The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-11
CLEARING UP.

Many things have happened in the last
few years TO warrant the hope that there is
coming a moral awakening in the con-
science of the people. The rule may be
laid down that public men viii be as good
and no better than the masses OF the people
require them to be. Il does not follow that
no public men have had a standard OF their
own which DC temptation can induce them
to deViate from, but rather that the integ-
Tity OF this class of men has been their only
reward The prizes OK public life have
much too often been carried off by men
who would Stoop 10 any means to attain
them. When we consider the leniency with
which the people have regarded crimes
against their liberties and their property ii
seems almost wonder that the highest
Office in The gift Of the people has been de-
MED to men whose records would not bear
examination. The Senate has been as high
as a really corrupt man could get. AT pres
ent the Senate is being weeded out The
few remaining Senators who are believed
to have bought their seats are only tole-
rated in that body. When their terms ex
pire they will fall back into the ranks. and
the fact of their having been in the Senate
will be rarely mentioned.
years ago. The Legislature which met in
1859 aid not even take The trouble TO wear
mask. There were a few honest men in
each House, but their voices were drowned
in tile clatter Of scoundrels. The under
standing was general that the Legislature
had its price-that if boodlng scheme
failed il was because the price asked was
greater than the promoters thought the
scheme worth. There was little or no con-
cealment The man who held the reins dis
dained duplieity. When waited upon by
the promoters OF a job be frankly told them
what could be done and what the cost
would be. Perhaps the best thing that can he
said Ct this man is that his terms were so
high that several Jobs were abandoned as
without profit We nave SO far passed that
polnt now that a review of the proceedings Of
that bedy reads ike lola romance. There
are several pretty hard characters in the
present Legislature, but they do not run that
body. Self-Tespecting members have made
an example OF them. The present outlook
is that at the expiration Of tie time they
viii fad themselves without the money they
expected TO make and without the character
they took into the campaign.
When dishonesty IN public life ceases TO
be profitable It will cease To be conspicuous.
When the people withdraw their support
from dishonest servant, those who would
gladly serve the public faithfully viii come
10 the front. The commerce. al standard is
now so high that a departure from il is un-
profitable. When we get The public stand
ard to the same elevation. bOOdlerS VIII be
as scarce in public life as sNindlers are
now among business men. The conviction
and punishment Of distinguished boodeTs
is sometimes necessary. IL sets people TO
thinking. Il steadiCs up the class Of men
who found their neral standard upon public
demands Il may seem hare to punish one
man for what others have done without
paying the penalty, but justice must see not
the ones who have escaped. but the che
who is OF trial. This moral awakening was
much needed. In fact, we could not have
got along peaceably much longer without
II. Communities are always either going
up or down. No one can deny that Cali
fornia is not now On the up grade. Things
have been done in the last ten years that
will not soon be repeated. Boodlers have as
vet been punished only by Withholding
from them the chances of Doodle, but even
that IS positive gain.
The conviction OF NJ. lie Lesseps is an ab-
sOlute triumph Of justice. The accused had
everything on his side except innocence.
He had family. social position and high
service. But the French court found him
guilty Of obtaining money by false repre-
sentatjon and sentenced him to punish
ment. While no one likes to see gray hairs
brought in sorrow 10 the grave, the friends
Of good government can but feel graufed at
the fidelity with mich the law has been
executed.