Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-08-26
WORSE IN GOOD OLD DAYS.
Chicago Educator Takes Hopeful View
Of Graft Situation.

1T was worse than this in the good
old days. Graft tainted money, vulgar
commercialism-all tiourished in those
rare days when George Washington
waived the presidential scepter.
That was the age of graft-not this
Today we are comparatively pure. What
few blemishes mar our current record
can be and will be obliterated."
This, in effect, is the belief of Prof
Francis W. Shepardson of the Universi-
~ Of Chicago, an authority on United
States history and one of the foremost
historians OF the country. He is the
leading man i'll the history department of
the institution, and is said to be slated
for the headship of the department.
which is now vacant.
His views were expressed recently in
on address on Graft" AT Il gathering of
junior ana senior students
Peter Faneuil, as we all know, built
Faneuii hall, which we historians have
termed the cradle of liberty" declared
DIR. Shepardson. Now there is on rec
ord a letter written by Peter. which
shows he was engaged in the liquor busi-
ness 1t shows he was not what we
would call an honest liquor merchant.
lie made his money in an illegal way
namely; by beating the government. This
fact is brought out clearly in the letter
Therefore it can be said that Faueuil
hall was founded on tainted money.
Ihefe Is also proof that one of the
men who signed the declaration of indie
pendence was indicted for smuggling
Just who it was | cannot name now. bnf
ii IS certain that one of the couutry's
most lllustriOus men. whose name is al
most as familiar as that of George
Washington, was guilty Of illicit trad
ing.
Throughout the colonies and later in
the thirteen original states there We're
many public men who engaged in prac-
tices that were not legal or legitimate
1t Is well known fact that ten years
after the nation was founded one of
our best senators was indicted for ac-
cepting Il bride.
Today we hear nothing but graft
graft. graft. There seems to be graft
III milwaukee,, st. Louis. PHILADELPHIA.
and apparently everywhere. We have
heard of the cases of Depew. Mitchell
and Burton. 1T seems as if this We're
the age of graft This is n mistake
Despite the fact that almost every day
new examples are brought to light, |
hrmly believe the country is no worse
than it used to be. | doubt if it is as
bad as it used to be, comparatively. of
course.
Another popular cry of the day seems
10 be that we are engulfed in an age of
commercialism. | hesitate to believe
this. 1t is true that we are CONNER
cially inclined, but not yet are we entire
" given over to money making Take.
for example, Elihu Root. He gave up
probably the best law practice in the
country to accept a position in which
there is little money. In comparison of
the times, | would like to mention his
case in along with that of George Wash
ington, who refused TO accept remunera-
ton for his services as President
1T is true we are far from being what
we should be- But we have sure fut-
ure. What defects there are now, l be
lieve, can be remedied. 1t is up to the
present generation of college youths to
straighten us out. When they become
mature | believe we shall have less to
complain Of"