The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-19

| their purposes corrupt, goes withou
saying. They intended to have The
| money used, as it was, in corruptine
the electorate. Mr. Perkins make:
the point that John A. Mccall, presi
dent of the New York Life. is a Dem.
ocrat. Apparently he would have the
public assume that when Mr.. Mccall
unfawfully and wrongfully contributed
these funds-the company's share
probably as a member of the under.
writing syndicate-it was evidence 81
political virtue. rather than miscon-
duct.
1.-The truth about 1t is-and l saw il
without feeling. but emphatically-
that men like Mccall have no politi-
cal convictions that stand in the way
of their personal advantage. Such men
desire the triumph of that party which
will better serve their personal finan-
cial interests and will-for conditions
past present and future-continue to
protect those interests by lenient leg
islation and by pretense at execution
of a law which shall be tenderly blind
to all their offenses.
Give Other Peoples Money.
THAT party they espouse In the
board room, and contribute to it of
the moneys they hold in trust and, oC-
casionally. a little of their own. The
underlying principles, which divide the
great mass of the people into parties.
have no effect on such men. Their
one inquiry is:
"''Will the party organization in
it's hour of triumph remember Our
generosity and respond to our de-
mands?' OF course, the organization
does remember for It expects a SINH
10, fr;I, 10
expectation is not in vain. Last year
was not the first time such contribu-
tions had been made before in ma
tional, State and municipal elections
The officers responsible for these
raids on the treasures Of corporations
have received their reward I'm unfet-
tered management of life insurance
corporations; in the unembarra Ssed
raids on the public through trusts
condemned by both common and stat
ute law; in refusal to punish crilni
nally the officers of railroad and otn-
er corporations violating the laws and
in statutory permission to manufac-
turing corporations to levy tribute oil
the people.
There can be no hope of checking
the unlawful aggressions Of officers
of great corporations so long as they
with the organization of the dominant
political party. For in the hour when
the administrative official seeks to
punish the offender, he is reminded
by the head of the organization Of the
magnitude of the contributions of the
corporations.
There is, however. something
worse, If possible. than the escape of
such offenders from justice. 1t is
the gradual decentralization of voters
and the dulling of the public con-
science caused by the efforts to make
these vast sums of money procure the
ballots they were intended to procure
and otherwise.
Not Taking Partisan View.
1T is not my purpose to claim that
the Democratic party, subjected to
the temptation which has overcome
the other party during the last few
years, would have acted Inherently
Mere party advantage should not be
sought from the disclosures made III
this investigation. But the facts should
be diligently sought, that the people
may become so aroused that they VIII
insist upon legislation making 1t
criminal offense for officers to con-
tribute corporate funds for polltical