Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-08-14
WHOLESOME OBJECT LESSON

islators of West Virginia for receivin;
brides is given TO the entire country al
object lesson that is we'll worth while
1t is one that should serve as a warn
ing to prevent loose dealings on tn,
part of legislators who are chosen Il
do the will of the people and ther
prove recreant to their sacred trusts
In manner that is thought-provokint
and stimulating the Savannah New,
discusses the occurrence and its sig
Inifcance as follows:
The spectacle of five members of tht
West Virginia Legislature in prisoi.
lis a warning against bride taking and
grating. The voters of West Virgin /
who cast their ballots for those men
are of course ashamed and chagrined.
The whole state and for that matter
the whole country share their NORTH
cation. But while there is sorrow that
Legislators were so corrupt as to sell
their votes there is this to be thank
full for, namely, that they are being
punished and are furnishing an objec.
lesson to any other delegates who in
moments of weakness might be tempt
ed to accept money in dishonorable
way
AS result of the conviction of the
| five men the question is asked wheth-
er the methods used in getting evil
dence against them were in accord
with the ethics of honorable men. a
deliberate trap was set for them. De-
tectives used marked money in VIVA.
seems to have been a systematic can
vass of the Legislature in an effort to
find members who were willing to ac-
cept money in exchange for their
votes. The trap worked to perfection.
Those men whose palms itched wink
ed into it so easily that their defense
crumbled before the evidence produc-
ed by the prosecution. They were
simply caught with the goods But the
question remains, is it right to tempt
men in order to convict them if they
yield to the temptation? Possibly
some legislators who might yield un-
der such circumstances would other
wise be upright and honest men.
1t is necessary at times to fight the
devil with fire. If public prosecutors
and evidence hunters on behalf of the
public were over-nice in their meth
DDS the bribers, the grafters and 9TH
er criminals would have an easy time
of it. They would have occasion t.
laugh in the public's face and carry
on their work under the public's nose
with impunity. The Judge who pre-
sided in the West Virginia cases very
pointedly voiced his approval or rne
methods used to obtain convictions
What the public wants is the convic-
ton of all grating officials and as
long as the courts accept the evidence
offered the public needn't be troubled
by its consciousness because of tn:
methods used in getting it.
The bribe taker is never on the pub
lies hide. The public has no lobbyist
with a bank roll anxioussto put money
| in the hands of legislators to buy thei1
votes. The bride taker forgets his
duty to himself and to the people who
elected him. He doesn't deserve sym
pathy, but punishment Spies an.
"shadowers" are necessary. They
may not be highly regarded by tn,
public, but they cannot be done away
with. In war captured spies are giveI
an ignominious death, but their coun
trymen sometimes raise monuments II
their memory In the war of RICH
against wrong, of the public's interests
against bride givers and bride takers
the use of telephone devices and trap
baited with marked money by detec
tives will continue The West Virgini'
convictions should be a lesson to al
public officials who in future may D.
tempted to forget their oaths.