And State Papers 663 



Department has asked, and Mexico has granted, the 

 extradition of one of the St. Louis bribe givers. 



There can be no crime more serious than bribery. 

 Other offences violate one law while corruption 

 strikes at the foundation of all law. Under our 

 form of government all authority is vested in the 

 people and by them delegated to those who repre- 

 sent them in official capacity. There can be no of- 

 fence heavier than that of him in whom such a 

 sacred trust has been reposed, who sells it for his 

 own gain and enrichment; and no less heavy is the 

 offence of the bribe giver. He is worse than the 

 thief, for the thief robs the individual, while the 

 corrupt official plunders an entire city or State. He 

 is as wicked as the murderer, for the murderer may 

 only take one life against the law, while the corrupt 

 official and the man who corrupts the official alike 

 aim at the assassination of the commonwealth itself. 

 Government of the people, by the people, for the 

 people will perish from the face of the earth if brib- 

 ery is tolerated. The givers and takers of bribes 

 stand on an evil pre-eminence of infamy. The ex- 

 posure and punishment of public corruption is an 

 honor to a nation, not a disgrace. The shame lies 

 in toleration, not in correction. No city or State, 

 still less the Nation, can be injured by the enforce- 

 ment of law. As long as public plunderers when 

 detected can find a haven of refuge in any foreign 

 land and avoid punishment, just so long encourage- 

 ment is given them to continue their practices. If 

 we fail to do all that in us lies to stamp out corrup- 



