The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-11-19

it?' asked Colonel
Monroe without looking up from his
paper.
He says there is nothing doing down
there" grinned jenkins. He says he
could have made more money staying
home. From the way Jake talks,
don't think he viii get back what it
cost him for campaign assessments and
election expenses.
''He says that there is as much mon
ey passing hands as ever" explained
Jenkins, but he claims that a few fell
lows at the top hog it all, or nearly all
He says that the common. ordinary
member is not allowed to spring any
thing new or to hold up a scheme in
order to get fair shake. They have
to take what the big fellows are willing
to give them and look thankful, wheth-
er they are or not. or course this is his
first term. but he is satisfied that bust
ness is not what it used to be in what
he calls the good old days"
Il could have warned him of that had
he come TO me-" said Colonel Monroe
with a grim smile. Graft surely is
not what it used to be. There are
three leading reasons for this condition
OF affairs In the first place, there is
more competition among those who are
willing and anxious to sell their votes
In the good old days a boodler had to
make hard fight against the honest
man before he could carry an election
Now, as a rule. it is simply a contest
between two men, both Of whom are
running for profit and not for fame
and honor. Formerly the boodler won
by holding the balance OF power in an
assembly the large majority Of which
were honest men. He commanded a
high price by reason Of his rarity 1t
was question OF supply and demand
There were few boOdlers, and they
came high They also ran all kinds Of
risks. They ever stood facing the doors
Of Jail. We had crude, old fashioned
notions OF decency in those good old
days The known or suspected CRATER
was not admitted into the society Of
respectable people. He won his money
spells at the sacrifice OF his own good
name and fastened stain of disgrace
on his family. He stood no higher
a thief. The intoierant citizens Of those
days were wont to ride the CRATER on
. l or decorate him with coats of
feathers. Like all hazardous occupa.
tons, this one commanded high paw.
But as time has progressed these risks
have vanished and the public antip-
athy against grafters has largely dis
appeared.
THE old time CRATER was a man en-
titled to a certain degree Of respect
Unless he possessed in a high degree
the outer semblauce OF a statesman
and all OF tha mental and oraforicaI
gifts once demanded % the man who
aspired to Office he stood no chance OF
success. Coupled with a natural but
perverted ability. there was demanded
the quality Of cnurage-a courage dog
ged and unfiinehing Your old time
srff'"r was @a-.Tm1nIy leEisla ira
-hwayman, poll. cal pariah. who
valued his life lightly and oxacted
tribute in proportion 10 the risks az
sumcd
Compared to him the modern graft
ers are dogs aud j1ckals who snarl and
quarrel over bones in ii forest where a
lion once had man for his quarry. They
run no risk save an occasional kick
from some disguised passcrby They
stand more in fear Of the pnnrl ausp
than the Jail. They have a certain -.
cial standing 80 long as tlr'r Hla.
appear on the payralls Of tr1r t-a-
poFate employers; but this ~ ran.G
disappearing for reasons VIII pE
plain. Therefore. as said al the start
OF this thesis on grating, the first rea
son for the decadeHcc Of the CRATER Is
the competition among those who
would graft. In other words. there are
more grafters than there i4graft."
That reason seems sufficient to OK.
plain everything to me" Interrupted
Judge Sawyer, though / was nor
aware that there had been any marked
falling on in the profits Of official dis
honesty. The desire to hold office seems
as keen as ever"
IF a community should issue licenses
to steal there would be more thieves.
but | doubt II there would be more
stolen" remarked Colonel Monroe. 1T
is In the light Of such license that
the CRATER regards a public office. He
knows he is safe so long as he is not
caught, and lie also knows that little
or no attempt will be made 10 catch
him. He also knows that his profits
will be small, but they ara more than
be can make running a saloon or as n
petty shyster or any other avenue open
to one OF his mental endowments. II IA
seldom that you see successful 81.
loon keeper or a first class lawyer in
any Of the minor legislative positions.
The reason for believing that there IL
less graft is found in the fact that all
Of the grafters say so and for others
! will now name.
The second reason for the decadenee