Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-09-01
~GRAFT?~

OF course, we all know graft when
we see ii, In the shape of a bride to a
Legislator. in the shape of a tip TO a
waiter or bellboy, in the shape of
ridiculously enormous salaries and fat
directors fees and stock syndicate pro-
fits TO life insurance officials. But are
we all so ready to recognize graft in
some Of its many much more common
forms?
For example. do any of the incidents
here set forth tell of graft? And If not
graft, what? Business and social
amenities? Custom? Thoughtfulness?
Etupidity? ~Selfishness? C~ussedness?
Or just plain, everyday downright hui
man nature?
Not very long ago a certain city
editor of the metropolis assigned a re-
porter to interview q certain eminent
divine on the growth of the Easter
spirit in this country among the Pro-
testant denominations. Seeking the
preacher in his church study, the. re-
porter said to him:
DIR. Blank, the paper which / repre-
sent would very much appreciate the
courtesy of an interview with you on
the manner in which the various Pro-
testant denominations have come 10
celebrate Easter with all the elaborate
ness of the Catholic church. Would
1Ou ltCl lIhS ElsliillliB Tx III view : .
The reverend doctor beamed.
why, certainly" he replied. Il shall
be only too glad to tell you what /
know about the development: and, fur
thermore, let me congratulate you on
bringing TO my attention a subject that
is most decidedly interesting, but n
| which would doubtless never have oc-
Cured to me had you not mentioned 1t
just now."
Then, in answer to the questions put
TO him, the preacher W. the reporter
all the necessary material for a highly
entertaining interview, throwing many
unusual sidelights on the way the
Protestant churches, one by one, lost
their contempt for the celebration of
what they had chosen to term a pagan
survival and began observing it in all
solemnity.
When the last question had been put
and answered and the reporter had
folded his notes. he warmly thanked
the preacher for his courtesy and kind
ness, and the latter responded that he
had been only too glad TO have had the
opportunity presented to him of talk
ing on a subject of such great interest
TO him, but which, he must repeat
again, had never occurred to him.
So the reporter returned, jubilant, to
his city editor, and told all that had
occurred between him and the preach
CIt tNc1I " llC tOlhIllIIltAll ~ lalltiH
had paid the editors mental acumen in
thinking Of the subject matter Of the
interview. Therefore, what was the
city editors surprise two days later,
when he received this letter in his
official mail:
Dear Sir: Day before yesterday,
when one OF your young men called on
me to interview me on the growth of
the Easter spirit among the Protestant
churches generally, l lie what / coul
to supply him with the. information
desired. / now write to ask you when
I shall receive a check; and trust that
you will pardon the suggestion that ii
should be one commensurate with the
unusual information I gave him. If,
however, you do not see your way clear
to sen a check for an interview, may |
further suggest that you do not use
the interview, but permit me to dispose
OF 1t to my UNCONVENTIONAL paper,
which, / feel, would be only too glad to
pay me for such an article. Indeed, |
see how / can make two articles out of
the material"
The city editor read the letter over in
dumb amazement. Then he read 1t
slowly and carefully the second time.
Then he listened again to the reporter
detail all the circumstances attending
the interview. Then he handed the re-
porter the preachers letter, and as he
Olu 81, OuS WOIu CSCdpcu nm.
Was that ~word-graft?
It was another reporter who sought
out a reformer, now nationally promi-
nent, when he was just beginning to
come TO the front. and asked him IL he
would grant h favor of talking on a
certain phase of a question then before
the public.
The coming man jumped when the
reporter spoke.
by Jove!" he exclaimed, why didn't
I think OF that phase of the thing long
ago? Talk about it! No sir! I'll save
that idea until next week, and then
write it up for a magazine which l
know viii be glad to pay me $3.50, at
least, for the discussion. But Is there
anything else / can talk to you about?"
Graft?
One of last June's mani brides
typical of the others, to all appearances
was making UP a list of guests for
the big church wedding which she had
set her heart on and about which she
had carried her point, despite the mild
remonstrances OF her fiance In favor
OF a quiet home affair.
It teok her some days to compile a
list that she was certain included all
her friends and acquaintances, and
would not cause anyone to think that
he or she had been either Intentionally
or Internationally overlooked. Then
she sought her father.
Daddy, dear" she said, I've got all
made out the list of the people j per-
sonally want to invite to my wedding.
Do you want TO look it over and add
any names|"
The indulgent head Of the household
superically scanned the list, then
jotted down the names of a half dozen
boyhood cronies. then handed it back
to his daughter with the remark that it
was a very satisfactory list, indeed.
The daughter looked at the new adj
ditions and hereface fell.
Are they the only ones you want to
invite?" she asked.
yes" said the father. besides the
ones you've already got down. They're
my closest friends, and / don't know of
any I've left off the list"
But how about the lots and lots of
men you do business with?
That's just ii, daughter. They are
not friends; they are merely business
acquaintance"
But. father, why can't you invite
them-anyway, the ones you do the
most business with? I'd get so many
more gifts them"
On the other hand, cases have been
known where fathers insisted on inyit-
ing mere business acquaintance for
various ostensible business reasons to
family weddings. The cloth is not all
cut one way, but the question ;s~-
Is this graft? And if you can't de-
eide the question for yourself perhaps
IL would be we'll to ask the aid of some
bushes acquaintance who has been the
recipient OF an Invitation to the we'd
ding of a daughter or a son of a man
he knows solely in a business way.
When Smith went to the city from his
home town he was polite enough and