Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-10-29

nineteen OF these giyer5 and takers
of brides have faced juries, and have
received from two to seven ear in
the ~penitentiary; others have turned
states evidence. Bribery could hardly
have beer more extensive than IL was
in St. Louis under Republican rule.
The Democratic party has exposed 1t.
In the state, a faithless Democratic
Lieutenant-Governor took brides and
distributed bribe money amongst sem
ators. Laws have been sold for years.
If the confessions Of senators be cor
rect. Legislators have had thousand.
dollar bills more In mind thar they
have had the public interests. Corrup-
tion eve stalked up to a former Gov.
ernor of the state and attempted to
have him make a state appointment
for money. While, of course, the ma
jority of Senators and Representatives
have been honest. yet 1t 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 2
Indication Of a diseased condition Of
the legislative service. Instead of pub
lie office being a public trust. to
many |. was a 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 st. Louis, and the
officials of other states as venal as
| some Of those in Missouri, 1t Is true
that at no time or place has so much
official corruption been laid bare as
here. Those who believe In free gov
eminent are looking to Missouri ia
see it vindicated by a righteous
citizenship. There is in Missouri
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 1t is the partJ
in power. The Democracy, If true I'd
| I'D hl6h hlHoiCH niuol bG lnt patty VI
| good government and civic righteous
ness. The Democratic party stands fol
| the greatest good to the greatest mum
Der. 1t does net matter that corrup
ton exists in Republican states; lei
them attend to their own house-clean
ing. while we drive the public plum
derers from Missouri The fact that
there are corrupt men in the Republt
can party in no wise excuses the Dem,
ocratic party from getting rid of those
in its own ranks.
The Democratic party is not a cor.
rupt party; if | thought so | would
leave it. There are corrupt men in
all parties. No party can be blamed
for corruption unless it condones cor:
ruption in some way. The only rea.
sonable demand upon any party is
first not to elect men of bad or doubt
full character and second when such
have by mistake been elected to turn
| them out and punish them to the ex.
tent Of the law. There is no room In
the Missouri Democracy for a boodler.
Corruption is an issue confronting the
Democracy that overshadows all other
issues, for whenever corruption rears
its hidecus head in any state, there
is presented an issue before which
all other issues are Insignificant.
Seriousness Of Crime of Bribery.
Other problems concern the funo,
tons of government. while the sub
1ect Of the eradication Of bribery goes
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.
pacity.
If there be an offense greater than
all others it Is that Of him In whom
such a sacred trust has been reposed,
who sells it for his own gain and en-
richment, Other o~flenses violate the
law, while bribery strikes at the
foundation of all law, Bribery is more
fatal to civic life than any other
crime. 1t aims at the assassination
of the commonwealth itself. 1t makes
the passage Of laws nero matters of
bargain and sale, thwarts justice, en-
thrones iniquity and makes lawful
government impossible. If all official
acts were for sale, we would have
a government not of, and for, and by
the people. but a government of, and
for the few with wealth enough to
purchase official favors.
In constructing this government Of
which cur great state is a part, cur
forefathers exercised a wisdom unsur-
passed in the annals Of mankind. They
furnished a republic guaranteeing
rights to the citizens never obtained
by any other neOple. The safety Of