登陆注册
5444500000143

第143章 CHAPTER, LI(1)

December 18--, found Washington Hawkins and Col. Sellers once more at the capitol of the nation, standing guard over the University bill. The former gentleman was despondent, the latter hopeful. Washington's distress of mind was chiefly on Laura's account. The court would soon sit to try her, case, he said, and consequently a great deal of ready money would be needed in the engineering of it. The University bill was sure to pass this, time, and that would make money plenty, but might not the, help come too late? Congress had only just assembled, and delays were to be feared.

"Well," said the Colonel, "I don't know but you are more or less right, there. Now let's figure up a little on, the preliminaries. I think Congress always tries to do as near right as it can, according to its lights. A man can't ask any fairer, than that. The first preliminary it always starts out on, is, to clean itself, so to speak. It will arraign two or three dozen of its members, or maybe four or five dozen, for taking bribes to vote for this and that and the other bill last winter."

"It goes up into the dozens, does it?"

"Well, yes; in a free country likes ours, where any man can run for Congress and anybody can vote for him, you can't expect immortal purity all the time--it ain't in nature. Sixty or eighty or a hundred and fifty people are bound to get in who are not angels in disguise, as young Hicks the correspondent says; but still it is a very good average; very good indeed. As long as it averages as well as that, I think we can feel very well satisfied. Even in these days, when people growl so much and the newspapers are so out of patience, there is still a very respectable minority of honest men in Congress."

"Why a respectable minority of honest men can't do any good, Colonel."

"Oh, yes it can, too"

"Why, how?"

"Oh, in many ways, many ways."

"But what are the ways?"

"Well--I don't know--it is a question that requires time; a body can't answer every question right off-hand. But it does do good. I am satisfied of that."

"All right, then; grant that it does good; go on with the preliminaries."

"That is what I am coming to. First, as I said, they will try a lot of members for taking money for votes. That will take four weeks."

"Yes, that's like last year; and it is a sheer waste of the time for which the nation pays those men to work--that is what that is. And it pinches when a body's got a bill waiting."

"A waste of time, to purify the fountain of public law? Well, I never heard anybody express an idea like that before. But if it were, it would still be the fault of the minority, for the majority don't institute these proceedings. There is where that minority becomes an obstruction--but still one can't say it is on the wrong side.--Well, after they have finished the bribery cases, they will take up cases of members who have bought their seats with money. That will take another four weeks."

"Very good; go on. You have accounted for two-thirds of the session."

"Next they will try each other for various smaller irregularities, like the sale of appointments to West Point cadetships, and that sort of thing--mere trifling pocket-money enterprises that might better, be passed over in silence, perhaps, but then one of our Congresses can never rest easy till it has thoroughly purified itself of all blemishes--and that is a thing to be applauded."

"How long does it take to disinfect itself of these minor impurities?"

"Well, about two weeks, generally."

"So Congress always lies helpless in quarantine ten weeks of a session.

That's encouraging. Colonel, poor Laura will never get any benefit from our bill. Her trial will be over before Congress has half purified itself.--And doesn't it occur to you that by the time it has expelled all its impure members there, may not be enough members left to do business legally?"

"Why I did not say Congress would expel anybody."

"Well won't it expel anybody?"

"Not necessarily. Did it last year? It never does. That would not be regular."

"Then why waste all the session in that tomfoolery of trying members?"

"It is usual; it is customary; the country requires it."

"Then the country is a fool, I think."

"Oh, no. The country thinks somebody is going to be expelled."

"Well, when nobody is expelled, what does the country think then?"

"By that time, the thing has strung out so long that the country is sick and tired of it and glad to have a change on any terms. But all that inquiry is not lost. It has a good moral effect."

"Who does it have a good moral effect on?"

"Well--I don't know. On foreign countries, I think. We have always been under the gaze of foreign countries. There is no country in the world, sir, that pursues corruption as inveterately as we do. There is no country in the world whose representatives try each other as much as ours do, or stick to it as long on a stretch. I think there is something great in being a model for the whole civilized world, Washington"

"You don't mean a model; you mean an example."

"Well, it's all the same; it's just the same thing. It shows that a man can't be corrupt in this country without sweating for it, I can tell you that."

"Hang it, Colonel, you just said we never punish anybody for villainous practices."

"But good God we try them, don't we! Is it nothing to show a disposition to sift things and bring people to a strict account? I tell you it has its effect."

"Oh, bother the effect!--What is it they do do? How do they proceed?

You know perfectly well--and it is all bosh, too. Come, now, how do they proceed?"

同类推荐
  • 近词丛话

    近词丛话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 比目鱼

    比目鱼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 活幼口议

    活幼口议

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说如来兴显经

    佛说如来兴显经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 塘医话 馤塘医话

    塘医话 馤塘医话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 接兵纪事

    接兵纪事

    上大学和当兵,曾经是人生的两大热门选择,即便是在就业机会多样的今天,当兵依然热度不减。然而,征兵的考官最看重应征者的什么?什么样的人才能如愿以偿穿上军装?应征者过关斩将被确定入伍之后,还会发生怎样的故事甚至事故?面对形形色色的应征者和五花八门的人际关系,接兵的部队干部又怎样应对?——这篇题材新鲜、内容丰富、文笔生动的报告文学,将带你进入一个陌生的社会和人生领域……都说军队的基础在士兵,士兵的基础在哪儿?在征兵。这就好比育苗先选种,接兵——选种,兵之最初。接兵,是说接新兵。
  • 三高患者科学养生滋补食谱

    三高患者科学养生滋补食谱

    当今世界,随着人们生活节奏的加快,高强度、高效率的生活现状,使众多忙于工作、精神压力大的人们越来越吃不消,因而前所未有地重视起自身保健了。化学药物的毒副作用,使人们“重返大自然”的心理越来越强,在这一背景下药膳食疗这一独特的中华文化宝库的奇葩,越来越显示出她深厚的底蕴和夺目的光彩,为此我们精心编写了这本《三高患者科学养生滋补食谱》,希望读者能在获得美味可口的佳肴同时,也滋补了身体,祛除了疾病,拥有健康、快乐的人生。
  • 还愿系统

    还愿系统

    001带着失忆宿主在各个世界做生意的故事。
  • 流浪在二次元的帝国之旅

    流浪在二次元的帝国之旅

    平凡人死后突然成为一名皇帝,看他带领他的帝国如何笑傲二次元。舰娘世界。天降之物。
  • 深度谋杀

    深度谋杀

    落帔“凤凰”黄叶一飘,天气就凉了。独岭村里的男人们都夹着铺盖,远走他乡挣钱去了。落魄的养鸡老板郭长林还没处去,就赶着自家老牛在坡上杀地。地窄条条的,不够一耙宽,勉强能着下牛,到了地头牛就返不过身来。他只好让牛慢慢跳下塄地地,从塄地地犁回来,再吃力地爬上塄上地犁过去……这样反复循环几圈下来,本来一天能犁三亩地连气也不喘一口的大老犍,被这三分刀把地累得浑身汗珠滚滚,呼哧呼哧地张着大嘴喘粗气;他的浑身也像散了架,又酸又疼又乏。“郭老板,我看你还是别犁地了,还是跟我去下煤窑吧!只要你跟我李育红干了,保证让你不出力气发大财。
  • 奉子成婚之首席太霸道

    奉子成婚之首席太霸道

    少年时,他说:“十年后,我会回来找你。”十年后,他已经是叱咤商界的风云人物,再次回到最初的地方,他的小丫头,已经不在他的身边。直到她闯入自己的世界……她用手指着她的胸口,对他说:“要想我爱你,拿你这里来换。”如果一切可以重来,时光逆转,他一定会努力把她绑在自己的身边,不让她离开,只是很多事情,永远不能如他所愿……一场婚姻,一个命中注定。他和她,注定纠缠一生……
  • 大破坏之谜与红蓝光工会

    大破坏之谜与红蓝光工会

    在人类向着远大的未来推进……——————————一个超级计算机“诺亚”突然引起恒古未有的<大破坏>就此人类的文明,开始崩坏了!…
  • 重生悍女之相公来种田

    重生悍女之相公来种田

    昏暗的屋内,肖锐一脸厌恶:“顾柒柒,你给我记住:挟恩强嫁,我要让你当一辈子的活寡妇!”前世的痛仿佛还留在这世的胸口,唯一不同的是,顾柒柒知道,她已不是那个愚蠢的自己了。——肖三宝,这辈子,我要吸引你,然后抛弃你!其实这是一个女人用她的资本吸引男人,然后要把他抛弃,最后却被死死宠住的故事……1V1,先怨后甜。新文《恶霸他成天想娶我》喜欢的收藏哈。宋青媛知道村里有个恶霸成天想娶她,故意设下赌局让自己姨父钻,可惜上辈子她不知道,这个恶霸才是真正爱她的人,辜负了他的一生。陆希景没想到那个倔强的小丫头竟然会答应嫁给自己,顿时他笑得大眼都成了一条缝:哈哈哈,那小娘们稀罕我,老子的春天要来了!
  • 春雨细无声

    春雨细无声

    2015年7月11日,正逢周六,台风“灿鸿”肆虐。街上几乎没有了车辆和行人,人们都躲在家里安安稳稳等待台风登陆。但有一个人,一大早就推着她的自行车出门了。她对阻拦自己的丈夫说,她不放心病房里她的患儿们,其中有一个小婴儿因为肺炎、呼吸衰竭还上着呼吸机呢,她得去陪着他们,守着他们,和他们在一起;还有前一天预约的几个小病人,可能也在病区候着她了,她可不愿意失信于他们。丈夫深知她的脾性,便没再作过多的阻拦,只好叮嘱了她一句“路上多加小心,骑不动时就推着走”,松手放行。
  • 快穿之推倒神

    快穿之推倒神

    屌丝女快穿翻身旅。因贫寒而被恋人冷漠抛弃的医女;因爱上渣渣总裁而彷徨的白领;因无法改变命运而茫然寻求救助的孤魂;因丈夫出卖而被四处追杀无路可逃的小狐……各种穿越归来,林听雨真相了——穿越是个技术活啊!额,神马?你说推倒神?那个,推倒个神,只是顺便,顺便啦!嘿嘿……新书《直播快穿之打脸成神》,书号1011054784,求新老书友们支持!