THE REIGN OF LAW
407
the fruits by having all laws broken. I am years preceding, there had only been about not an alarmist when I say, if these condi thirty-four cases of bribery reported in the tions be tolerated the republic itself will books in all the United States. When the sooner or later fall, by the props of the law prosecutions were commenced in St. Louis, on which it rests being weakened and de the members of the House of Delegates de cayed. Americans are accustomed to regard nounced the bribery law as a "blue law" a republican form of government as a nat and as a dead law because it had not been ural condition. That government is mortal enforced before. They argued that members and can die, is a thought so entirely foreign of the House of Delegates having been taking to our conditions that it is folly in the bribes from time immemorial, they had ac minds of some to discuss it. A glance at quired a right to do so, and it was just as history does not lend encouragement to this proper for them to sell their votes as for a cheerful view. Our republic, though the merchant to sell his wares. Here was a best, is not the first nor the oldest. We crime worse than any other, for bribery have lasted now one hundred and twenty- strikes at the foundation of all law, yet the nine years. Venice had a republican form law denouncing it was not enforced. Men of government for noo years; Carthage, 700 gave bribes and thought nothing of it; men years; Athens, with various intermissions, took bribes and boasted of the fact; corrupt 900 years; Florence, 300, and Rome, 500 men feasted and fattened at the public ex years. These governments have long ago pense; legislative halls became dens of passed from the stage of the world, and thieves; laws became merchandise on the some of them are little remembered. If our market, and all this time the public con government were to last three centuries science was asleep. When the revelations longer and then die, it would go down into came and the people saw how they had been history as one of the most splendid and plundered, and realized that a government shortest lived among the wrecks with which by bribery was a government by the wealth the shores of time are strewn. What caused of the few and not by the people, they saw the downfall of these governments by the the offense in all its enormity, and from one people? The people made laws until the end of the land to the other there was a laws became so many the people began to civic awakening. Now everywhere officials are made to ac disregard their own laws. The laws of Rome count at the bar of public opinion for all were good; indeed, the Justinian code is said to be the most perfect system of laws ever official acts, and those who prostitute their devised by man, yet Rome rotted and fell, trusts and sell the powers that belong not even while this code was in operation. The to them but to the people, are being made laws were all right, but the hearts of the to answer for their offenses. And yet, four people were not right, and the laws were years ago the bribery law was denounced as not obeyed. When the laws ceased to reign, a "blue law," by those against whom it was sought to be enforced. Every law is a blue the government resting upon that founda law if a man wants to break it. The nontion of law commenced to topple over. The reign of law means the rule of the enforcement of the bribery statute might be people, for a majority of the people make explained by the difficulty of securing evi the laws. They register their will crystal dence of its violation, though a prosecuting lized in the form of statutes. We need a officer working at it seriously, and willing revival of the rule of the people. Four to incur the enmities such an investigation years ago the law against bribery in all of would bring about, can usually lay bare the states was considered as practically a venality of that kind, if it exists. But there dead letter. Up to that time, for the fifty are other laws plainly made to please the
