Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-07

| ana honest 1t is the better.
He has not yet made any plans as to his
| stay in Washington. He hopes to call or
the District Commissioners, possibly on the
| PRESIDENT, and see how Washington mu.
| niclpai affairs are managed. But none OF
| the details of these plans is yet worked
| out.
| May Get Some New Ideas.
| When it was suggested that Washington
was so different in its form of government
1 from other American cities that there might
| not be much information available for COM
parlson he said: The more different the
| DETER we may get some new ideas Buff
1aio needs good many things For in
stance, we have no bureau of statistics and
without statistics it is hard to do anything.
Tor you nave no standard of compari
speaking of municipal government in gen
eral Mr.. Adam said:
i rear that | am a poor politician, for
penexe that municipal government is a mat
private enterprise
was in New York the first part of tbe
week familiarizfng myself with the meth
obs by which municipal business was trans
acted In the metropolis. 1 spent much of
tuesday afternoon with Mayor Mcclellan
we talked city business and not party noli
Ics; l came to Washington by way of
Il improved part OF the Journey bv read
ing another section of the Presidents mes
sage What do 1 think of it? 1t Is ex
ilaustlve and exhausting. The Empire state
mas produced many things and the Presi-
dent is not the least of these BufraIo is
developing so rapidly that government i'm
provement of its harbor and nayigah HE
waters should be carried on more actively
than ever, -
insurance? Yes, insurance is a national
question. But If the proposed national su-
pervlslon Is to be like the present state
supervision 1t might well slumber in the
message forever. l believe in publication
and regulation, widespread publication. and
honest regulation. as the remedy for ex-
| listing insurance evils. Two kinds of suits
ought to be brought in this insurance bust
ness, civil suits and prison suits. Honesty
rather than the present kind of life insur-
ance Is the best policy. The conversion of
public funds is not sign of the conversion
of private criminal into a public martyr
Policy holders should see that funds wrong
fully taken are rightfully restored 1t is
time they put life insurance premium on
honesty and stopped rebating on dishon-
esty. Insurance to the policy holder should
pay more and cost less. If any one doubts
1t he has his deaf ear to the people A bill
forbidding campaign contributions should
apply not only TO insurance companies but
to banks, trust companies and all concerns
handling other peoples money.
Speaking of Rebates.
Speaking of rebates, there should be gov
eminent regulation of railroad rates and of
the railroads themselves. The railroads are
the highways of this country. They are
to the country what the rivers and the
roads have been and what the streets are to
a city. They should be open to all upon
equal terms. Their rates should foster and
not restrict trade. Railroads make or
mar a shipper or city. The government
should regulate and control these highways
of the nations commerce, to the end that
every gets a fair, square deal 1
quote a familiar phrase.
Relating is private grating In disguise.
Grating is abominable, whether it be pri-
vate or public. In our public affairs,
whether of the nation. state or municipal
tty there is one place provided for grafters
Jail The English spell it gao. The graft
ers' rightful goal Is gaol. There they be-
long, and there they ought to be. The best
way to stamp out an epidemic of graft is to
disfnfect the stricken city with strong
dose of condgn punishment. coupled with
thorough application of publicity. 1t is OBJ
vious to any mind that the way to rid our
public life of grafters is to retire them to
where their whereabouts are known and
their hours are as certain as time locks run
by clocks can make them.
II am opposed to what / might term per-
fumed poitics-that is, the endeavoring to
make il-Smelling jobs seem no offense to
the. public nostrils. Dishonesty Is dishon-
esty, whether 1t has a million dollars behind
T. or whether 1T is stone broke. Grating Is
stealing pretending 1t is respectable 1 SUD-
pose the grafters regard grating as justih-
able because It is non-partisan. They for
get that the first requisite with them is not
Is he a democrat or republican, but Is he
a CRATER? Now the people are on to this
and in their municipal election this year
they asked. not Is he democrat or q re-
publican, but is he an anti-grafter? Look
over the cities Of the country and you will
find that the anti-grafters won.
An Anti-Graft Mayor.
$50 when you ask me if / am a demo-
cratic mayor I answer that / was nomi-
mated on democratic ticket In a city 10000
republican in its affiliations. / was elected
by 10000 plurality, and the votes came from
democrats, republicans and independents,
all alive in the cause of anti-graft. So as
mayor please put me down as an anti-graft-
err who means It,
MY platform? Well, let US see. Instead
of turn the rascals out, l say. lock the
rascals up Public office used for private
gain should be rewarded by penal servi-
tude."
Speaking Of being mayor, Mr.. Adam said
1t was no fun at all; that it meant simply
sentence of four years hard labor but that
1t was very decent respectable labor He
has tried the city assembly, and says there
is plenty of work when you are in a minor
ity of one to eight and have twenty-four al
dermen to deal with. They are talking
about abolishing the city council alto
gether,' he said land 1t might be a good
thing But then.. he added. with sigh.
'.the Bible says In multitude of counseiors