The morning call., 1891-12-19
CALIFORNIA AND CANADA.

The popular revolt against political cor
ruption appears to have assumed an cpl
demic form. just as the hopes of the re-
formers have been dashed in this city by
the interference of the Supreme Court on
behalf Of our boodlers the Canadian boodlers
are massing their forces to defeat the re-
formers in their province. 1t appears that
NJ. Mercer, who was until lately Premier Of
Quebec, was accused of having played
Buckley in that province as to various jobs
in which there was money, and notably in
regard 70 the Bay of Chaleurs Railroad.
The Lieutenant Governor appointed a COM
mttee to investigate. and it reported the
charges we'll founded. On this Governor
Anglers, without waiting for action by his
provincial Parliament, dismissed MERCER
and his colleagues and summoned NJ. dc
Boucheryille TO form a new ministry. Mer-
cier refuses to. resign OF to be turned out,
and he is making combinations by which he
hopes to maintain his present control of the
Parliament of Quebec. His calculation is
that so many members were implicated in
his jobs that they and their friends may
muster a majority of the house. 1t will be
interesting to observe whether this plan can
succeed.
If the Quebeckers have an affinity for
at the head of their Government than an hon
est man, there is nothing more TO be said.
They are the best judges of their own in
terest. With Us, the case is different
Among the people at large, there is no dif-
ference of opinion on the subject of corrup-
ton in politics. To man, everybody
wants to see the boodlers punished. But
while, in Canada, the well-meaut efforts of
the Governor and his friends to overthrow
boodling run some risk of being defeated by
the adherence OF members of the Legislature
to the cause of the boodlers, here the
attempts of the people to stamp out corrup-
ton are thwarted by Il court which is sup
posed to be under the control of the chief
bOodlers. In both cases. the boodlers are
fighting to escape punishment and retain
their prey. But in the northern province
it is in the popular branch of the Legisla-
ture that knayeIy is eEuenched, while here
1t fights behind the bulwark of the Supreme
Court. 1t was behind court-as every one
remembers-that Fisk and others took re-
fuge in the days of Black Friday, and the
spoliaton of the Erie.
But the bulwark ana the refuge will both
prove at last to be 10 vain. There never
was an instance in which persons guilty of
corruption succeeded in evadiug the penalty
influence, by the control of courts and egis-
lative bodies. they may, perhaps. postpone
the evil day for time, but the sentence
comes at last and il carries interest from
the date of its cause. Never was a band of
boOdIers more skiIliully entrenched than
were Tweed and his followers. They owned
the Legislature, the Common Council of the
city and the courts; few were brave enough
to aSSail them, But they fell and never
raised their heads again. No investigation
was ever undertaken under more formid-
able difficulties than the one which I'M
earthed the history of the Credit Moblier.
There were leading members of Congress on
both sides who were more or less directly
implicated. It was to their interest to sup
press the scandal. But the inquiry went
on, and smashed a score of regulations, in
GLIDING tn at Of Viee-President. 1t is hard
to conceive a stronger combination than the
one which lay back OF the whisky frauds.
1t dictated nominations, supplied the sne@s
OF war to both parties for campaign pur-
poses, had its allies in the Cabinet and on
the bench, and lowered so high that its en-
nifty was known to be political death. But
investigation. once begun, went on in spite
Of all obstacles. and the mighty com bination
went to wreck, involving most of its mem
bers in bankruptcy. .Iu such matters his
tory is apt to repeat itself.
As for the threats of NJ. Mercier's friends
that If they are kept out OF power they will
advocate annexation to the United States,
they will hardly evoke much sympathy on
this side OF the line. As THE CALL has al
ready observed, our domestic supply of
boodlers is fully equal to the demand, with
out importing the foreign product.