The Irish standard., 1903-10-10
ROOT THEM OUT.


cipal investigation. He very pointed.
~ said that boodleism was more of n
menace to the state than highway
robbery. Nothing is more true. The
highway robber is regarded ON all
sides as public enemy person to be
reared and run to earth. But, unfor-
tunately. a large portion of the public
look with complaisance upon official
corruption. The influence of official
corruption permeates every class of
society. A community which trans
acts its public business in corrupt
way cannot long continue to he the
abode of private honesty. Unfortun-
ately, there is a large class of people
IN most American cities who look ,m.
on public office-especially municipal
otf1ce-as an opportunity for grating.
Many of these people are reasonably
honest in private matters, but i'm pub
lie matters they apply an entirely
different rule Of conduct. With them
the right to steal from the public is
always Il peruuisite of the opportunity
TO steal. This condition of affairs is
largely due to the fact that this kind
OF dishonesty is harbored and pro,
noted by so-caled good citizens. The
people who are continually looking for
some privilege or Indulgence from
public officials ARE. generally speaking.
the wealthy and influential members
OF community. They are generally
willing to pay something if they can
get what they want. Judge Pond
was right when he said that the bride
giver. as well as the bri,a t,ker
should be punished. Altogether too
little effort has been made in this
country to punish the bride giver. The
bride giver is worse than the bribe
taker. There could be no bribery if
the bride giver did not exist. The
history of municipal corruption
throughout the country furnishes
many convictions of bride takers, but
few of bride givers. More attention
should be given to the latter. The
bride gfver usually escapes, because
he is some leading citizen The NUM-
cfpal corruption of American cities.
outside of police corruption, is trace
able in almost every instance to
wealthy public service corporations
who get what they want by purchasing
the elected servants of the people
Such was the case in the st. Louis
corruption cases, in Pittsburg and in
Philadelphia. Some of the bride takers
have been convicted. but not the brine
givers. If bribery exists in the public
life of Minneapolis, let the grand jury
do its full duty. Do not stop with
the miserable public official who is so
devoid of all manhood as to sell HIM
self and violate public trust, but af-
ter the source of corruption. If cor
ruption exists in Minneapolis. and we
believe there is ground for thinking
that 1t does. the chances are that the
source of that corruption can be traced
to the same sources to which it has
been traced in other cities. Corpora
lions cannot be sent to prison. but
their agents can.
Judge Pond pointed out another diff
fculty which always presents itself
when grand juries and prosecuting
officers get after boodlers. The So
called good citizen gets busy and tells
members of the grand jury what an
injury will result to the name of the
city If such deeds are brought to light
He also dwells upon the expense
which prosecutions will entail upon
the county. He also appeals to his
friends upon the grand jury and to
prosecuting officers and in some cases
to Judges. OH the political effect of
such prosecutions. The court evident
~ was aware of the situation when he
said:
Gentlemen. it matters not what the
cost of this investigation may be. This
class of crimes. if they exist as
charged. must be suppressed. regard
less of expense. and their suppression
will be cheap at any cost. If the mu-
nicipal house be dirty. there can be
but one thing to do. Clean it.
Second-The court is credibly in
formed that certain persons of re-
spectability and good standing. have
been importuning certain members of
your honorable body to drop this mu-
nicipal investigation. There can be,
gentlemen. but one reason for such
gross misconduct on the part of
citizen. and that is. he either wishes
to shield himself or his friends from
the evidence of crime. No honest,
law-abiding citizen can conscientious
ly discourage Investigation into WELL
founded charges of municipal corrup-
ton.
But. gentlemen. you have no right
to discuss that question with any man
outside your deliberations. 1t is no
mans business. save your own and
that of this court. You are, therefore,