Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-03-31
Virtue is its Own Reward.
THE HON. CHAMP CLARK GIVES AS
AN EXAMPLE HON. 4. II.
BUCkNER.
lie Thinks "COrruption Wins Not
More Than Honesty"-On the
Other and lie Knows Some
of MiSsOuri's Politicians
Who Should be i'm the
~Penitentiary.
rhamn Clark in St. Louis Renuhlic.

Champ Clark in st. Louis Republic.
First and last there has been a
vast deal of rot written and spoken
to the effect that honest and honor
able men cannot succeed in law and
politics. Some very good people,
whose spectacles are of the deepest
green, and whose livers are in a
state of chronic disease, even go so
far as to say that all lawyers and
politicians are dishonest and cor
rupt. They are grievously mistaken.
There are plenty of lawyers and
politicians who ought to be in the
penitentiary-who have no more
conscience than a craven image,
and who are willing to do anything
corrupt or contemplate to aid them
''in getting thereto use their
own favorite and expressive phrase
and who are liable to do anyth ng
mean after they get there. But |
know this is not the rule with law
yers, and | do not believe it is the
rule with politicians. There are
lawyers and politicians whose word
is as good as their bond, and who
possess an ineffable contempt for
anything hal smacks Of corruption,
is tainted with fraud or is forbidden
in morals. / wish to give a living
example of my theory in an emf
nent statesman who succeeded in
both law and politics. Judge A.
II. Buckner, of Mexico, is the ex-
ample. He began his political ca
reer more than half a century ago as
Deputy Sheriff in Marion county.
He was County Clerk of Pike coun-
ty ten years before | was born. He
edited Il Democratic paper and prac-
tised law here for a long time. He
| was Judge of the circuit, and peo-
pie still speak of him fondly as a
great Judge. He was a member of
Congress for twelve or fourteen
years, and voluntarily retired from
that greatly coveted position. He
| held other offices of trust and honor.
In all OF them he discharged his
duties with signal ability and perfect
integrity. No breath of suspicion
upon him; no smell Of fire ever at
tached to his garments; his bitterest
enemy never dreamed Of limiting
that he was corrupt or would cor
rupt others; and in his green old
age he is highly esteemed by all who
know him-and he has succeeded
both at the bar and in politics. There
are plenty of others like him. | name
him because he once lived here, and
it is pertinent to these tales. The
proposition has been so often assert,
ed that nothing succeeds in court
and in politics except, bribery,
or dishonesty, that young mel be,
ginning the battle of life are liable
to believe it and govern themselves
accordingly. The truth should be
told. Shakespeare was right when
he said that corruption wins not
more than honesty" Trickery.
dishonesty and corruption may Sc,
cure temporary triumph for then
practitioners, but in the end ''theil
sins will find them out and sc
will the people; and when the peo-
pie do"get on to them''they will in
variably and mercilessly pitch them
headlong into that outer darkness
where there is weeping, wailing and
crashing of teeth. I have been ut,
terly unable to find a solitary anus.
ing thing in Judge Buckner's long
and honorable career, and perhaps
it is just as well-provided this brie.
notice of his spotless and bright
walk in life will have any whole,
some effect upon the YOUNGSTERS who
are being fippantly taught that
the surest way to success at the ban
and to preferment in politics is III
breaking all of the Ten Command.