Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1905-07-12
THE CASE OF SENATOR MITCHELL

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is again vindicated. Out in Oregon
a jury of twelve average American
citizens has unanimously convicted
a man in high official position of
violating the law. This conviction
Is all the more praiSeworthy be-
cause the crime involved is viewed
by many people with extreme toll
Grafton. Senator Mitchell was
neither murderer, burglar. nor
"a forger. He simply accepted
money for doing legal work which.
as Senator of the United States.
he should have done for nothing.
He was guilty, in fact, of a petty
form of graft. 1t was wrong. of
course, for him to use official posi-
ton for private advantage: and yet
he probably reasoned that hun
dreds of others had pursued the
same course without punishment.
and that he was not even an of
fender.
1t is to the everlasting credit of
Oregon that her people. although
they had honored Senator Mitchell
by electing him five times to the
United States Senate, could. when
the choice was imperative, decide
between sentimental regard and a
stern sense of duty. They cast
behind them every personal con-
sideratiOn. They eliminated at
one stroke the record of Mr.. Nit
chelFs services totheir State. They
forgot his gray hairs. They Judged
him according the law and the evil
dence and found him guilty. We
can well imagine that it must have
been a sad task for these jurymen
to perform. The fact that they
did their duty so well may. we
think. be traced to causes which
are by no means confined to Ore
gon. There has been, first of all.
great wave of reform sweeping
over the country during the past
three years. The exposure and
punishment of graft have been
constant and earnest and have
awakened the public conscience to
a remarkable degree. The move
ment has not been confined to any
one section. 1t has swept from
Minneapolis to Philadelphia, from
Washington to St. Louis. 1t has
dethroned Federal and municipal
officials from their high positions.
and some of them are now deserv-
eddy wearing the prison garb.
Wherever it was inaugurated the
people responded nobly, aiding it
by manifestations of popular ap-
proval and doing their full duty in
the courts. Under these circum-
stances, and because like causes
produce like results, it is not
strange that when the Oregon Jury
was confronted with indisputable
evidence a conviction was the nat
ural result. Ten years ago. we
venture to submit, Senator Mitchell
would not have been indicted much
less convicted. His graft would
then have been accepted almost as
matter of course. The evidence
would not have been heard by ears
made tender by the disclosures in
States and cities.
1t is one of the curious traits of
the American people that they are
spasmOdic in there collective action.
They take hold of single idea with |
desperate energy and they harp |
upon 1T persistently until some |
thing new engages their attention.
IL does not require the gift of
to predict that it will not
be long before the wave of reform
will subside. We will relapse into
the old ways and there will he graft
and corruption as of old. Then.
when the burden again becomes
too grlevous to be borne, the peo-
pie Will again be stirred and we
Will witness another Herculean
cleaning of the Augean stables
Let us be thankful for these occa-
'ione ofvirtuOus indignation. They
demonstrate that the public con-
science is not entirely calIous.
They prove that even while we
,olerate misconduct for a period
he moment that it becomes seri-
'usly menaclng to the public well
are 1t IS certain to DO dealt with in
vigorous and effective fashion. !
'or, underlying the apparent in
Inference and even volatility of !
he American citizen, there is a !
olld substratum of honesty and J
j a