New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-23

81
monetary use as it was twenty-five years ago
I'm fact there is not one point Ill which 'h'
ARGUMENT most valued 10y the advocates of free
coina.r accurdS with actual facts, but II all lis
alleged or assumed facts were granted, they
would prove nothing.
HOYEsr MEN MAKE HONEST PiRHhS'
Senator Pound has introduced into the Legs
loturr another hill relating to corrupt prac-
ticcs II follows up several already before me
tvo houses intended In VariouS ways 10 r''ch
and uurify the management of party primaries
and the conduct If political campaigns. '"ih'
If these bills contain adnlirabc provisions anu
shond become laws. Campaign committees
mus, be held Ia the same accountability Tor IN
rcuditurrs ~ candidates II the who'll" schelhe
If preventing corruption 10y publicity Is not !"
bcrolnc a farce and Asscmblyman Chapman
measure introduced early in ih" session i wei
c,lolll'.l fo secure such IN accounting semi
for Pounds bill goes back Of th" election ana
o,t.mp,s 10 enforce honest contests in party
denominations This X just: for ia" person VINO
rive. ar take, y bride for voting or rcirlIhlhG
fr.u, vofiu. AT a caucus j. rs much Il pubic
n..pY as he who dchauch"s Nh" purity 81 an
lrc,ior The hll * drlsti, in its provisions
,u,,i.Iing bv imprisonment. not simply by mn"
Iir,,t or Indirect attempts - secure aitrn1hh'"
81, a ,.ucu, by the ,nor II any raln'b" con
.'.lcraiion. II rigidly enforced. it would con
s.l.r,Llv improve DE tone II politics
SOM. rcforncr, would - step further ana
rl,r. the control Of party primaries III me
i,rI. Il IL ZION officers before whom ~
nr,limiu1ry election tn, individual members 81
,h. different plriic, would appear ana vot" for
.iplill,.s to bc placed on their tickets Inc
,,,,il,t,. flu> nominated would then appeal I"
,,. suffrage, ~ he whole community. y bH
g., ,,Is effect ha, been brought before the leg
..i,,ur.. T., N,>,mMymlu Armstrong. # Mon
r... and active, work j., being dome in H. favor
n, I'M. Municipal ,lub 81 Rochester. That slcl
, r,.,.rr,. should receive aIy serious support
serve. 10 draw attention To the great distance
a.. Inv. Jrplrtcl from the original conception
= .ur Constitutions We have no l"ng"
Government in which the individual citizen hnS
any direct voice. Us was originally c"hi"hr
,I,.,d hut We have evolved q Government 10y
ORGANIZATIONS. AMI more and NOR" Of recent
,.,r. those examinations have been recognized
lac the STATE ~ Instruments ~ '"vcrnn'ht.
Not only are their rlucuS"S regulated. 'h'ir
nominations taken account Of ami tommlS-
i even proposed To- give them appointing pow
.rs and cnIuprl ~ .cutiyrs To confirm their
nominations for certain offices. Party mas De-
con,, the imprrium in imp"ro. England. with
T.. ministerial system and frank government
-. ,or,i,s has nu, gone ~ far And now the
rcoplc in these lesser empires would seem so
',o,IJ.. "a manage them honestly that it is nee
.ss,rv f. call in the greater empire TO assume
ff,ft.- MI Inc
in cases of moral bankruptcy.
I'm do not blame the parties. They are not
,,,,,,,,,hlo for evils nor responsible for having
Income political FrankinStcnN. Their creators
have left them alone to do The work Wmch inc
Constitution meant each man should do Tor MN.
scf The citizens hay" created machines ana
trusted these great engines Ia manage me S'l''
Now they find themselves often cruSh'd uh"'r
| hn wheels and behold the state cohlp'H'd I"
| reckon with and try to control lheS" llllp'r-
sonol creatures which men hay" made Tor the
| vcuriolls performance Of their political dulles
as thc Chinese set mp water wheels I" say th'lr
pravcrs II is not the parties which are at fault
| but III" people. These corrupt practices biiis
are not indictments of The creatures. Ih"y nave
| no consccncrS and no responsibility. IT Inc
| cauclscS are corrupt il Is because majority
| If the citizens Of the State are corrupt. or be-
| ,,usc an honest majority. which allowed the
| machines 10 grow into monsters capable Of do
inc good or evil is criminally negligent and per
| mits the dishonest minority To control the en-
| gincs' actions
| CORRUPT practices acts serve Il purpose. Laws
| hv which conventions may he regulated and
| their acts reviewed are useful But they touch
ONLY the symptoms of our political disease The
| seat of trouble Is with the individual citizen.
| II il not that the minority will take brides or
| stuff billot-boxcs, but that the majority will
| sit quietly 10y and src the minority do II with
| out protest When party caucus can be held
| in a country town in this State. where every
| body knows everybody, to select Il candidate for
| high judicial office, To which members Of the
| opposite party are brought and at which more
| votes are east than the party strength Of the
town at election. and when 1t is perfectly we'll
known that the delegates chosen owed their
| success To hundreds of dollars poured into that
| little community from outside II Is easy to I'M
dcrSiand the necessity for caucus regulation.
| No, one such case but many might be cited
| where the facts were evident. where men who
| would not themselves accept 81 To stay nj home
| and dig their potatoes on caucus or election day,
| and would not even cheat their ncghbor In Il
| horse trade went on treating with respect and
| having friendly dealings with men who every.
| body knew were politically dishonest. The cor
ripiion Of politics Is due solely 10 the prevailing
] sentiment Of separate communities. ITS IN
| entnc in the forest of Mantua. II must be that
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