New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-02
DIRECTORS AND POOLROOUS.

DIRECTORS AND POOLROOHS.<
Police Commissioner McAdOOs declaration
that the cutting off Of the racetrack telegraph
service from poolrooms would enable him nj
/ once 10 close up these criminal establishments
brings the substantial and highly respected
gentlemen who compose the board of directors
OF the Western Union Telegraph Company
face TO face with serious moral RESPONSE
bity. II IS unthnkable that Mr. Eckert. Mr..
Schif Mr. Hyde. Mr. n'pew. Mr.. Aston Mr..
.JeSup. Mr. Bull. Mr.. Stillman. Mr. Hartman,
the Messrs. Gould any of their associates
would in his name for any amount of
money carry racing news from the racetrackS
10 the gambling denS 10 enable criminals TO defy
the law. Nevertheless. the conduct of corpora
tons and the public attitude toward them have
for years been such TO blunt individual
conscience and obscure the sense of individual
responsibility. A few years ago Trinity Church
Corporation made Il bitter fight for the right TO
maintain unSanitary tenement houses when
probably every one of its deyOut and philan-
thropic trustees was ut heart anxious for tene-
ment house reform As officers of a corporation
they seemed TO think that their whole duty was
Il perfectly Immoral. unsentimental guardian
ship of property. That may be the view OF some
of the Western Union directors. 10 judge from
remarks attributed 10 Mr.. Bull. He assumes
that il is the directors function merely 10
look after the financial policy. and that the
business management does not concern them
They cannot of course. be familiar in advance
with all technical details of the telegraph bust
ness We do not suppose that any one of these
gentlemen until within the last few days ever
realized that the corporation for which he was
responsible was the keystone in an arch of
crimnalty. We do not blame the directors for
anything that is past. But what are they going
10 do for the future:
Certainly the question OF supplying news to
pOOlroOms is not a mere detail of administra-
ton. 1t is a question of policy in the largest
sense. 1t is even question Of financial policy
in which Mr. Bull confesses himself concerned
Ii is a question whether Il company of honor
able men will for the sake of large corporate
income lend themselves TO the protection Of
criminal traffic or will use their power to end
1t. as any OF them would do for himself
whatever the cost They have the power 10
end il. They have only TO give the telegraph
u Rnagers orders 10 cease putting instruments
III pOOlrooms and supplying operators trained 10
Jump out of windows and instructed 20 CO.
operate with the gamblers in their defiance OF
the law Nobody else can give such orders
The public cannot reach the salaried emplOye
Ii can only look to the director the
spOnsible power behind the agent. If. after the
facts are brought home TO the directors this
support of crime by the telegraph company
continues, il will be only because these gentle
men care more for money than for morals, and.
as individuals with souls To save are willing To
contribute 10 the ruin OF other souls.
The Western Union Telegraph Company is
under obligations To furnish this news 10
poolrooms which are engaged in a criminal
business The use of the United States mail is
forbidden 10 them. Their existence depends
the favor Of the telegraph company Directors
may say that law actually forbids them 10
furnish news 10 poolroOms, cOmpels them to
inquire into the uses made of their service
But no law compels them 10 shut their eyes To
plain facts. or 10 let themselves be used as In
struments Of crime even though their particular
service TO the criminals may not he exactly
under statutory interdct They are moral
beings. The acts which they perform as
directors are the acts Of moral beings. They
and their corporation are both bound to do
equity. few weeks ago the Western Union
Telegraph Company praying and we think
successfully. Of the State OF New York the paw
ment of a debt of honor. 1t asked the restitu-
ton Of an old tax. legally levied and legally
collected. but inequitabe because other CORPORA
lions escaped ii. After receiving this favor by
an appeal 10 the morality and justice OF the
people Of NewNorl. the directors of the West
ern Union Telegraph Company would appear in
an extraordinary light if they should argue that
they were not in morality and Justice bound 10
cooperate in spirit with the people Of New
York for the enforcement Of the laws and 10
refuse knowingly TO sell 10 lawbreakers the
facilities for committing crime. We do no: be
neve that these honorable men can for an in
slant hesitate as 10 their duty. now that they
have learned what their subordinaies are doing
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