The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-11

WILL the Christian religion be
w able to overcome the dangers
to ourRepublic which have befallen us
through clannish nationalities in poll
tics, and the corruptions of the gov
eminent and judiciary9 Majorities
are dangerous when corrupt. So are
corrupt minorities dangerous when
sufficiently cohesive to vote as one
man. The balance of power is often
more dangerous than the power OF a
majority, because both of the great
parties are tempted and swayed by
the seductions of the few. AS little
weight on the bar of the scales lifts
the merchandise or the car, SO a clan
nish minority often elevates great
party into power. And when we re-
fleet that great parties should be
rightfully moved by principles and
persuasion, while the ignorant and
smaller body is moved by coercion or
by bribery, we then discover that the
nimble few may sometimes do more
evil or good than the sluggish many.
The moral turpitude in politics is
alarming. If it were not possible for
God to bring invigorating grain and
the fragrant flowers out OF the I'M
slightly mulches and rotting garbage
which men spread upon the fields
and lawns and gardens-if there were
not some soul of goodness in things
evil, would men observingly distil it
out-we might we'll despair OF any
divine results from the political offal
which disfgures and smothers the
virtue of the American Republic.
The artistic lips of Senator Ingalls,
drew a graphic picture of the situa-
ton when he said that "Politics is
battle for supremacy. Parties are
the armies. The Decalogue and
the Golden Rule have no place
in a political campaign. The OBJ
iect is success. To defeat the an
tagonist and expel the party in pow
er is the purpose. In warit is lawful
to deceive the adversary, to hire
Hessians, to purchase mercenaries, to
mutilate, to kill, to destroy" The
Hon. William L. Marcy of New York,
put himself on par with all robbers
and assassins when he coined the
phrase "To the victors belong the
spoils." Next to the brutal principle
of Samson,-"As they did to me, SO
have l done to them," human Ian
guage was never coined into motto
more worthy of him who reigns in
hell rather than serve in heaven.
And he who deliberately quotes that
motto as a lawful doctrine of politi-
cal action, deserves share in the in
fanny, and in the Gown place" of the
Judas who betrayed his Lord for
money.
Look at the special fruitage of the
spoils system in American cities. Not
content with the base bargaining and
wages of jobbery and franchises
not content with the thefts and frauds
upon our annual taxation, these Off
cial highwayman and plunderers
recklessly burden the future genera
tions with civic indebtedness which
presses the letters of a suffering peo-
pie still deeper into the flesh. give
the indebtedness of few cities for
1898: Washington, D. c., $40, 100000.
st. Paul, 100000. st. Louis, ST.
25O,OOO. Jersey City, N. j., $16,5OO
600. Chicago, $1S,500,0O0. Cincin-
natl, S26,OOO,OOO. New York, $780,
100000. Boston, $25,0OO,000. Brook
lyn, N. Y, nearly SAT 100000. Balti-
more, $16,O0O,000. Here are ten cities
with an average indebtedness of
thirty millions of dollars each. Here
is an average bill of interest money
of ST, 100000 for each city per year.
And this kind of boodlum business
is not special sin of the great cities.
Our little city of Quincy, ILL.,, has a
debt of more than $1,50O,000. Rock
ford has over a quarter of million.
Peoria more than 100000. These
debts are little serpents' eggs from
which will come thrifty growing
hicks for the by and by.
Neither are the city debts the end
of the mischief. The states, as such,
are heavily ladened with the same
deadly freightage. Illinois has a
State debt of nearly $42,000,000.
Maine, Sl5,50O,OOO. Massachusetts,
$81 100000. New York fraction less
than S202 100000. Virginia about
$51 100000. Our forty two States and
the territories carry the enormous in
debtedness of $1,l35, 100000. Now
add the $916,OO00OO of the United
States debt. Put in the gross amount
of city and village debts-the county
and town debts-the church and
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