The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-31
GRATING AS SEEN
FROM ALL SIDES
Politicians and Preachers Mayor Myers Writes of
Furnish Definitions Grating in the South
of Graft. ASHe Sees 1t.
INTERESTING OPINIONS
ON LIVELY TOPIC.

|
to be printed tomorrow, will be es-
pecially of interest to Savannahians
because it was written by Mayor My
ers.
In this graft" edition will appear
opinions from persons all over
the country. The paper will make
it's appearance almost upon the
eve of . the election in New York
and for this reason the topic is
particularly timely. BY an arrange
ment with the Eagle the Morning News
is enabled to furnish it's readers with
Mayor Myers article 1t is as follows:
Southern cities and states have, in
all probability, suffered far less from
"grafters" than those of the North and
West. 1t might be considered egotism
on the part of our people to attribute
this to a higher level of honesty
among the masses, but that, at least,
| appears as one of and the primal rea-
son for this comparative freedom from
the crimes against the public which
have disgraced so many communities
in other sections. Another reason may
be the fact that our municipalities are
smaller and the people personally in
tereSted in their governments to suf-
representatives. Our newspapers, too,
may be freer from corrupt influences
the Influences of corporate power, or
of the desire for personal aggrandise-
ment on the part of their owners and
I editors There is less vituperation in
the press of the South, less of needless
carping and constant crying down of
public officials to satisfy that portion
or the public which is never pleased
unless officeholders are being roasted
AT the same time, the newspapers in
dulge in fair, honest and unimpassion-
ed criticism of public measures, and
keep their readers advised of the ac-
tual conduct of the business of their
local and county and state govern
ments. By not INDUCING in a sense
less hue and cry, in season and out of
season, for no other purpose than to
carry political point, the newspapers
retain the confidence of the public, and
when criticisms do come from them
they receive more respectful consider
alton.
Gould Not Exist Here.
do not know of any Southern town
where the corruption which has been
disclosed in the North and West could
exist. The public is sufficiently hon
est, sufficiently intelligent, and sutfi-
clently patriotic. to enter vigorous
and unmistakable protest at the first
signs Of What may tend to wrong do
ing. l do not think in any Southern
city there would be any condoning of
wrongdoing, and covering over of
grating or criminal1ty of any form.
Tor political purposes. The mere fact
that there is such a healthful public
sentiment in itself is the strongest
safeguard against grating" The fear
or detection, when detection means
publicity and punishment, is ofttimes
SUFFICIENT to restrain men who may be
inclined to abuse their official position
for personal gain.
1t is not my understanding of the
word that grating" means actual
theft of public funds. but rather the
misuse of official position, the BETRAYAL
of the trust imposed by the public, by
the levying of blackmail, the barter
OF influence, the improper granting of
contracts and acceptance of bad work
or defective goods, the doing of many
things that are hard to punish and of
some few things that are punishable
but difficult to detect. The evil could
be reduced to a minimum if not en-
t1rely abolished, to my mind, by these
agencies:
Public to Blame.
First. An awakened public con-
science, which refuses to be held in
political chains to such an extent as
to gloss over .criminality for the sake
of party interests which are too often
lutIlllCdl WIN personal criminal inter-
ests. After all, the public is largely
to blame for the conditions which have
existed, and apparently continue to ex-
list, in many municipalities. The man
who is willing to re-elect a rescal to
Office because he is on the party ticket
has no reason for complaint when the
rascal continues his rascality and fat
tens at the public's expense.
Second. Proper publicity to all meas
ures before their passage, including the
advertising a reasonable time for all
bids and the granting of all contracts
in public.
Third. A Slow. but steady, develop
ment of a civil service removable only
for inefficiency or other grave cause
and not for political purposes. 1t is
useless to expect this standard to be
created at bound but the public can
be gradually educated to the point
where it will insist on the retention
of tried, honest, capable officials in
their positions, regardless of changes
of administration.
Fourth. Vigorous prosecution of all
officials detected In wrongdoing and the
infliction of the heaviest possible pun
ishments on those found guilty. The
understanding that there is to be no
so-called mercy shown the man who
has betrayed such a trust will serve
to hold back many from the first false
step.
Teach Boys Honesty.
But above and beyond all these, and
as the only solid foundation on which
an honest, efficient administration for
the public good alone can be expected
is the creation of a public which it
self is honest in its private affairs
and which refuses to allow other prin-
ciples to govern in public affairs. There
is too strong a tendency everywhere,
although of minor degree in this sec
tion to look upon the cities, counties
and states as cows to be MIXED for
private purposes. Too many think it
no sin to palm off inferior articles on
a municipal government, or to over
charge it. regarding it as something
entirely different from a private in
dividual. This moral obliquity cannot
be corrected except by the instilling
of higher principles in youth. In our
public and private schools of all grades
more attention should be given to the
incubation of a stronger regard for
personal probity. Teach the growing
generation to be honest in word and
in thought and in deed, create a higher
standard of commercial honesty. and
then grating will disappear 1t
might be better to drop some of the
studies that are being crammed into
the young and give some direct per-
sonal attention to their morals in this
way. 1t is far more important to the
future of tha American Dapr,b1t, A.