New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-09
PUNISHABLE DINNEES.

This is an ace of reform by machinery. ne
notion now prevalent in the minds OF mutltudcs
il that human sinfulness and all ITS costly con-
.oouorcos can be eliminated from human life
if we only devise some sufficiently ingenious
mechanism. of suffrage of awmaH!ng, or OF
law. The crime Of bribery, and the crime OF
being bribed certain sincere patriots th!hk theS
can extrpate by means OF wooden DoX WIN
a shelf in it, called the Australian system DuV
the evidence that 4 secret ballot puts an emu
70 the offering or the taking of brides FOR votes
has vet to be submitted. Other sincere patriots
hone to rid the country OF organized theit calIcu
speculation, NOT by driving the posseSsof Vi uil-
earned wealth from decent society, but Dy pro-
hibiting sales OF options or futures. others SUN
fancy that law, il only stringent enough can
suppress human appettes, ana make al lhen
totally abstain from intoxicating drinks. leaiS
of trial have not yet produced a State III when
the practical result attained has even approx
mated to suppression OF drunkenness. Nheh
trusts became odious, there were millions who
at once demanded rigorous antitrust law, as
if that would compel men TO cease from eX-
tortion. But the law which will take the human
nature out of human beings, it must be sadly
machinery does not yet provide substitute Tor
a change Of heart.
One of the strangcst illustrations of this mod
ern procIivity to trust legislation for the cure
of all evils may be found III bill pending, nOU
in any State OF the Wild West, but III MaSSa-
chusctts. Apparently with grave and serious
purposc. a member has offered a bill making IL
n punishable offence to offer or TO eat ii dinner,
if the person eating be Il member OF the Legs
lature and if the dinner be offered or pad Tor
bv any person or corporation having pecuhiarS
interests liable to be affected by lcGlSlatoh'
In excuse for this curious pr0pOSll IL IS sdIu
that some Legislators have been won over 70
favor moneycd corporations, and that the agency
omolovcd was a series OF excellent dinners. But
If Massachusetts, virtue is not sturdy and rugged
onouph to vote honestly, when the distant mem
orv nf choice yiandS and delicious wines be-
numbs the conscience the living sons OF MaSSa-
chu,ctts are indeed descendants, by a very long
way, from the Puritan fathers.
Il would be one Of the most Grote>que spec
taclc, Of this age of mechanism II BODY OF
crown-uD men, selected and sworn 10 perform
n sacred duty for the Commonwealth, should
think it necessary to fence in themselves ana
each other by making II miNdcmcah0f 10 edI
dinner offered by a too-scductyc corporation.
Does it not occur to She practical men OF the
Bay State that it would be simpler TO elect
different sort of persons to make laws? nat
could he said Of the voters if the men dclib-
cra,ely chosen by them As their WorthieNt ana
most iii should soemnly proceed to gag them
selves by law lest they might swallow bllDe
The world is not often helped forward or
upward by any kind Of moral machinery. II
the people want legislators who can be bubed
no law AGAINST dining them will he OF much
Use. If they want to drink to excess, or to
gamble. or to plunder the public, or 10 carry
elections by corruption, and public opinion toi-
crates and upholds those who do these things
no law will cure the evil. The only cure that
is possible is TO re-crcato public opinion which
will not wink at offences, will chase out OF re-
spectacle society every man who commits them,
?lll treat the pubic plundcrcr Us person not
f. be trusted in business, will make votc-buynS
aud election swindling cost party the support
of every honest citizen and will elect as law
makers men who cannot be seduccd by GOOD
dinner.