Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-09-13

Dakota are now called upon to select
material for another territorial legisla
ture. In the performance of this
biennial task they are confronted by q
conviction In their own minds that past
Legislatures have developed more in the
field OF corruption and disreputable acts
than should ordinarily come out of the
experiences of congregations of repre-
sentative men, Convinced of this not
very complimentary fact, the people, are
honestly desirous of selecting men who
will reform the methods of the past. Ii
this effort they are liable to go no furth-
or than the wish that it might be &C, ,leav-
ing to the small but active coteries of
political workers the shaping of desti-
MES in which the general public is vi
tally interested, but is denied voice,
usually through its own failure to par
ticipate in the proceedings which lead
up to choice. One of the peculiar
phases of our political system is the
tendency OF men representing property
and capital and the higher social and
educational departments of life, and
therefore deeply interested in the gen.
erai and local work of legislative body,
to ignore and avoid the primaries, where
the officiels who eventually represent
them are invariably created. They are
the men who give to politics the least
attention. They are filled to overflow.
ing with reform IN the abstract and pos
sess penchant for assembling with
those of their own way of thinking and
resolving in behalf Of reforma tion.
This privilege acts as a
safety valve for their surcharged
condition and instead of exploding at
the proper time and place and scatter
ing havoc among the anti.reformers,
relief from the pressure obtained
through this medium restores their nor
NAL condition and they go about their
individual duties and let politics alone
throughout All other period of slowly
accumulating indignation. Tits class
OF citizens has correct theory of honest
government and al insatible desire for
reform, but it avoids the caucus as it
| would pestilence and never accomplish.
es anything more substantial than {
| theory.
The subject of legislative corruption
is one with which moralists have formed
an extensive acquaintance. They have
succeeded in pointing it out and locat
ing it and classifying it by states, but
have not succeeded in improving the
record, being satisfied apparently will
establishing its existence. The state o
New York is the recognized pivota
point around which corruption circles
and other states are classified upon tn,
comparative basis of New York wicked
ness. 1t is perhaps encouraging to kno,
that Dakota legislatures are down on tn
list us being less corrupt than New Yorl
Legislatures. We can say from our owr
knowledge that most of the evil devel
oped within the legislatures of Dakot
has been instigated by small combine
tions of corrupt and designing men, VIII
at the beginning OF session have exer
cised only slight influence over tn
entire body, but i'll it's closing days hav
dictated the fate of every measure, i'm
} portant or unimportant. Through
shrewd but not difficult policy the
gradually enroll In the ranks Of corruI
J tion men who are honest OF heart and i
their communities are above reproacl
! Hence it is not generally believed I
, home that such men have become th
plant tools OF the promoters of ev
legislation Or that the measures f
q which their votes have been cast a,
/. corrupt measures. Men of this clal
8 are usually secured to the nses OF corrn
9 tion through their desire to accomplis
}. some difficult feat OF local legislation.
!, some enactment which directly affec
. the happiness or prosperity of the
i constituents. They are elected upon
q local issue md are sent to the capt.
a under an understanding that the
= political land perhaps their s.