The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-23
THE LEGISLATORS VOTE.
Tie Must Not Aeeeps Private Reward for
AM Pubic Act,

To THH EDIroR OF THH SUR-SU: n
! seems To mo \ proposition not debaiable
I that u IL morally Wrons for a member Of
the legislature to accept money OF her than
his prescribed salary for the performance
! OF his public duty under any circumstances
NhAteNeT Even 10 the bill for Witch he
; votes u eminently proper IN every rsspec',
favorable 20 hy consiituency aud In con-
formiiy to hts own conscience. and even
though he had firmly made up hi- mind to
vote for u before being approached. never
thele-s his acceptance Of money for li- vote
would be an act OF moral turpiiud " -
inherently and Fundamentally Immoral To
accept private reward for the Performance
of a public duty. REGARDLESS Of whether n
Operates - al inducement To influence the
action Of a public oficial n - not merely
private transaction bet ween the giver sud
the tAker. T. II Q matter vitally touching
public rights and public policy The enact
mcnt Of public statutes prohibiting he tax
ing aud giving of monev or ANYTHING else
~ value for a public ofiicial's vote - not
merely the expression of a wise policy OF
state but the Annunication of a principle
- old a. moral law the principle that II -
wrong in Itself for any public serNan OF
the SGate to receive. directly or Indirectly.
any private consideration for doing his
duty. which he Is elected and sworn to do
without any compensation other than that
prescribed nv Law
No man can SET himself up a. being so
perfect, 80 infailible. so incorTupttble as
10 assert that hi. action - entirely free from
r hs n h,m Ssc az S s p"Sis eissiS
not u Inst anding he may HONESTLY believe
himself and hts action entirely free Con-
sciously or unconsctously II may Influence
him. and the possibility alone - enough to
make II immoral
We may go further and say that even
. reward. a. an appreciai ton or testimonial.
taken by tho Official after voting, he having
cast his vote without hope nr thought of
reward. II an act Inherently wrong and
The he'd example Of public oticial's
acceptance oi money for bis Noi" IL alone
sufficient Ia stamp the act as immoral and
virious, even under all tho apparently eH-
t"nuatinR or eNculpating circumstances
ton above referred to. but above and be-
yond that, II vittSte- and veakens the taker
himself II dctract- from bis manhood,
consents to accept u private reward, without
any good consideration, simply because
oftlc-. merely for doing his duty, which he
II bound In conscience to do without any
private gain. Moreover, n carries home 60
the glVerS of the gift who may reasonably
~ presumed 10 IN. practical men with pra'-
teal purposes In view the knowledge that
the taker h not above earning and taking
private gain for hts public services without
any tangible Con-iderat lon but the same
prRCti zeal men. who generally know human
cslly there h consideration, high and
mighty in his honesty though the takeT Of !
the reward may sincerely believe himself
10 he
The same practical men know that the |
man Who has compromised his indepen- |
deHre by accepting something for nothing |
"a lie Thinks would not Ia the future IL, ,
entirely unapprosChahle nv his generous |
h"n"fas'ors, and that the stop from a .ra- |
'uiiou- reward To downright brihe l. easy |
snd natural
The philosophy ~ T. all y not hard -
evolve. and y - this Ia" Official who. :
either before or after voting III hi- capacity :
IA. such. takes "A gitt OF reward for hts vote.
y hi'h All,rl' h~ would have 'a-t Ia the same T
way vithouf getting the yift ar rev ard. has :
he E'uf IA him. the upikns-. 81 character.
he latent moral oblIpuify. 81 which IN"
nr Ihe iaksT H. made The tBrNit able result 7
y 10 be- hts sue, hing to tho tempter, who .
knows from rhe fact OF his quarry accept
auCe Of reward that he viii eventually
tail prev to the professional hriber per
: -teut as-aulis aud -pp, ioU~ arguments
The fHfal mixing ~ private ntsre-ia Win P
public duties shows that he ofiCial ~ not
made nj the strong -tun AMI fine Nhre hich
stall enable HIM fo keep hts ma nhood un-n-
led and hi- independents" untrammell"d
CONSTANT RFAuEH.
SUUAR NOT,H Pa July -