The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-13
A LITTLE OF
EVERYTHING
BY RAMBLER.
GRAFT.

GRAFT.
Graft as now applied to public steal
ing is new word. / do not know how
1t came to be adopted for such use. and
that does not matter This is an era OF
public plumber. There is scarcely a city
in the country that does not have its band
of grafters. Sometimes this grating takes
the form Of levying tribute on crime for
permission to exist. such as policemen ac.
ceptlng money from gamblers and guar
anteeing them against prosecution At
other times it takes the form of fixing
contracts with the municipality. the con
slderatiOn being fair division of profits.
Occasionally these plunderers ind a city
too small place in which to operate and
try their hands at a State. And recently
there developed a daring band who decid-
ed to- make the great government of the
United States their field. We are all ia
miliar with the Post Office Department
scandal which involved some pretty prom
inent politicians. 1t is an ugly affair and
a sad commentary upon human weakness
and human wickedness. Congress decided
that perhaps all the truth had not been
found out and so proposed to ask for more
light. The Post Office Department init
mated the Congress was not entirely free
from participation in this malodorous bust
ness. Congress did not relish this impu-
tatlOn and so names and specifications
were asked for. The information was
furnished and it raised a stOrm-not a
snow storm, but a sirocco This latest
report to Congress does not incriminate
many members of Congress, but il evident
" was intended to do so. Congress can
take care OF itself. am not the least
concerned about that. But all these in
Vestigations and reports suggest that
there may be lot more rottennesS in
somebody's establishment, and what | am
concerned about and what all the people
are concerned about is whether we know
all that has gone wrong or not. We are
not satisfied that a few men have been
sentenced to the penitentary and that
the dark days of few smutty politicians
have been brought to light. The people
are not much concerned whether the en-
tire force Of the Post Office Department
and all of Congress goes to prison or goes
free, but hey are concerned in having
their affairs administered honestly. Just
let them have the facts--all Of the acts
and they will try to attend to the rest
This idea that public office is a private
snap is growing too prevalent. But then
it is a natural product Of the times. One
set of men organize themselves to plumber
the public by combining to control the
price of some necessary of life, such as
beef That is their graft. Another set o..
men conspire to rob the people by stealing
from the government That is their graft.
It is all graft. The people pay the price
IN one case just as much as they do in
the other. One class of robbery is just as
wrong as another. In one Of these cases
the robbery is justified by the law. In
the other case it is condemned tariff
law permits the nail trust to rob every
man who buys pound of nails. That :
legalized graft. A government official
levies tribute upon every taxpayer by
stealing from the government. That is
illegal graft. Both are graft and both are
wrong.