New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-23
EEIL ELFOkM.

EEIL ELF0hM
Morals in politic,-the very idea IS to some
a rrote>ue ab.urdity. They imagine that all
pcopie are a, dishonest as themselves, or II less
criminal in action it must be only because inc
others are towards who fear the LAWS, or
dread public opinion. But it Is SANDER
to assert that all or nearly all practical WORK.
crs in politics are thus destitute of honor LNcn
those who are most hardened in corruption may
be heard excu>ing themselves with the plea
that they have to take all the advantages they
can because the other side does.
The aScalitoS uncovered by the inyestiga-
ton of Jersey City baiot-boXcS last week az
rested public attention, not merely because OF
their magnitude, for il seems doubtful already
whether the whole of the 1000 plurality OBJ
tanned by President Cleveland in that state
may not have been due to the work of the same
criminals but also because of the large num-
Der of persons in Offices and other places OF
trust who must have been cognlzant OF or
personally participants i'll these crimes. Inc
man who will steal vote is exactly as diShon-
est and as worthy OF a COnvictS garD as the
man who will steal money. But where pubic
sentiment has become so demOralzed, by long
familiarity with fraud that it treats the cleo
ton swindler as a more honorable person than
an ordinary thief there crime is sure to have
its way until society comes to realize its wicked
ness and the peril of toIeIating it, The people
of Jersey CITY have been robbed until they be
gin to feel that their local government is al
most intolelablc and that brings them to re-
alize that the robbcr Of votes is certain to rob
men of their property also.
On a larger scale the same liberation OF
wrongdoing has been followed by similar re-
suits in Ohio and Indiana. These States have
had Legislatures controlled by dishonest par
tisans for party ends When these partiSanS
made an apportionmcnt they labOrcd to rob a
many of the opposite party OF their representa-
ton as was possible. So a Swindlng appor-
tionment in Indiana diSrcgardcd all deccncy
in order to give a minority power 90 elect ten
out of thirteen members of Congress. and for
time in Ohio the people were wrongcd in the
same way by the same party. The bare Tact
that a minority of the people elects majority
Of Congressman is not necessarily proof that
the apportionment is dishonest or wrongful,
because in districts laid out with the StnctcSt
regard for equality Of representation and geo
graphical convenience it may happen that
80 600 majority for one party, being concentrat-
cd in a single cry. can elect fewer representa-
tivcs than opposing maj0rticS not aS large IN
the aggregate, but scattered over many coun-
thy districts. The offence against common hon
esty and against the purpose of the law is IN
framing inconycnient and unequal districts
for the purpose Of securing PARTISAN adyan-
tage
The men who robbed by apportionmcnt were
afterward found to have plundcrcd the people
Ivy corrupt legislation. They robbed their own
party also. 10y selling their votes in caucus.
80 it has come to pass that loud outcly against
corruption is heard in both States, and the
Democrats arc compelled to realize that mon
who swindle political opponents will also
SWindlc political associates and the state. For
each and all Of these offences there Is a certain
and easy remedy. Whenever the people
choose 20 refuse their votes to any party which
toleIatcs political swindlcrS among its repre-
ScntatycS, its workers or its managers, there
will suddenly be a reform in political methods.
But it is rank hypocrisy to prate about re-
form of the Australian sort while juStifying and
shielding criminals of the ballot-boX StuifinS
type in jersey City, or cOntriycrS Of dishonest
appointments in Ohio or Indiana. Public
opinion is not sufficiently aroused 10 do much
good if it honorS the criminals who use " little
joker" ballots, or the candidates and managers
who hire them, but condemns the man who buys
a vote or furnishes money for bribery. The
thing needed is manly and straightforward
application Of the principles Of common honesty
20 all political work and public business. The
men who arc not willing 10 vote down a party
50 long as it gets victories by cheating have no
right to pretend that they are rclormcrs.