The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-06


xish due solesnaitr ia .sssea shAs II foar q
shess ut6lrasof. shonla = ..rsominent
eitixsns d hish character aad standing.
The First question tha& suexesss itself Il.
4 none bax prOninent cisix.na ot high
character aud standing vere 10 oct. why
Should Il be 80 ureentIy insisted that 81 :
square investigates and honest couciusion
on Gharxs q legislative bribery two must
b friendly and two opposed y - iottery
schen.e7 NAnifest1y thefe could b no
rsason u such consention excepk On tie
hypothesis shat ths two uho uere friendly
70 IL scheme would b inclined 70 SCOUT
and the two others would hs Inclined 70
convict wholly without regard 70 shs evi-
dence- On he one hand. the 01sF of
bsibs ~ ths company and IL acesptancs
BY msmbars a the Legislature. than which
there are few more heinoas crimes. would
b siurvingay Investigated and freely con-
d0ned BY two citizens Of high character and
standing. o.. On the other hand, > false and
defamafofy charge 70 that effect would
meet with equally kind treatment y The
hands Of The anti-lotseEy gsntismsn Of
high character and standing.
Is must - confessed that this indicates
. low standard Of morals in the Pelican
state, or that the lottery contest hiss de-
moralised al connected with II. on the one
sids and the other. But the point insisted
upon IN this proposed arbitration i not pc
caliar 70 Louisiana or - the lottery contest
II win be recognized - the same principle
that crops out in attempts to settle poiiti.
cal contests in Judicial Or legislative bodies,
or in the arbitration Of differences between
class interests. II is nor peculiar to one
state or section more than another. II Is
invariably assumed that the decision Of
party contest, either before . court or .
legislative body, mainly If not wholly de-
ponds, not on the honest merits Of the
question 1t issue, not on an honest finding
OF the facts. but on the political lsanings Of
the court or OF . majority In the legislative
body. In . neighboring state, quite re-
recently. on precisely the same facts and in
reference to the Same contestants. = Demo-
cratic Judge has found Cor the Democratic
contestants, and . Republican court for the
Republican contestants
In an arbitration between capital and
labor, should one side have larger repre-
sentation than the other on the board Of
arbitration. it would be regarded Is little
less than miracle If the side having the
larger representation should on an issue OF
fact find for the other side, no matter how
clearly and positively . fair and honest in
vestigation might require such conclusion
And neither business standing. nor . high
reputation for morals, nor even . profess
sion of religion seems to cut any figure in
such cases. Nobody would feel any better
assurance Of . perfectly fair and impartial
decision on the actual merits OF . political
contest by board or committee composed
wholly OF ministers Of the gospel represent
ing only one OF the political parties, than
from like body composed wholly Of pub
licans and sinners. N obody ever heard .
Democratic prea cher admit that Hayes
was elected, nor . Republican minister
make such admission In respect to Tlden.
That these are facts cannot be gainsaid.
That they indicate dsplorabls psrversity
Of public morals in respect to Ill questions
Of political or class differences is indisputa-
bic. Unless arrested and corrected Il cam
not but lead to disaster. Free popular
government cannot permanently endure
on any such baais. Somehow or other .
respectable fraction OF orr people must BE-
come imbued with the principle that ques-
tons Of right and wrong. whether in POI
litical contests. class differences or what
not. shall b decided with judicial fair
ness. Existing conditions cannot continue
without growing by what they feed on,
with anarchy o an inevitable and By no
m cans 3 remote result