New-York tribune., 1905-07-13
THE "HOLD-CP" HABIT.

The idea Of candidate for the police force
paying somebody for his appointment Is a IA
miliar one. The sense of obligation on the part
of clerks and other employees In public office to
pay campaign assessments to some political
party still persists in spite Of efforts OF reform
ers and high officials to discourage II. These ex-
amples of graft are frequently quoted as evil
dence OF the rottenness of our political hfe but
incidents of ordinary business life make us won
der II the politician is not too much put upon
and made to bear the sins of the whole people,
and if his graft is anything but a small de-
partment of the general grating" business.
On Tuesday q building foreman in the employ
of a large contracting company was before
police magistrate charged with practising extor-
ton upon number Of Italian laborers. One
laborer testified that the foreman had demanded
$3.50 from him for the privilege of keeping his
job, and that he had actually paid it to Sc
cure himself from discharge. II the ordinary
day laborer has to pay toll to somebody for the
right to earn his daily bread, it is not surpris-
ing that enterprising persons think the COM
paratively rich rewards Of police and other pub
lie office should be made to yield & percentage.
One swallow does not make a summer, but there
is reason to believe that this foreman is not
lone visitant but is merely the one of many
birds who happens to get caught. The habit of
taking advantage of some favored position to
levy blaekmail on other people for no service
rendered but merely for permitting them to do
their work, is widespread. The strike" legis-
IatOr who proposes bills to blackmail corpora
tons is an old enemy, but he seems to be
matched by the strike" labor leader who holds
up both employers and wOrkmen for his own
profit. How many buffers are there who do not
get ''rake-off" on purchases? And apparently
there are plenty of financiers who get rake
offs sales and purchases for those whose in
terests they are set to guard.
Out of the complications of modern business
there has arisen the need of many services of a
somewhat intangible nature. Men legitimately
receive commissions for shares in transactions,
though they have not labored through long
hours at a desk actually handled the prop
erty which contributes to their sustenance Pos
sibly this business situation has helped to OBJ
scure for many minds the line between pay
ment for legitimate service and the extOrtlon of
gratuities. The italian padrone who, for a GER
tain percentage of their wages, gives newcOm-
ers work. runs their camp and manages all their
transactions comes by easy stages to demand
gifts from the men in his power as a mere peace
offering 10 prevent loss of work We say the
line is often ohscured, but it is obscured merely
because men grow blind with greed They
may not know that acts are wrong, but it is
merely because they do not stop TO ask their
consciences and are content with the voice of
custom. In a society not maddened by the gam
bling spirit no man of honest intent would fail
to draw the line. He would exact payment for
property sold or service rendered but would
utterly refuse to take money for nothing simply
because he was in a position to get it. But the
gambling spirit OF getting something for nothing
seems TO pervade all ranks and to crop up in
the labor foreman as we'll as in the financier and
the politician