The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-01
THE GRAFT EVIL.

District Attorney Jerome, of New York,
has shown himself to be thoroughly hon
est official and one who holds high views
regarding public and private integrity. His
prosecution of the labor union graft cases
showed more than official zeal to expose
and punish the dishonest practices of GER
tain labor leaders, and gave him an insight
into conditions which have been kept care
fully concealed from the public. Since the
conviction of Murphy, the labor leader who
received and embezzled brides for calling
of strikes, Mr.. Jerome has made state
ment regarding the labor situation in which
he traces existing evils to economic and
social conditions for which employers and
society In general are largely TO blame He
scandals as evidences of the general de-
bauched condition OF private life in this
country. which reflects itself in public life.
He does not think that the discovery of
few dishonest men among labor leaders
argues the general dishonesty of working
men or the viciousness of labor unions any
more than the discovery of a few dishonest
bankers or merchants argues the dishon-
esty of the entire class. He thinks such
developments are merely symptomatic Of
general conditions. He says:
Everybody who has thought at all about
public life In this country has been appalled,
by the soddenness which is the general
rule in federal. state and local officials. All
legislative bodies are viewed by the public
with suspicion of grating. There are ex-
ceptional men, but there Is a feeling in the
mi hat
the line. and therefore the cook is DESTROYS
of getting the best of the grocer and the
latter Is striving to get the best of the
| wholesale dealer, and the grocer has to
| charge double price to give the cook a rake
| on. This feeling of the community has de-
yeloped into the apprehension that in
,ane federa raj or or local assemblies men are
When asked myself why public life was
| thus debauched 1 came to the conclusion
that it was only the reflection of private
| life. and feel that these present labor diff
| culties are the best demonstration of the
soundness of this view. Witness the graft
ing laborer and the grating employer, as
exposed to-day.
This may be an extreme view Of the situ-
alton, but it is not without reason. The
Journal has faith enough in human nature
to believe that large majority of men
in public and private life are honest. but
even that does not argue healthy or hope
full condition. There should not be a con-
siderable minority of dishonest men in pub
lie and private life. The ideal condition
would be when all men are honest, when
public Office Is nowhere regarded as a
private snap, when personal greed should
everywhere be subordinated to considera-
tons of public welfare, and when there
should be an end of CRAFTS of all kinds.
The spirit of commercialism seems to be
poisoning the blood of the body-politic, and
when the blood is poisoned the whole sys-
tenn is wrong. The country needs a re-
vival of common honesty that will root
out crafts of all kinds-labor CRAFTS. monop-
oily gratis. political gratis. municipal
CRAFTS. public. private, official and individ-
ual CRAFTS. They should all be cut up and
rooted out, and the ground be replanted
| with common honesty.