The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-13
OoslmERCIALrsM IN POLITICS.

Some time ago. before the Mazet In
vestigating Committee in New York, Mr..
Richard Croker boldly declared: II am
working for my own pocket all the time "
Comptroller Coler Of New York City, in
an article in the Independent on Com
mercialism in Politics." declares that Mr.
Croker put into 'terse phrase of unvaT-
nished truth the exact condition of mod
ern politics in the great cities OF the
United States. Politics generally, and
state and municipal politics especially,
are permeated with the spirit of CONNER
cialism, and almost every practical politi-
clan, which is TO say nearly every Office
holder and political workers. working
for the benefit of his own pocket all of the
time. Few men enter modern politics
for fame or honor" says Mr. Coler.
They are after dollars; as many of them
as they can get. Often, too. they secure
those dollars by methods that would be
called dishonest in ordnary~business; but.
inasmuch as they get them through poll
tics. no conjunction is felt because OF
the questionable manner by which they
are obtained
No quibbling, explaining or denying,
says Mr.. Coler, is sufficient to conceal the
fact that commercialism is so intrenched
in our politics, that when an individual or
a corporation desires the favor or the pro-
lection of government, it is not the law
maker who is approached, but the boss.
The individual or the corporation drives
bs Lao I,Io
consideration of votes, or something else
most often the latter-and the thing is
accomplished. Financial and business in
terests are always in favor of quiet and
conservatism; of immunity from violent
changes and interruptions. Capital, there
fore. is ever ready to purchase peace
rather than engage in an open war for a
government that could not be bought; not
because there is natural dishonesty in
business, but because of timidty which
fears less honest competition. when 1t
is known that the favors of government
buyers" Under the present
system our state governments create
trusts and monopolies that make a bust
ness of buying any additional favors or
special legislation which they may need
10 crush competition or prevent expos
ure"
How far-reaching are the ramifications
of commercialism in politics will never be
known; but Controller Coler has no hes
itation in declaring that '1f the ownership
of every share of the corporations of any
great state Of the Union could be exposed,
there would follow a political revolution
in that state" His meaning is plain. 1t
is that the corporations-the trusts-often
buy favors from public Office holders and
pay for them in stocks. There isn't any
Office in this country. Mr.. Coler says,
which pays a salary large enough for the
holder TO get rich on; therefore when a
holder makes use of the power OF the
Office for his own profit, he has entered
the commercialism of politics, land the
end of that business is dishonesty and
moral bankruptcy"
Commercialism in politics, however,
may be mitigated, and in the end driven
out entirely, by the employment of siren
uous efforts on the part of honest and
patriotic voters. Publicity will do the bus
ness. Here is where the Controllers we'll
known remedy for the trust evil comes in.
The remedy" he says. is publicity and
state inspection of books, accounts and
business Of every chartered company. An
aroused public opinion will administer
thst remedy until the body polite is
purged"