The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-08-14
Written for the CHIEF.
Corruption in Politics. No. 2.
IBERyILIE, August. 1886

/ WV pA1ob OIiltI9s iNO. IL
IBERyILLE, August, 1886.
EDITOR CHIEF:
What else do we Of the fruits Of B1isgov
ernGlent--as if the picture were not dark enough
already Our microscope shows legislatures
State and Federal, granting monopoies to cor
Dorations and individuals, making gifts Of the
public lands and bestowing subsidies from the
| public treasures; the plunder of local com.
munitles by what is called local taxation, and
demagogues clamoring for largesses under pre-
tense of equalizing bounties or other equal,
dishonest pretexts. Besides all this We see oper
and Hagrant breaches Of trust by those who are
clothed with the administration of public prop.
erty and free gifts to private corporations OF
rights over streets and highways which were
| built at public cost.
/ What can be done to effect change? This
| corruption is the immediate effect of some
| cause. What is tho cause? Men are lntent up
! on making money. That is of nine tenths Of
them tho chief and sole object in life. They
| who have different tastes and other bournes-
whether they seek power for its own sake or the
qualification which the possession thereof gives,
or fame, for the sweet incense by it waited upon
| them living or breathed DER their names when
| they are dead, science, for truth in heaven
or on earth, or art, blending as it does the
beautiful with the true, pleasure, with its
| vOiuptuous charm, falsely claiming to provide
| the supreme good-they are but insignificant il
| number compared with that great army which
| is ever pressing forward towards the gates of
Mammon.
e II A.,
| IS or may be converted into n machine for the
| making of money and that the majority who
control it for the time being may use it for that
| purpose there springs up a host Of hungry ad-
| venturers, office seekers and public plunderers
| bent on nslng its powero patronage for their
| own enrichment. This may be accomplished in
various ways, either by getting into offices al
ready established or. if they be filed, by craa-
| ting new for tho occasion, by obtaining
appropriations from the public chests or grants
| Of public lands, or by procuring tariff laws to
be enacted here and charters of corporations
| allowed there. All this goes on while those peo-
pie who are engaged in profitable agricultural or
mercantile persuits toll on hardly thinking
SO long as they are themselves prosperous, of
how much their prosperity may in the end be
lessened by tho dark and evil devices Of the
politicians.
That these are the fruits of wild notions prev
alent about government and party is untloubted
and It needs no endeavor on orr part to show it.
1t Is not strange that men should seek to make
money. The love of it is the root of all evil"
What is strange about the matter is that. in a
country where it is the province Of all to fash
and nd m Sfa no
machinery devised for the common benefit
Siouio be perverted, and 50 soon perverted, to
the benefit Of q portion:only Of the people. And
this IS possible, and in fact happens through q,
mIsappIehenslon by the people of the functions
of government and the duties Of its servants.
What are the functions Of government accord
ing to the American theory? They are to protect
each person in his individual rights, and to
construct those common works, such as roads
bridges, canals and aqueducts, which are for
all. and In the construction of which all may
be justly requested to assist. For the nerform
ance of these functions, certain agents nrc re-
CURED for whose appointment the law must
piovide; and the necessities of the service con-
stltutes tho warrant and the limit for the crea-
non OF offices. What then arc tho duties Of
these offices? They are to perform the services
required by the laws, and do nothing else which
can Interfere with that performance.
How previously these functions and duties
must be misapprehended by tho people! We
say must be for there Is no other way of ac
counting Tor the present condition OF affairs,
Inc tree Is known by its fruit. Here is msguv-
ernment and the people govern. Good govern
ment tits their interest to have. They must
therefore intend to be we'll governed And in as
much az they have the power to be we'll gov
ernd, and are in fact i'll governed, then failure
must be due to misunderstanding somewhere
Inns misunderstanding viii be apparent the
moment We compare the theory Of government
and Office, as here defined, with the actual prac-
tlce.
Government is the greatest combination Of
forces known to human society," 1t can com
Inand more ricE and raise more money than any
and all other agencies combined. 1t is quite
natura! then, that they whose theory Of govern
ment, II they have any, does not forbid its use
Tor any purpose they deem proper should seek
Its intervention Ill such schelns as REQUIRE great
power Or capital. How many wel-meauius
persons ask of Congress and tbs state lcyisl;
opolles, or subsidies to corporations. or gifts to
private institutions or charities And nearly
every one OF these is incompatible with the
true theory of our government. 1t is time that
they should all cease. Not one dollar should
Congress or any state Legislature hereafter
grant t" any road, canal other enterprise
owned by any corporation or individual. No
matter what may be the protouse Of advantage
to the whole community or any part of ii. 50
long as the thing does not belong to the state
or Nation, SO that every citizen could be Justly
required to assist in the undertaking. the row
eminent has no just right to give to it any Of
the property of the state or Nation. This doc
tflne should be imposed upon every member of
Congress and of the state legislatures and in
e1orto!y enforced by their constituents and
will be so imposed ans! enforced as soon IA the
people recover from their misapprchensiou of
the true functions of their government For.
1t should be held a fundamental maxim Of orr
pollty that neither monopolies nor fayors OF
any kind to any class of persons can be al
lowed.
What a nation or state can not do Justly for
itself it car, not allow any lesser public author
lty TODD. If the state of Louisiana for exam |
pie, can not justly take stock in a railway cor
poration. not moro rightly can it authorize the
of New Orleans to do so. Giving
authority to municipalities to subscribe for |
shares IN corporations is nothing but an az
rarian measure to divide property among those
who have not earned it. If for example. in q
town which contains 100 voters who have Drop
srty, and $50 who have not, the majority of all
have and exercise the power to buy stock OF any
thing else not needed for municipal purposes,
and pay for it out of the common treasury, that
g forced division Of property, as unjpstifia
Sic and as Ilaole to abuse as the agrean laws Of