, or rather,
we should say, Us it has been SO reduced.
me results are bad-almost as bad, we are
tempted to say, as the promise was good,
There are few truths SO much over
looked, or, if not overlooked, 80 soon for
gotten, "a that the excellence of a govern
Ment depends more upon its administra
ton than its constitution. The government
OF Trajan and the Antoniues. family as WAC
Its constitution, gave to the Roman Empire
peace, prosperity and glory. The England
OF Elizabeth was as happy as the England
of Victoria, and the history of China ia n
standing proof that people NAV have
wealth and pleasure under mild though
absolute despotism. How is it then with
nsf Let US take to heart a few facts. We
see federal union which, being free from
debt IN 1886 and in 1855, now owes debt Of
more than two thousand millions; which
Keeps III its service thirty thousand soldiers
ana hundred and fifty thousand civil Of
hcers, and which pays for these hundred
ana thirty thousand servants more than
twice as much as any European country
pays Tor the like number. We see thirty
eight States owing an aggregate of three
hundred and eighty-fye millions of dollars
and of which eight pay neither princi-
pal nor interest; we see counties, cities and
townships overwhelmed with debt, and all
Inc while various governments, federal,
state and municipal, take from our people in
tases more than any government of Chris
fendom takes from its people. We see Of
noes which it is the function of the Presi
cent 70 I'LL, aud which it is his plain duty to
III with the best and truest, farmed ont to
Senators and Representatives in CONGRESS.
we see offices claimed and bestowed MT
Tor merit. but for party work, and as a nat
ufal consequence we see the public service
lnefticient and disordered. We see vena,
Legislatures and executive officers rece;viny
gifts. We see the most depraved and least
responsible newspaper press in all the
world. We see a commerce which once
covered the seas now so diminished that in
tins present year the tonnage of our sea-po-
ing steamers is 100000, while that of Emo
!and is 1880, 600. Twenty-six years ago we
we're advancing with the stride of giant to
the dominion of the seas; to-day the trideu
10 IN other hands. We see venal and mn
prlnclpled National House of Representa-
ives refusing subsidy of $4,000 to our
mail service, in order that our industrial
manufactures could be presented and in
froduced to the Republics of South Amer
ilca, Australia and the countries of Ash,
Wesee England spending millions of dol
iass on her mail service in order to intro
duce her industrial and manufacturing in
dustries in the markets of the whole world
1t was and is through this fostering policy
that England achieved her great CONNER
elal standing among the nations Of the
world.
And what an opportunity have we lost,
1or the time at least, and perhaps forever.
Behold the land and the coast thereof: how
ITS PLAINS hease with fertility, and its Dor
ders lie in the midst of the seas. From the
easternmost cape of Maine to the southern
most OF Florida, and thence to the great
river OF Texas, and from the Gulf of Cali
forn'a to Vancouver's Island with its Won