The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-19

the best powers and strongest passions
Of the advocates % the two schools OF
constitutional construction. the uitinaats
issue to be determined being whether or
not the union CT states should fail to the
ground from an inherent weakness OK the
structure.
Again, In Judging OF the leaders OF to-
day and bringing them into comparison
with the great men OF the past We forget
the shortnsss OF the perspective Few
men are great 20 their contemporaries
In their day and generation the mighty
men OF the past were criticised and judged
Just as are the great party leaders Of to
day. And. after al. what monuments OF
their work have they left TO usg What
great beneficial constructive legislation Is
linked indlssolubly TO the names Of Web
ster or OF Clay or OF Calhoun? What
portion OF the sure and solid foundation
upon which this government now stands
was laid by their hands. II is as great
orator that Webster Is remembered;
great but unsuccessful party leader Is the
ordinary summary OF Clay's career: and
CaIhoun's title TO fame Is based upon the
fact that he was the great advocate OF
a political heresy, which. az expounded By
his followers, led to an attempt at dis
solving the Union. and cost million
Hives.
Senator Hoar, OF Massachusetts,. IN a
recent magazine article upon the subject
of the "Degeneracy Of the Senate" refers
TO a speech made by him In ISIS. for proof
OF his contention that public life in this
country was never more corrupt than
during the sixteen years following the
Inauguration of George Washington. The
Springfield Republican. m commenting
upon this magazine article. quotes ex-
tensively from this former speech. In
IL Senator Hoar refers specifically to the
cases Of corruption which were exposed
during that period, and IL is certainly an
appalling record. A few samples will suf-
fee: Edmund Randolph. secretary of
state IN Washington's cabinet, received
a bride from France TO thwart the for
eign policy OF the administration. An
other cabinet official wrote letter to
Washington, which Mr.. Hosr says is In ex-
istence in Massachusetts. confessing an act
OF personal dishonor compared to which
the crime charged upon Beiknap is as the
act of an archangel." Alexander Hamil-
ton, secretary of state In the same cab
met. was charged with a corrupt official
relation with a citizen, and cleared HIM
self by showing that the suspicious cir
cumstances arose from his having been
engaged In a criminal intrigue with the
citizens wife. One of the most famous
revolutionary generals. who was quarter
master general under washington's adj
nninistration, was proven to have been In
secret partnership with a favored con-
tractor. who was selling quartermaster's
supplies to the government. And so the
list goes on.
Such articles as this of Senator Hoar
are not simply the revival OF old and for
gotten ISLANDERS against the public men
OF past generation. They have an his
torical and educational value. 1t Is
right and proper that the present gener-
alton should know that public life In the
past was far more corrupt than at pres
ent. and that the standard of public NOR
ality has been steadily raising from the
very foundation OF the government. Were
the case otherwise. as the pessimists as
sert; were corruption In public life pro-
gressively upon the increase the only
logical conclusion which could follow
would be that our republican form of gov
eminent was a failure, tended to breed
-
ly fall to pieces from its own viciousness.