The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-24
THE WORLD OF GRAFT.

Mr. Josiah Flynt, who spent some years consorting
with the denzens of the under world in order get
material Tor the BEAUTIFUL stories which impressed with
their ruthfuness those readers who never came into
contact with CRATER got into the wrong He should
have got a job in the general postoffce
In all the history of the country there never was
anything like the good thing that the postofce depart
ment has been field for exploitation by the CRATER
1t has not been NINE but vertabe Golconda-a Com
stock lode and Cripple Creek combined And it needed
by commission of any prospect this lode and
stake out claim AS for the working the claim that
was taken of by outsiders who appear to have been
eager to advance the money.
Everything that graftable has been grated
lhere has been rake off taken everything that the
government bought for the posofhce department. from
ten-story buildings to newspaper wrappers To every
device that has been adopted for the betteren of the
service there has been attached something the way
OF compensation for the recognition given to
Genius by Power.
This unexpected world of graft had the very con-
siderable advantage that neither world dreamed
by Fynt that everything in about it was conducted
according to the of good form The men who
nave been preemnent in the working of the postofce
grant belong to that large body of ocehoders who are
practically lost sight of the machinery of such an inn
mense institution as the posofice and who are pointed
TO by their neghbors patterns responsibility doing
something in the department" They are of the sleek
variety OF grafters who hide their crnaity under the
garD OF responsibility. Who make churchgoing part
OF their business and with the better element
1hey are dangerous lot-these members of the
upper world of graft-much more dangerous than the
grafters who bear the impress of crimnav and whose
races adorn rogues galleries It is going to be much
harder to reach the too, than would be to reach the
common and more daring criminal.
But they must be reached Whatever their Dosition
III the bureaucracy, without regard to their Of
cety they must be got at The very life of the republic
dependent the uncovering of their methods and
the exposure of the men.
TOT II must be presumed that the limits of this world
OF graft extend beyond the postoce department Every
oher administrative department. with the possible ex
Cepuon OF the newly organized bureau of commerce
rotten Every who has familiarized himself with
practica politics knows that graft is the aim and object
OF the vast majority of who pretend to ser, tb
general government and handle public moneys The
very certain: That If the grafters could be shirt ont e
the pubic business of the United States could he con
ducted with the economy and watchfu1 honesty That
marks the conduct of private business the exnense IL
government would be reduced Is and even possbi ~
per cent. f'OiS ooA
ro he close corporation formed by the Renntlc5b
hcenoldf3 set must be broken up It is an Infamous ia
Sutution that is doing bring republican oo,
nent into dlsrepue than all the mistakes of all the nj
icy makers. - N Poi-