The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-31
Politicians appropriate. hanke


the Brooklyn Eagle considerable
interest has been aroused and the
subject has been widely discussed. On
all sides the question is asked What
is graft?"
Graft, says Webster, in his interest
ing dictionary, is a small shoto or SCI
on of a tree inserted in another tree;
portion of living tissue, used in the
operation of autoplasty. But since re-
liable Noah Webster's work was COM
piled big Bill" Devery has crossed
the linguistic horizon, graft" has TAX
en- on multiple meanings. and figures
prominently among newly coined
words.
At this juncture it is inter-
esting to know just what Sa-
vannahians understand by graft"
No one attempts to confine 1t
to political crookedness, but the defina-
tions are varied. Legitimate graft
Is an expression often heard, but none
OF those seen yesterday by representa-
tives of the Morning News made use
of it.
Here are some of the definitions that
were picked up by the Morning News
reporters:
Police on Grafters.
Superintendent of Police Garfunkel-
We know not graft, but grafters. Craft
ers as we see them are those who drop
In on US every little while and try to
take everything in sight.
Director of Public Works Gadsden-
1t is word that is not known to me.
1t does not figure in my department.
Clerk of Council Crearner-Graft's
money you don't work for.
Deputy Clerk Hernandez-Tve never
thought much about it. l guess it's
money made easy.
Deputy Marshal Hussey-I guess it's
slang for getting things illegally-or
blackmailing.
Food Inspector Weil-It's when a
man collects a heap of money-but
that's none of my business.
At this Juncture the clock struck 6
and Indexer Tom Halligan went out
the Exchange singing:
zone day it's peach and honey;
The next day L needs the money"
He stopped long enough to answer
the question. cts easy going" he said.
Fire Chief Maguire-A CRATER is the
fellow who swipes.
Judge NOrvvOOd's Idea.
you have come to a goats house
to get WOOL" said Judge T. M. Nor
wood, when asked for an interview on
the subject of graft. 81 don't know
anything about such a thing"
"Well, what would be your definition
of the word judge?"
81 see the word in print" he said.
From all 1 can gather it is a term
capable of varied construction. 1t
would seem that it is a sort of respect
able stealing; not stealing, either, but
appropriating. l don't understand
there is any such thing as stealing
in high life. That which enables one
to appropriate, or that which he APP
propriateS, seems to be known as
graft"
Judge Barrow declined to be inter
viewed. He said that he was particu-
larly busy, and asked to be excused.
Solicitor General Osborne refused to
be led into a discussion of the sub
ject.
Col. G. A. Mercer, who has just re-
turned from New York, where the
political situation is acute, said that he
considered money and graft almost
synonymous terms in New York city.
There is no other place like it, he said.
Whoever has the largest amount of
money he believes will win the cleo
ton. Everybody goes to New York
to get the almighty dollar. There is
no such thing there as graft without
money. The mad rush for wealth has
destroyed social life, he said and few
men know their own neighbors.
Supt. Otis Ashmore said: The word
is one which is not in my vocabulary,
and it is not in Webster's. l know the
word only as 1 have come across it in
my readings in the newspaper. 1t IS
undoubtedly a slang term used to ex-
press a certain idea. In my mind
graft is associated with political
crookedness."
Ministers on Graft.
Rev. ]. Y. Fair: "In its essence. !
understand graft as the predominance
of unsanctified self. There is a touch
Of humor about the word which serves
as a medium through which we look
down upon a darker substance. It is
word used to express disapprobation
| in the least offensive way"
Rev. w. c. Schaeffer: at is a term
which is rather broad in it's meaning
and it is hard to condense all its mean
ing into a few words. AS l have met
the word in my reading, it is generally
applied to public officials who have
embezzled public funds, or misappro-
priated funds that have been entrusted
| to them"
!
| figuratiVe term borrowed from horticul-
ture. 1t means taking advantage OF
a position of trust for the purpose OF
| deriving private benefit. Where an
alderman votes appropriations or fran
chises and gets commission from It's
| expenditure, where court official re-
ceives contributions from crime and
| develops moral and mental deafness
| sees not and hears not of laws violated
1t is a parasite fastened on the body
polite that has Slapped the moral vital
strength of our country"
A naval officer in Savannah. when
| the subject was mentioned to him, ask
ed that his name be not mentioned II
his definition was quoted, and then de-
| fined graft as follows:
ut is a polite word for bribery. II
Is a term indicative of chicanery, a
means of calling man a thief in a
way that will not be resented with a
blow"
United States Attorney Leaken:
Graft is the extraction of money from
persons who would be willing to nav
for license for the privileges desired
but who pay the graft with the expec-
tation that they will be allowed a
greater license, but of a different kind.
In other words 1t is a license to rob.
1t is exercised usually through the DO
lice dominated by the party in power.
The best exposition of the subject that
I know OF is to be found in Alfred
Henry Lewis work. The Boss" re-
Gently printed in serial form, and In
the Life of Richard Croker" written
by the same author"
Capt. Henry Blum, Jr., postmaster:
Graft, as I understand it, is obtaining
y,,OV,ax fllacrc as b,-fY,a - = /.