The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-10-25
GRAFT is THE VERY BREATH OF THE LIFE OF
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Will corruption. 1naI was d true CIal ~
when Low was elected two years ago
Crievously did the Democrats sin an3
grievously have they answered for their
sin. Any administration that per
mits it's officials to enrich them
selves by graft deserves to be
turned out of office. But there are two
kinds of graft-the one may be termed
Deveryism which levies blackmail upon
business interests and sells protection to
vice. 1t is low, vile, vulgar, contempt
bic and deserves to perish. The other
may be termed Hannaism which gives
away franchises to corporations IN re
turn for campaign contributions and sells
which in turn keep the corruption fund
large. The first is condemned by all
moral citizens because it is vulgar; the
second is often overlooked and counter
anced because it is fashionable. While the
vulgar CRATER steals hundred dollars the
protectionist and franchise CRATER steals
en-; it is defalcation to loot a bank. BY
the same method of reasoning, the police
man who levies blackmail on a fruit
dealer. is a low down scoundrel and de
serves to be kicked into outer darkness
while the man with his arm in the treas
ury vaults is a captain of industry" TO
be feted and lauded.
Nobody has presented the phase of the
worst sort of graft so clearly and forcibly
as MIR. Cochran and we make room be-
low for large portion of his very able
exposition:
But there is form OF graft to which
ask your attention tonight, and which
the Democratic party must abolish il this
government is to be preserved. 1t isn't
a plumber that preys on the denlzens OF
the under world, but extends Throughout
the whole community. 1t is not measured
by pennies, but by millions of dollars. It
i ccrrupts our whole body polite, 1T has
Slapped the foundations of integrity in all
! political life. And that graft is the
graft which is the very breath and lite
of the Republican party, which animates
its platform which inspires its utter
ances, which is the hope OF its followers,
the joy and the possession of its leaders
the Republican plumber of protective
system which levies tribute upon our
industries. (Applause).
| ''Our friends the independent Demo
Gratis, viii say to you that this election
can have no effect whatever on that
election. Well my answer to them is
that the Republican grafters themselves
think differently, else why would they be
supporting this Fusion ticket when you
know that they have no particular love
for the administration
! I'VE know that Mr. Plat isn't in poll
tics for his health or for abstract love
OF morality. They are in politics to pre-
serve their graft, and the way they hope
tC preserve it is TO divide Democratic
| councils IN this country and paralyze their
strength, and show to all the country
that this, the greatest municipality in
the country, with its heaviest Democratic
majority, by the confession of its own
citizens, cannot entrust the government
to the hands of the Democracy. Gap
plause).
I'VE all know that protection is plumber
that 1t is immoral, for plumber cannot be
moral, but its vicious properties were
never apparent to the people, never b.
came conspicuous, until the advent of
the Trust. The potentialities of the tar
If Tor plumber were never exploited UNI!
quite recently. When every field of in
j dnstry was occupied BY great many
different producers the competition among
themselves operated to keep prices down
! to a reasonable level and prevented them
! from gross and outrageous abuse of thc
tariff but the object OF the Trust ives
to comb ne all the various elements en-
g0ged in each field OF industry into one
Sreat combination and then with Gomes-
TIC competition eliminated they proceed
To raise prices far beyond the real value
of the product and without any regard
| whatever to its cost.
The greatest corporation in this coun-
try has actually property. according to
! the census figures of about five hundred
millions of dollars. It is capitalized at
over billion and a half. The difference
between this property and its capitaliza-
ton marks its plumber, marks its graft
/ and, as you see, that graft is a billion
Of dollars. Every share in that corpora
ton represents one part property and
two parts plumber; that is to say graft
| (ATplGUSe.) what IS true OF that corpOr-
alton is true Of all others enjoying tariff
protection. The amount Of this graft ev
| ceeds all the taxation Of this town; it
exceeds the revenue of the national gov
eminent. 1t is a tide of corruption which.
sweeping over this country, has paralyzed
the very springs of conscience and per
verted all the perceptions of CONNER
cial honor and of political duty. Cap
| plause).
PUBLIC SALE OF GRAFT.
This is the graft of which we complain
and remember it is not graft which is
seized in secret and divided in the dark
1t Is graft openly held and openly boosted
OF. Shares i'll it are actually sold in the
oren market. Every man who buys q
share of that stock purchases a right
to plumber and tax the American PEG.
1 pie, purchases a graft at the public ex-
pense. Now think of it? Has anything
like this ever before occurred in the his
tory of the world? Is there any parallel
to 1t IN human experience? Isn't it indie
scrlhable? Isn't it most inconceivable +?
! why when the Pretorian guards sold tic