The St. Louis Republic., 1903-09-22
MoRLR'S-Ioo4-FAIR.
BOoDLING IN BUSINESS.

'BoodIing' is a word created to describe the
crime of 'prostituting public Office private gain.
The public officer performs some function connected
with government and is paid from the people S
money collected by taxation.
In broader sense, though the relation to the
community is more obscure, every man who works
at a legitimate employment is public servant If
lie make Shoes or sell shoes. he does that which is
necessary the public. If all the shoemaking were
done by man. elected by the people. his relation
10 the army of consumers morally would be little
different from the relation which now exists be-
tween the many unofficial shoemakers and the
yearers purchasers of shoes.
The shoemaker performs a service for the COM
munity, public service. and the obligation is Just
as binding thai he do his work well is that rest
ing upon the Mayor of st. Louis
The thing is absolutely true in every walk of life
from the laborer up. the only difference being in the
degree of responsibility. While he who transgresses
the law of man. as does the municipal or State
bribe-taker. should be made TO pay the penalty be
hind the bars, the fact should be held in mind that
graft in business is moral offense of like nature
The upright public should condemn socalled sharp
business methods just emphatically it de-
nounces the Ed Buffers and the Frank Farrises who
disgrace republican form of government
hagrant example of business boodling' is IL
Illustrated in recent dispatches from Washington.
There are no chateau or vineyard wines shipped to
the United States declared the Chief Of the Bureau
Of Chemistry to the Associated Press. The Amer
lean people drink nothing but labels" In other
words comparatively cheap wines are bottled as the
chateau vineyard product labeled genuine, and
sold in the United States at high figure. With
lation to beverages, either rank fraud such the
above substitution, dIution is an extensive prac-
tice. The evil has been found to pervade into the
milk supply of most of the large cities Inquire of
the old bottle dealers in st. Louis and they will
tell you if they feel disposed to be confidential that
imported wine and iqueur bottles sell at high figures
10 Americans who make 1t business to refill them
with an inferior article of domestic manufacture.
These cases. IL proof were collected, which
could be prosecuted swindles but there is the man
who uses the short weight scales. and the delicate
system of exchange of favors' in the broader bus
ness field: all of them are part and parcel of the
thing called .boodling"
The matter of exchange of favors is difficult
upon which TO lay down hard and fast rule
The representative of any business interest daily
meets with men who over-ready with little pres
ens"-cigars all the way from one to a box, BIRTH
day reminders and inside discounts The mainte-
of friendly relations both good business and
decidedly pleasant. Often it amounts to an In
suit an imputation Of motive when none existed 10
refuse some such trivial pronered gift To give is
nobler than 10 receive but it is honor receive
if the giving hide Interior motive, and the rec
ceiving imply loss of dignity suspicious obliga
ton. To decide between cases is matter of weigh
ing the circumstances of sizing up the men with
whom dealings conducted. constant attitude
of opposition to a sacrifice of scruples to granting
the merest concession for consideration is
necessary, else step by step win follow drifting
into liberation of methods which amount to boo
ding.
When an aroused public conscience" is demand
ing higher and better things of elected officers those
voters who go to the polls determined to cast their
ballots for the honest candidate as against corrup-
tion and corrupt men should apply the same severe
test to their dealings and to those with whom they
deal The plea of the boodlers has been: ITS busI
aess." A poor excuse. no excuse. but an effort at