The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1903-10-29

received from two TO seven years in
tho peni,entiG1y; rfhers have turned
states evidence. Bribery could hardly
have G-2" more cX snsive than It was
In St l.G,s under Republican rule.
The nm"cr &c party has exposed 1t.
In the staIr, II falthless Democratic
Lieutenant GoYOrnCr took bribes and
distributed bribe money amongst sen,
ators. Laws have been sold for years,
II the confessions OF senators be cor.
rect legislators have had thousa nd.
dollar b. moro In mind tNan they
have had Ihs public interests. Corrup
tion even staiked up to a former Gov.
ernor OF the state and attempted to
have him make state appointment
for money, While, Of course, the ma.
jority Of Senators and Representatives
have been honest. yet II is clear that
Legislative proceedings have been
honeycombed with bribery. 1t seemed
to be nothing unusual for a legislator
to prostitute his official powers for
gain. The developments are but the
indication Of a diseased condition Of
the legislative service instead OF pub.
lie Office being Il public trust to
many II was private snap. They have
outraged every sense of honor and
decency, and have insolently Haunted
their corruption In the faces OF the
people.
Duty Of Democracy.
While other cities no doubt have
been as corrupt as 81. Louis. and the
officials OF other states as venal as
some OF those In Missouri. It is true
that at no time or place has so much
official corruption been laid bare as
here. Those who believe In free gov
ernment are looking to Missouri to
see 1t yindicated Ivy righteous
! citizenship. There is in Missouri a
responsibility for the suppression OF
these evils that the Democratic party
cannot escape. On the Democratic
party the duty rests primarily Of cor
recting this disgraCeful and shameful
state OF affairs, because Il is the party
in power The Democracy. II true 10
its high mission must be the party Of
good government and civic righteous.
ness The Democratic party stands for
the greatest good to the greatest mum.
ber II does not matter that COrrup
tion exists in Republican states; let
them attend to their own house clean
ing. while we drive the publ" plum
derers from Missouri The I Ct that
there are corrupt men in the Rcpubli
can party In no wise excuses the Dem
ocratic party from getting rid of those
in its own ranks
The Democratic party IS not cor
rupt party; II | though so | would
leave It, There are corrupt men in
all parties. No party can be blamed
for corruption unless 1t cOndOnos cor.
ruption in some way TdC only rea.
first not to elect men of bad or doubt
ful character and second when such
have by mistake been elected 10 turn
them ont and punish them to the ex.
tent of the law. There Il 10 room in
the Missouri Democracy for a boodlcr.
Corruption is An issue confronting the
Democracy that overshadows all other
issues. for whenever corruption rcars
its hideous head In any state. there
is presented al Issue before which
ali other issues are insignificant,
Seriousness Of Crime Of Bribery.
Other problems concern the func
tions of government, white the rub,
jsct OF the Grad cation of bribery goe1
to the very existence of government
itself. Under our form Of government
all authority Is vested in the people
and by them delegated to those who
represent the people in official ca.
paclty.
II there be an offenso greater than
all others II is that Of him In whom
such q sacred trust has bcrn rcposed.
who sells It 'or his own gain and en-.
rlchmsnt other offenses violate the
law, while bribery strikes at ths
foundation OF all law. Bribery Is more
fatal to c.7ic life than any other
crime II aims at the assassination
of the commonwealth itself. II makes
the passage of laws mere matters OF
bargain and sale. thwarts justice, on
thrones iniqu!ty and makes lawful
government impossible. II all official
acts were for sale, We would have
Of nj kv
the people, but government OF, and
for the few with wealth enough TO
purchase Official favors.
In constructing this government Of
which our great state is a part our
forefathers exercised wisdom unsur.
passed In the annals OF mankind. They
furnished republic guaranteeing
rights to tire citizens never obtained
by any other people. The safety OF
the republic has been menaced, but
wise men have steered the ship of
state into safe harbors. Enemies
threaten today, not from without, but
from within.
The givers and takers of bribes arc
the greatest enemies we have to deal
with today. Benedict Arnold attempt.
ed to sell his country for gold he was
a traitor OF war. The official who
sells his vote is traitor OF peace,
more dangerous than traitors Of war.
The Malian guide who betrayed the
Greeks at Thermopylae did not by that
act destroy his country, but few hun
dred years later the gold of Philip
OF Macedon did the work the
treason Of war had failed to do.
Greece fell because corruption
had weakened her national life.
Rome attained pinnacle OF
greatness and was undermined by the
same insidious corruption that threat
ems us. Jusurtha, after he had cor.