The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-06-29
THE BLACK FLAG OF CORHUPTIoN'

THE BLACK FLAG OF CORRUPTION
In a letter recently published by a wall
Street Broker, strange as 1t may seem
! to some who suppose that Wall street Is
a den of thieves, and the home OF cor
| ruption, we find the following:
9TH Black Flag Of the Corruptionist
is moro TO be feared than the red nag Oh
tho Anarchist" Wayne McNeigh IN an au-
| dress ia the students OF the University
of Virginia indicated by these WORDS NV
danger which mcnaces the iic vi t"o
Nation. The proposed tariff Is an uhois,
gulsed programme of plumber. a speeiai
session of Congress was called ostensipiy
IN PASS a bill 10 increase the revenue OF
the government. The purpose OF the
| session was TO skin the people to clothe
tho Syndicate. ss* The shadow OF the
black rag OF the National syndicate has
fallen upon many OF the state govern
ments. Ex-Congressman Butterworth III
a Memorial Day address said: THE i'e-
public is in more danger to-day than
when Sumter was fired on. III a'ihoo'
every municipal and State Legislature
there Is an organized bandltu thdt ue-
mands tribute and sells legislation. me
most prominent Pennsylvania politician
SAYS of his Legislature. 'The boys can
live on their salaries. They have got TO
make something. Bills are JaInmeu
through at Albany in a way which re-
minds one Of the days when Tweed sat
within the shade OF the state Capltol
and established a tarin on legislative
measures for which he took orders, ana
delivered the goods as per contract. Mr..
Yerkos could quote with accuracy the
prices of more than Il majority of the
legislators Of Illinois. Tho people of the
United States are as slow to appreciation
az 10 anger, but they will some day right
this wrong either through the righteous
ballot OF a peaceful revolution or under
tho red flag of Anarchy"
We take the extract which w print In
order that we may emphasize not only
our horror OF the red flag OF anarchy but
the black flag OF tho corruptionist, which
will be, unless pulled down, a signal for
raising the red flag.
That the tax upon sugar should arbi-
trarily and without explanation nave
been raised from 1s7-1-2 to 1855. and stimuli
taneously the market price of sugar stock
put from us to 1875, giving profit of mil
lions 10 those who hold ii, is one Of tho
alarming and distressing features OF
our Legislation. Nobody that We know
OF would associate corruption Will Mr..
Aldrich, of Mr.. Allison, or Mr.. Iloar, or
indeed many other distinguished Repub-
lican Senators, but this action about
sugar has given an anxiety to thoughtful
and impartial citizens, which all reckless
talk about corruption could not have
done.
The same shock TO public conscience
was given by the Illinois Legislature
when it passed the Yerkes bill for the
control of the street railways of Chi
cago. About this bill 1t was well said hat
to authorize the city government of Chi
cage to make such a grant as was pro-
posed without compensation was TO au-
thorize what could only be characterized
as an act of public robbery. The report
ed Indignation of Governor Tanner
who signed the bill against the charge Of
corruption is not sufficient to rub out the
imputation Of corruption against the Leg
i~slaturc.
We believe the national, State and City
Legislatures should be held TO the most
rigid accountability, and that such pres
sure should be brought. TO bear upon
them that there could he no suspicion
that they were influenced by any other
motive han an intelligent view OF the
welfare of their constituents.
In city affairs it Is especially easy to
rob the public by parting with valuable
franchises without consideration, or with
no consideration which ever helped the
interests of the people.
One great advantage which English
municipal government has over ours, is
that In England 1t is 50 high an honor
10 be a councilman or an alderman, that
the best men are not only willing to
serve. but are glad to do so. and there no
stigma OF corruption, as far as we know,
has ever been affixed upon any act of
municiDal LceiSlatiOn.