Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-04-26
ON POLITICS.
Cardinal Gibbons on Political Cor
ruption and Bribery.


rnption and Bribery.
Ia an article on purity in Poll
tics" Cardinal Gibbons says
"0ur Saviour filled with righteous
Indignation seized a seourge and
cast out of the temple those that
bought and sold in it, and once
tnrned the tables of the money
changers saying, My house is a
house of prayer, but you have made
it den OF thieves.
1.-The polling booth is temple in
which the angel Of justice holds the
scales with an even hand.
The political money changer poll
lutes the temple by his iniquitous
bargains. The money changer in
Jerusalem's temple trafficked in
dives, the electioneering money
changer traflics in human beings.
"Let the minister of justice arise,
and clothed with the panphy of
authority let him drive these I'M
plous men from the temple. Let the
buyers and sellers of rights be de-
elared Infamous, for they are tread
ing on our American birthright.
Let them be cast forth from the
pale of American citizenship and be
treated as outlaws.
81 do not think the punishment
too severe when we consider the
enormity and far reaching conse-
quences of their crime. hold that
the man who undermines our cleo
ton system is only less criminal
than the traitor who fights against
h $ country with the foreign inva-
der The one compasses his end by
fraud the other by force.
The privilege Of voting is not
an inherent or inalienable right 1t
Is solemn and sacred trust, to be
used in strict accordance with the
intentions of the authority from
which it emanates.
"When citizen exercises his
honest judgment in casting his vote
for the most acceptable candidate,
he is making legitimate use of the
prerogative confided to him. But
when be s,lls or bart9rs his vote,
when he disposes of 1t to the high
est bidder, like a merchaGtable com.
modify, he is clearly violating bis
trust and degrading his citizenship.
"Ihe enormlty of the offense will
be readily perceived by pushing it
To its logical consequences.
Frst-0yer the purchase o. votes
is tolerated or condoned or con
nived at, the obvious result is that
the right of suffrage becomes a SOL
emn farce. The sovereignty is no
longer vested in the people but in
corrupt politicians or in wealthy
corporations.
Money instead of merit be ONES
the test of success. The election is
determined not by the personal fit
ness and integrity of the cand date,
hut by the length of his own or his
patrons purse, and the asplrant for
Office owes his victory, not to the
votes of his constituents, but to the
grace of some political boss.
Second-The better class of citi
zens viii lose heart and absent Them
selves from the polls, knowing that
1T is useless TO engage in contest at
the polls which is already decided by
irresponsihle-managers.
Third disappointment, yexation
and righteous indignation will burn
in the hearts of upright citizens
These sentiments will be followed by
apathy and despair of carrying out
successfully popular form of gov
eminent. The enemies of the repub-
lie viii then take advantage Of the
existing scandal to decry our system
and laud absolute monarchies. The
last stage in the drama is political
stagnaton or revolution.
IT seems that Mrs. Christopher
Columbus was the daughter of Pal
istrollo, of Lisbon. who was q dis