The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-12-04
MONOPOLY AND CORRUPTION.


MONOPOLY AND COHHOPTiONs
Political Dishonesty and Govsrnment
Control Of Railroads.
The prevalence of political corrup-
ton Is an argument in the mouths of
the opponents of government control
of transportation and production. 1t
is asserted that were the sphere OF
government extended to include the
management of railroads and tele-
graphs, the issue of the currency and
the organization of industry. it would
be simply giving greater opportunities
for boodling on an extensive scale.
The scandals and rogueries unearthed
in connection with government enter
prises are quoted as conclusive an
swer to the proposal to supercede mo-
nopoly management by that of the
state. As we have frequently pointed
out the argument is unfair, inasmuch
as the very worst and most conspicuous
cases of municipal and political cor
ruption arose. not in connection with
the actual management of enterprises,
or the direct construction of public
works. but in the granting of fran
chises and the letting of contracts; in
other words in the process of delegat-
ing to individuals the work which the
government ought to do directly. But
passing by this view of the question.
the corruption argument assumes
that the management of monopoly and
ordinary commercial enterprises as at
conducted &c %ho,
government administration. This is
wholly gratuitous assumption. and is
contradicted every Gay by the news Of
defalcations, embellishments and
crooked work by trusted officials in
the employ of corporations or pri-
vate firms. There is an infinite
ly greater number of detached cor
ruptions and dishonest appropriations
of funds by the financial agents and
representatives of railroads, banks and
Joint stock companies than by govern
ment officials. Stealing of this sort,
moreover is much harder to detect than
similar rascality in connection with a
government department, where every
action is closely scrutinlzed by the
press and the politicians of the oppo-
site party, who are often ready to pick
flaws where none exist The latest
instance in point is the dismissal by
the Adams Express company of John
Hoey. who has been identified with the
concern for forty years and was for
three years it's president and who has
been proved to have received ''com-
missions" for himself and friends
amounting to $500, 900 on deal in
which the company purchased stock
OF other express companies. Sure
ly this is fully as bad as any
thing unearthed in the way of polit-
ical boodling of late years. Yet if
such steal had occurred in any of
the government departments the whole
country would have rung with 1t for
mont tbs and it would be quoted years
afterward as a conclusive reason why
the government should not be intrusted
with the management of railroads Or
telegraphs whereas now it is likely to
be speedily forgotten. There is no
knowing the extent to which the prac-
tice of receiving commissions on
transactions made on account of cor
porations is carried by men in Hoey's
position. but there IS every reason to
suppose that it is very prevalent and
that it is only by chance that delin-
quent here and there is discovered and
exposed. If all such enterprises were
managed by the government they
would be far more honestly conducted.
journal of the Knights Of Labor.