The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-04-09
BETTER Or WORSE.

or iLuc11er from paradise to pero1t10n.
BETTER on yoRsr'
Are we getting better or worse. po-
liticaily! optimistica11y inclined. most
OF ius are apt to say that we are either
getting better or. at least. that we
shall begin soon to improve. 10
one in this frame of mind. Lincoln
|Steffens' article on, Enemies Of the
Republic in the April McClure's VIII
come as blow In the face.
Heretofore Mr.. steffens has dealt
with municipal corruption, but this
time he takes up corruption that az
fects a notwithstanding reaches
even to Washington. It reaches even
farther. for its trail runs from politics
into business, and we see how cor
ruption in politics is nothing but good
business" on another side.
Who that has ever had any person
|al experience or close touch with pol
itics does not realize that what is, true
Of the Missouri legislature is also true
Of many other states? In our day,
business and politics have come close
together. From board of town super
visors up to congress. there Is not one
of the countless legislative bodies in
the nation that cannot enact legisla-
ton that will affect business. Bust
ness is business-success is its pass
word. Whatever legislatures can 90
that fortune builders need. must be
done-never mind the means or price
Such commonplace has this become
that nine men out of ten stand ready
to extenuate or, at most, mildly re-
prove men and corporations that cor
rupt legislatures. In every community
there are corporate agents who are
known to be corruptionists Of the worst
kind, vet they are held respectable" in
the community and no man treats them
with that contempt their ignoble trade
deserves. One Of the st. Louis bribe-
givers still holds his place on the
worlds fair commission and the attor-
|ney of the trust that bought the Mis-
souri, legislature is NOW a United
States senator from that. state.
Is it not true that our politicians are
corrupt because our business methods
are often INSCRIPTIONS, and our peo-
pie cynical and Indifferent?
In contrast with Mr.! Steffens' dark
picture there is cheerful editorial in
the April Century, from which the fol-
lowing is taken:
I'm order to gather instances in sup
port Of the argument to which we late
ly referred, as to general improve
ment Of conditions in our day and gen.
|eration by way of the upward spiral.
the too notorious evil
dences OF modern evil and corruption,
one has only to look back over the his
tory Of the city OF New York for a
space Of time not exceeding the lives
of thousands now actually engaged in
affairs. The occurrence OF the days Of
the Tweed ring is well nigh impossi>
BILE; of the old Five Points squalor; OF
the plug uglies, Of the fire riots. : :
Advance has, indeed, been made in New
York all along the 'line4-in the case Of
the dependent poor, OF the criminal, of
the sick. There are occasional
disheartening relapses in the matter Of
administration, but even the trend Of
that is upward. There Is abundant
ground for good hope in the fight for
better civic conditions in the metropo-
lis and other American cities.
1t is probable that the first quarter OF
the twentieth century will be notable
in the history of America for growth
of civic spirit and progress in the hon.
est and effective government Of our
cities.
May it be SOL"