The Case of tlic People vs. the Ring. If then the good people are really more numerous, and in spite of- this fact proper persons are not selected for official positions, it can only be that the voters themselves have been derelict in their public duty. While this remains true, no great im provement can be reasonably expected. Of course, most communities possess laws to punish bribery and the selling of votes; but owing to the criminal neglect of the better elements in our bodies politic, these enact ments serve no other purpose than orna menting the statute-book. It is true they look remarkably well on paper, and sound extremely orthodox when read; but beyond this they possess little, if any, efficiency. They may deceive some credulous citizen of "Atlantis; " but every American school-boy is aware that their injunctions are violated every day, and that with perfect impunity. If such be not the fact, what does it mean when people so impudently talk of working a bill through the legislature, or an ordinance through the city council? Amid the multiplicity of instances, it is really embarrassing to make selections for illustration. A few within my own know ledge will, however, doubtless suffice. A friend of the writer recently sat in a State Legislature. A bill was introduced by this gentleman to accomplish a reform in the management of a certain street railway. The convenience of his constituents, as well as the public welfare in general, demanded the passage of this measure; but when subsequently interrogated as to the possi bilities of its success, he sadly responded that the bill was sleeping the sleep that knows no awakening. The reason soon became appar ent. The case of corporation gold versus public interest had been adjudicated by these conscript fathers in favor of the plain tiff. The sons of darkness had been more expert in discerning the weakness of corrupt . humanity than had the sons of light. Another gentleman passed through a somewhat similar experience. The commu nity in which he resided stood greatly in
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need of some municipal improvement. Be ing a man of influence, he was delegated to present this matter to the city council. He performed the duty thus imposed upon him in a manner that commanded admiration. As he was leaving the hall, however, a lob byist casually remarked that his efforts would be utterly futile, intimating that he had not gone about the matter in the right way. In the innocency of his heart, the gentleman in question inquired as to this approved method of procedure. Immediately came the in elegant response, " Why, fee the boys, of course! " — presumably referring thereby to the aldermen. Naturally, the conduct thus recommended was indignantly repudiated. But as a consequence, it is almost needless to state that a motion to recommit proved the death-knell of the measure which the health of persons living in that section of the city so imperatively demanded. On another occasion a certain well-known local politician had it in his power to break a tie in a matter involving very considerable pecuniary interests. The inducements of fered on either side were very great. At last a direct offer was unblushingly made that if this gentleman would absent himself, would discover some urgent out-of-town busi ness upon the particular day on which the voting was to be done, he would receive the sum of six hundred dollars, for which no receipt would be required. Now, owing to the marvellous richness of our vocabulary, it is of course perfectly pos sible to describe such intrigues by many pleasing euphemisms. But divested of all such verbiage, if the conduct herein alluded to is anything less than downright out-andout positive bribery, then the English lan guage is devoid of any meaning whatever. Another link, however, in this chain of evidence still remains to be considered. If this particular species of corruption does not exist, then why is it and how is it that some candidates will gladly spend much more than their entire salaries to be elected? I know personally the mayor of a certain town,
