MAZET DEFEATED by T.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 20, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 51.

MAZET DEFEATED.

By T.

MR. MAZET'S failure to be returned to office in the State of New York at the recent election there is of more than passing interest to any one who is closely studying current events.

Mr. Mazet has been prominently before the public during the past few months because of his appointment last winter by the New York Legislature as chairman of a committee to investigate the political jobbery and corruption in New York City. This committee, with Mr. Mazet at its head, employed legal counsel, and for the past several months has been investigating and exposing the iniquities and gross crimes of the political bosses and their ring. New York's famous "boss" himself was brought before the committee, and his principal associates were also required to answer for their conduct. Most scandalous jobbery, and frauds and crimes of almost every degree and character, were proven against these managers of the political machine. Gambling, robbery, and fraud are protected by the politicians of the great city, and those who commit these crimes pay for their protection by dividing the spoils with the political ring.

Mr. Mazet could hardly be said to be bringing these evils to light, for any one who knows aught about city politics is aware of the fact that corruption is becoming so bold that it takes but little pains to hide itself. But Mr. Mazet was agitating the matter; he had all the New York papers discussing the subject; the political bosses were being cartooned and denounced; and all of this was, of course, very unpleasant to them. Hence, when he went before the people again for re-election to the New York Legislature, he had all of this political ring against him, and the result was that he was defeated.

There is food in the foregoing facts for some serious reflection. It is admitted by every one that the boss rule of New York City is shamefully corrupt. Even the leaders in the evil admit it, and calmly ask what can be done about it.

There is a great network of political patronage; there are vast numbers of business men and others who are seeking to secure some advantages,—favorable legislation, or something of the kind,—from the politicians. And these all keep still and do nothing about the evil that they see because they do not want to jeopardize their own selfish interests.

Now when political bosses who are admittedly corrupt and who protect and foster wholesale criminality are able to cast down one man and set up another, what is the internal condition of society? If the few men who are called "bosses" were the only ones who favored such evils, they could not stand for a single day before the withering blast of public sentiment that would be hurled against them. But public sentiment can not be aroused to the point where it will strike more than a very feeble, sickly blow at the crying evil.

History shows that when a nation has become grossly corrupt in its politics it has invariably gone down. The palpable facts are that not alone New York City, but the whole country, and with it all the other countries of the world, are sinking deeper and deeper into the mire of corruption and fraud. Reason should show us that world-wide destruction is right at hand. And the prophecies of the Bible make it sure beyond the possibility of a peradventure that the day of the end of all things is now confronting us. T.