The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-09-23
CONCEALING CORRUPTION.
Operations Of tho Philadelphia Republic
an Ring.

an Ring.
The special committee of the Penn
sylvania legislature, appointed to in
vestigate the offices of the state treas
urcr and auditor general, Us involved in
the Bardslcy frauds, has begun its labors
at Harrisburg. If the investigation were
merely the trial of certain members of
the dominant party in Pennsylvania
by certain other members of that
party, it could not command general
attention outside of the state except as
sensational evidence may be elected.
The investigation would be solely
state issue, and its thoroughness orlack
Of earnestness would be a question for
the Pennsylvania voters to pass judg-
ment upon at the polls.
But the investigation, in its inf1u.
ence, will travel beyond the boundaries
of the state The crimes which have
been committed in Pennsylvania must
not go unpunished, not only for the
sake of that commonwealth; but for
the sake of honest government
throughout the country. If Philadel
phia and Pennsylvania can be robbed
of millions Of dollars and the thieves
shall go unpunished, thanks to the pro-
lection of political influence or of
friends high in social life, the force OF
that example will be too strong to be
resisted elsewhere, and public Office
will hold forth standing invitation to
embezzlement. Philadelphia raised its
hands in holy horror at the lawless
acts of the people of New Orleans
goaded to violence by the growing in
security of life. Philadelphia itself
has set more insidious example OF
law breaking, much moro likely to
find imitators, unless every criminal
connected with the frauds shall be ex-
posed and brought to punishment
Pennsylvania has invited comparison
of her method of treating public rob-
bers with the method of New York
state. In the foolish hope that Bards-
| ley in the flesh could be concealed
thereby from the sight of the voters Of
the state, the Pennsylvania republic.
ans have evoked the thin and musty
specter of Tweed. 1t remains for Penn
sylvania to prove that she can deal rs
courageously with Bardsley and his
suspected and undiscovered associates
in crime as Samuel J. Tilden, in the
name of the state of New York, dealt
with the Tweed ring Had New York
then failed in its duty, had PARTISAN
ship stepped in to shield crime from
its consequences, does anyone doubt
that peculation for some years at least
would have spread to the governments
of a dozen states and cities? The
wholesome effects of the thorough ex-
posure of that New York ring are felt
in this state to-day. From that time
to this the rule of public life in this
state has been honesty, and the excep-
tions have been so few as to serve to
! illustrate the rule.
1t is already rumored that this Penn.
sylvania committee does not propose to
investigate thoroughly. that it fears
the effect of exposure upon the repub-
licnn state ticket, and that it will per-
form its work in a perfunctory fashion.
The conduct of some of the members
of the committee gives rise to these re-
ports. The committee will meet at
Harrisburg, and it will be manifest
whether it meets to discover and pun.
ish, or to conceal and protect Pennsyl.
vania's boodlers. Albany Argus.