Deseret Evening News

Condolence for Canada.

The people of the United States send their sincere pity and sympathy herewith to their fellowmen across the Canadian line.

Canadians have been for many years making an awful example of the United States as a government full of all corruption and rottenness. The Canadians prided themselves on their purity not only of blood, but of morals. They were honest people over there, they were, and couldn't bear the thought of how the politicians and government contractors in the Union were fleecing the poor people.

Well, such stupendous frauds have recently been unearthed in the Dominion government departments as would make the cheek of a brass monument turn pale. It is doubtful whether any record since that made by Boss Tweed a quarter of a century ago in New York can show anything equal to the Canadian frauds that have been perpetrated under the eminently respectable, high toned and "loyal" Conservative party of Canada.

Sir John Macdonald himself knew of them. He himself used to say that corruption "and lots of it" was the only way to lubricate the wheels of government in the Dominion. The fact is, there is considerable human nature in Canada.

Sir Hector Langevin, the minister of public works, accepted a testimonial of $22,000 from government employees, of office seekers and contractors, especially the contractors. They in turn took it out of the people of Canada, and a debt of fifty-six dollars for every man, woman and child in the Dominion is the result. This includes both the provincial and the Dominion debt.

A firm of contractors was in the secrets of this fine old Conservative government. It is interesting to know that one of the members of the firm was our own American Murphy, ex-excise commissioner from New York city, who left that place under unpleasant circumstances, and has not felt that it would be healthful for him to return. To this firm the honest Conservative officials tipped the wink when railroads, docks or public buildings were to be erected. They made their bids therefore lower than anybody else and got contracts in every case. Then, after they got a contract, "blunders" would be discovered in the specifications and new ones had to be made. A rich harvest was reaped. Part went to the contractors, part, it is charged, to government officers themselves, and what was left to the famous "reptile fund," a sum of money kept constantly on hand to keep the Conservative party in power. These were the government methods in vogue under that fine old statesman, Sir John Macdonald, who used to warn Canadians against the rascally United States.