The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-20

some disguised pnsserby. They stand
moro In fear of the poorhouse than tho
jail. They have q certain social stand
ing so long as their names appear on
the pay-rolls or their corporate employ
ers. bu, this is rapidly disappearing from,
reasons will explain. Therefore. as i
said at the start OF this thesis on graft
Ing, the first reason for the decadencol
OF the CRATER Is the competition among
those who would graft. In other words.
there ara more grafters than there Is
graft" VI
."rhat reason seems sufficient to ex-
plain everything to me. Interrupted
Judge Sawyer though was not aware
that there had been any marked falling
off In the profits Of officlnl dishonesty
The desire to hold office seems as keen
as ever"
"If community should issue licenses
to steal there would be more thieves. but
] doubt If there would DO more stolen,
remarked Colonel Monroe. 1T Is IN
the light of such license that the graft
e. regards q public office. He knows no
Is Ga fe SO long as he Is not caught, ana y
he also knows that little or no attempt
Will be made to catch him. He also
knows that his profits will be small.
but they are moro than no can make
running saloon, or as n petty shyster
or any other avenue open To one OF his
mental endowments. It Is seldom that
YOU SEQ a successful saloonkeeper or
first-cla lawyer In any OF the minor
Legislative positions. The reason for be-
lieVing that there Is less graft IS touhd
In the fact that all Of the grafters say
so. and Cor others will now name.
"The second reason for the decadence
of the gentle art Of grating is that tor
n1er grufters have sold about all that IS
worth selling. For a generation or more
the aldermnnic merchants In our large
and small cities have sold the streets as
they were opened to the highest bidders
Succeeding graftcrs have extended the
periods Of these franchises from 20 20
900 years. Recent municipal councils nave
hit on the expedient Of selling blanket
franchises, which give their holders tho
perpetual and exclusive privilege of con-
Quoting any and all business that is left
unst oleI. Under some OF these franchises
the holding corporation has monopoly
OF everything under ground or over
head. They can dig tunnels or operate
flying machines up to time when our
descendants will be wondering whether
ar not such person as George WASH
ington ever lived. The principal asset
of II city Is Its streets. and oven fool
knows that tho streets have been SOLD
and paid for long ago. The citizen does
not feel tho loss OF his streets near NJ
much as the CRATER does, Inc citizen
can still use the streets to an extent.
but tho CRATER seems to be forever
stopped. AS n youthful ward heeler,
he listened with awe to tho tale OF how
Ills predecessor strobe Into the office
OF a street railway mngnate and thull-
dcred an ultlmat um into the cars of that
trembling millionaire. To-day he Is lucky
to reach the sanctum Of the private sec
rotary, and Instead or crisp bunknotes
OF picturesque denominations he must DO
content with an annual pass aHa q
promise OF employment on the road TOT
five or six of his constituents am
not oYerdrawing this picture.
"rt is the same IN tho State Leg
isluture, Former rapacious bodies sold
almost everything they could lay hands
on. Corporations have all the franchises
they can use, and q surplus supply stored
away in their vaults. It Is as difficult
To invent n new and useful franchise as
II Is to write an epic poem the iran
chise warehouse has been Quilted Our
frend, Jacob Grasper, did not know this,
but there are lot of things that he does
not know OF course, he Is disappointed,
but he will have to stand IT,"
n did not know that this gentry had
been reduced to such miserable straits
observed Judge Sawyer, lyon lntimated
that there was q third reason. Let US
hear It,"
"rhere arc certain requirements yet
made on Legislators and other repre-
sentattves by corporate and kihdreo IN
terests.' continued Colonel Monroe.
'rhese are usually defensive or ndInln-
istrntive In their nature and require GER
/ tain and decisive action rather than pro-
tracted and needless debate Matters
OF this kind are beyond the comprehen-
saaa * -tAA average aaa'aAAs y Gess