St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-24
THOSE BRIBERY CHARGES.

W J
investigation was, to be sure. 1t would
have been infinitely better to have h d
no investigation than to have had such
a lame and impotent conclusion. The
action of the legislature was rather the
reverse of the celebrated jury verdict Of
guilty but not proven" for the sub
stance of it was Not guilty, but we are
ashamed to submit to the public the
evidence upon which our verdict is
founded" The investigating committee
seemed to have had slight apprecia
ton of their duties, and certainly a
thorough contempt for the intelligence
of the people of this state, when they
attempted to eXonerate the PRINCIPALS
and fasten the guilt upon their bench
men. There is no better settled prin-
ciple of law than that the act of the
agent is the act Of the principal. The
idea intended to be conveyed by the
report of the committee, that certain
persons went about buying up votes, for
senatorial candidates of their own mo-
ton and with their own money is too
ridiculously prep0sterous to be swal-
lowed by even the most gullible.
Human nature is not built that way. A
man may immediate himself on his own
altar, but tits not i'll hun an nature to
suffer martyrdOm Ill anOther's behalf.
Such disinterested generosity is only a
divine quality, and can never find a
lodging place in politicians heart. .,
Therefore we are inclined to the opin-
ion that it would have been better for
the good name of the state and for the
honor of our people if the bribery in
vestigation had never been instituted.
Enough has been disclosed to confirm
the suspicion that there has been cor
ruption, and when that point was
reached, we next have exposed the hui
initiating spectacle of the legislature
covering in anticipation of further de-
velopments, and summarily stopping all
proceedings for fear that some favoritc
might he hurt by the exposure.
God help the commonwealth when
such condition of moral turpitude per-
vades our legislative halls, that those
who in the past have been most re-
spected for honest motives and honora-
bile purposes are impelled to express
their congratulations that it was the
hired girl, and not the lady Of the house,
who was prostituted. When it hap
pens, as IN this instance. the hired girl
and the mistress of the mansion were in
such thorough enjoyment of each others
confidence, the public will be slow to
discriminate between the grades of
guilt.
The one redeeming feature of the
bribery investigation was the recogni-
ton of the force of an honest public
sentiment which compelled an investi-
CATION, although it should be done for
| whitewashing purposes only. 1t is be-
ginning to dawn upon the minds of the
professional politicians that the limit
of endurance by a long-suffering people
i'll submitting to political skullduggery
| has been reached. The reaction is COM
| ing. 1t has already set in with such
force as to compel the politicians to aim
to give an air of responsibility to what
is most disreputable. However ridicu-
lous they make themselves i'll these
abortive attempts at respectability, il is
a cause for public congratulation that
the rascals are being forced to respect
the honest sentiment of the community.