The record-union., 1896-01-17
acturers and dealers for his private

facturers and dealers for his private
purse.
On being confronted with the charge
he did not attempt to deny it, but
franly and with a coolness that rem
ders arctic rigors ba1my in COMPARISON,
justified himself on the ground that
''they all do it, He went so far as to
say that in the purchasing departments
all State employees Of the Harbor Com
mission reach for all the rake downs
within sight or feeling. and that it is
legitinlatized by custom to exact COM
missions from those to whom State
pa trGnage is awarded.
Mr.. Haste's charge is supported by
the testimony of an unimpeached wit
ness, a manufacturer who says that he
understands Mr.. Haste to be about
right in his charge, and that while it
was not so once upon time. now-a-
days many who furnish public sup
plies have to fee the middlemen, and
that this middleman is usually the en-
ploye Of the State. Being asked if this
commission exacted initiates against
the State in the quality of the supplies,
the witness replied that manufacturers
and suppliers take the bribery into ac-
count in bidding, but that the State so
far as ha was concerned got just as good
service as if he did not yield to the ex-
tcrticn. Tt was not drawn out, how
90
would he less if the dealers did not have
TO fee to the corruptionists
Here now is an uncovering of fraud
and crime that ought to lead to radical
department has the power and the Sc
cret service fund to enable this lead to
be followed up and mined out below the
bed rock. That of which the public has
may now be possible to establish as
legal certainty.
The investigation may be pushed
also upon the line of the inquiry the
making in ascertaining where the
money goes" How many charges are
there made against the State that lack
the essential element of legality? Is it
true that the State is paying for service
rendered by one person for doubled up
salaries here and there, that the law
| contemplates shall be rendered by sew
eral persons? What rents charged
| A. l1xy
law. if any? How many porters and
underiings, if any, are there drawing
down more than one salary for one
mans service. and is there justification
for such a practice?
| Are there other departments of State
Government in which there is a rake
down." and if so what are they? Are
there any State employees drawing full
salaries for inadequate service, when
the law contemplates full service for
each salary by one individual?
The lead the Haste expose opens up
may prove a rich one, and if it is not
to do so win initiate against the in
tegrity or every department of the State
Government since such sweeping
charges as have now been made by inn
plication reach beyond the Harbor Com
mission. Everv innocent department
is entitled to be cleared, just as it is the
duty of some one to expose the corrup-
| tion of every guilty one.
Haste was dismissed from the service
of the Harbor Commission, but is the
matter to stop there? That is ques-
tion which the people viii insist shall
be answered, and satisfactorily. The
spoils system serves political ends very
well, but in the demand of the present
for economy of the money of taxpayers
the spoilsmen must be made to show
up that they may be punished for their
thievery.