The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-12-19
OFFICIAL CORRUPTION.

country uhtii MlOuiu Tue past twenty
five or thirty years. Like suicide
cancer and a hundred other things, /
attacks society only in the advance
stages OF It's existence. Why is /
prevalent now? Is it an intermittent
evil? What is to be done about it.
Should we seek chiefly to punish tn
corruption or the corrupted, or should
both be punished alike? They are
matters worthy Of serious. thought.
A little reflection must enforce the
belief that the most potent cause OF
official corruption is the capitalistic
organization of industries. Farmer,
have never bribed legislatures, but
railroads have. Well dlggers have
never corrupted city councils, but
waterwork companies have. Look
over any familiar list OF bribery scan.
dals with which you are acquainted
and you will discover that they could
not have happened thirty years ago
for the good reason that the offending
causes did not then exist. Whatever
Of bribery 10 the Missouri legisla.
ture has been known or suspected 10
recent years has been in connection
with legislation relative to railroads,
baking powder trusts, school book con
Germs, packing houses. etc Whatever
corruption there has been 10 city
governments has been in connection
with street railway franchises, water
and light franchises, asphalt compan
les, telephone companies, vltriied
brick companies, garbage reduction
companies, etc, Corrupt elections
grow out Of these things. A street
railway company wants a franchise
which it considers to be worth a
million dollars. If it can save four
Hfths Of this amount by spending a
hundred Thousand dollars in ~electing
acitY couGcil That can be brlbed and
another hundred Thousand in reward
the |councilmen for their services 10
passing the ordinance, the corpora
ton considers that it has made u
good business deal not more reprehen-
sible than the incidents Of its ordina
ry business. The morals Of politics
are quite on a par with the morals of
business. If politics are more cor
cupt than formerly it is because bust.
ness is more corrupt than formerly.
1t has become concentrated in vast
establishments and seeks to crush
competition and perfect monopoly.
Take as an example what is hardly
ever thought Of as an example of
corrupt monop0ly-the state adoption
school book-publishlng concerns. Now
the state adoption law accomplishcs
some desirable ends. 1t cheapens
text books, renders courses uniform.
and prevents harassing and frequent
charges 10 the school books used. But
the uniform text book scheme was not
the invention Of wise educators OF
benevolent legislators. 1t had its
origin in the councils of the big text
book publishing houses, and was de
signed to kill the small publishing
houses which could not afford to
maintain lobbieS to secure recognition
for their books. Such legislation has
lessened the cost Of school books to
the individual purchaser, but has
not lesseued the profits of the pub.
Usher On the contrary it has in.
creased them by giving him a certain
market, by enabling him to enslave
the local bookseller, and by crushing
for him the multitudes of small pub.
fishers. This iniquity has been per-
petrated under benevolent pretenses.
II you approve Of this, would you an.
prove OF an act Of the legislature con.
ferring upon Swift or Armour or Dole
exclusive monopoly In furnishing
meat for our tables. If they agree to
furnish 1t ten per cent cheaper than
now? They could readily do this at
the expense or independent butchers
and meat shops.
The first stage of this development
in corruptiDg legislative
The matter has now reached
the second stage in which nearly all
great Industrial concerns, and espec.
.ully monopolistic industrial concerns,
IRE 'in politics" and seeking to con-
,rol elections. They maintain 'legis-
alive agents" and even own great
newspapers. One Of the Kansas City
is said to belong to the Santa
Y Railway Co. One Of the great st.
,ouis dallas ie said to kalnnu IN tho