The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-07-13
Short Lived Virtue.

written Endorsement to the violation
of law by professional gamblers was
not whit worse than the conduct of
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany in the same premises and in
some respects it was not nearly SO
bad
About year ago New York moral
agents undertook to close the un-
licensed poolrooms of the metropolis.
With an insight almost superhuman
they discovered that these poolrooms
could not operate without telegraph
service, and that the telegraph service
on which they relied was furnished
by the Western Union Telegraph
Company. Moral suasion in large
quantities was thereupOn brought to
bear upon the officers of the company,
to the end that the company might
discontinue its partnership with gam
blers.
Immediately there was a great show
of virtue. The poolroom service
netted the company every year about
$5,000,0 900. The dividends of the COM
pany amounted in the year to exactly
that same sum. Nevertheless, the
company would discontinue the serv-
ice, and the officers were grateful
that their attention had been called
to the only phase of it's business which
was in the least discreditable
In eight months time this virtue
has oozed away. At any rate, when
gamblers opened poolrom at Kenil-
worth, Md, in territory where such
gambling is explicitly forbidden by
law, they had no difficulty in obtain
ing all the poolroom service they could
use, and they obtained it from the
Western-Union Telegraph Company.
No one can say that this was done
without the knowledge Of the COM
pany's responsible officers The
Times, in its interest to learn what
had happened to all last years self
sacrifice, telegraphed the company's
executive offices the information that
this service had been provided, and
asked authority to say that it was
unauthorized. 1t got no reply
Neither did the decent citizens of
Kenilworth who sent by registered
letter the same information to every
member of the board of directors
get any reply
But now there is some hope One
Of the directors is Jacob H Schiff,
and Mr.. Schiff has apparently absorb
ed some of the information which left
his associates entirely unframed The
executive committee of the company
met yesterday and received from Mr..
Schiff this series of resolutions:
Whereas. This company under an order
issued by its president on the 18th day of
May, 1901, has directed the cessation Of
the collection of horserace reports; and
Whereas, 1t is claimed that the distri-
button OF hOrSerace reports still con-
tinues. Notwithstanding the action OF
this company first referred to. be it
Resolved. That II be recommended to
the board of directors that the officers of
the Western Union Telegraph Company
be directed to cease the transmission OF
ports except where such messages are
delivered to a regular office of the com
pany for transmission TO and delivery
through regular Office of the COMPANY.
or for delivery in such other manner
as the president of the company shall
authorize over his signature.
There was opposition to this decla-
ration, Of course President Clowry
Russell Sage, and James Hazen HYDE
were not SO. willing to admit the ex-
istence of this service as Mr.. Schiff
How was 1t quoted? By "a moving
speech of Mr.. Schiff, in the course OF
which he reiterated, it is said, his
remarks concerning conscience anC
the upright life" Now these resolu
lions must go to the full board ant
as the full board does not meet unit
September, it is not likely the Kenil
worth poolroom will be much EN-
barrassed this summer
Is it not significant that this com
pany, having allayed the public in
dignation with promises, should have
violated them fatty within a year?
Is it not significant that the direc
\tors of this company-all of then
Rsi mess men of unehallenged per
standing-should have beer
SO little interested or SO mucf
ted as not TO acknowledge, ane
M months before acting upon
ktion that the compan,
is pledges to the public
host significant of all tina
pct as this, such an un
Inhibition of commercial by
hould have passed uncon
mong American bushes!
1t is significant. 1t signifie
be commercial interests o
country are not to suffal
quitable Life Assurance So
suffering it must be becaus'
hbors of business men compe
observe the responsibilities
good citizens. And good citi
bServe the law even when they