The Topeka state journal., 1905-06-28
GRAFTERS REBUKED.
Their Existence Largely the Fault OF
the People. Says DR.. Dill.

OberliE, o., June 2S.-James B. Dill
Of New York, in the course of an ad-
dress to the graduating class of Oberlin
college, today, delivered a scathing re-
buke to men who misuse positions of
honor and trust for purposes of person
al gain. In urging his hearers to go
back to beginnings" Mr.. Dillon ccIs-
tended that grating which was for
eign to the true American character.
had been developed by the mad rush
for wealth and the recognition of false
standards by educated men IN the COM
petitive struggle for business power and
social prominence.
"A large part of our modern prosper
ity," he said, lis to perilously large
extent bOttomed upon an over produc-
ton of fraud and sham. TIE crisis is
acute. A feeling of distrust is growing
throughout the country. Many branch
es Of financial business have been in
one way or another taken possession Of
by the unscrupulouS for the purpose OF
deceiving the unwary. Trust companies
have been made the media of the fiota-
tion of specious and fraudulent promo
tions.
Some companies in the field of life
insurance, the highest and in a sense a
sacred form of investment, are, as we
all know now, condufts through which
the savings of the policy holders are di-
verted into operations for speculative
purposes.
"Credit and good faith, not money.
are the basis of business. Good or bad,
our modern prosperity is founded on
public confidence. Take that away ana
the whole fabric falls.
The fact is that the unprecedented
material growth of the country, the re-
sulting creation of immense private for
tunes. the massing Of great aggrega-
tiOns OF corporate capital, 1nG1vidunI
combinations and railroad mergers, all
of the people upon great financial
achievements and to establish in the
highest place in the popular estimation
the captains of industry and the power
ful fnanciers, little regard being paid in
making up the judgment to the imam
cial virtue of private individual life.
1t Is Our Own Fault.
Now whose fault is this? It is ours.
It is the fault of public opinion and
public opinion is our opinion, yours
and mine-yOurs Of me, mine OF you,
ours of all the rest. We have to learn
to recognize graft and the grafters.
however respectable their DISCUSSES
and to punish them, not alone by fn-
priSonment and fine but with all the
might of the terrible scorn of society
We have to recognize that the seeds
of socialism, revolution and anarchy
are soWn by the man of our own class
and kind who pretends to be what rs
is not: these seeds are cultivated BY
officer, man in power in financial or
ganization. in short by every CRATER
who in his dealings with the public
departs openly or secretly from the
old fashioned ten commandment hon-
esty.
'af-flis Indictment of our business life
is not based upon an inherent. incura-
BILE defect IN our American character,
but on the contrary, these evils are
an outgroWth of our American StFenu-
ousity in the riotous race for the easy
dollar and the many dollars. In the
hearts of the genuine men and women
of our country there is an apprecia-
ton of the importance of chara cters
the rank and file of the American peo-
pie not only believe in, but also
stand for right living and q conscience
undimmed and unfettered by business
environm tents.
therefore, right and honesty will
triumph; a saturnalia of graft and an
era of grab will find itself short lived,
speedily to be ended by the uplifting
Influences of. educated men and wo-
men of character"