The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1905-08-03
Special Correspondent
Of the Times.

letter previously the whole tariff fat
tened gang begins to believe that
this government was made for them
aud their especial benefit; that they
are the Almighty g anointed and that
the great common people oithe coun-
try we're intended to be hewers OF
wood and drawers OF water for them.
They steal the peoples money and
then look hurt and have the injured
innocenct appearance, II a Grand
Jury or q District Attorney gets
busy with one OF them.
The latest is the Government Print
ing Office, which has It's story Of
graft or corruption requiringinvesti-
cation and perhaps dismissal or
two. Where is this to end?
Must President Roosevelt devote
his entire administration to discover.
Ing scandals in the departments?
Hso, it is a very hard fate for a
man who is himself believed to be 80
upright. But il he has much more Of
this work to do, he may find it worth
while to go behind all the trouble
and inquire why it is that the Post
Office Department had it's Machens,
Beavers and Others, the Agricultural
Department its Holmes and other
departments their quota Of graiters
and thieves, and why he has had to
dismiss eight army officers this year
and bring TO trial six more-all for
embezzlement. 1t Is the get.rich.
quick craze which has been stimulat-
ed by the Republican theory that
government exists to help people
make money, either by creating new
Offices, obtaining colonial possess
ions, or by artifcially raising wages
and prices BY means Of protective
tariffs.
When the history Of this period Of
corruption and speculation In and
out of the government comes to be
written up, some decades hence, he
will be but a poor historian who
falls to perceive that the spirit Of
protection is at the bottom OF 1t oil.
The spirit Of protection-the mon-
ey-mad craze that has taken possess.
Ion Of the people OF the country, and
has kept the Republican party, the
party that has so long and persist
emily advocated the policy Of few
getting rich off the many, in office,
is responsible, absolutely, for the
great era Of graft that has made the
last three Republican administra.
tfOns rotten to the core.
The grafters who have grabbed the
offices felt secure in the Jobs, for
they believed the people had given
the Republican party an unlimited
lease Of power. They proceeded, up
on this hypothesis, to grab every
thing in sight and store away as
much as possible-with the results
every day visible Of graft coming to
light.
II every executive department in
Washington were investigated by
honest, impartial men, the rankest
compound Of villainous smell that
ever offended nostril, arising from
departmental rottenness and official
decadence would assail the people,
the long suffering people, Of the
country.
II is safe to say, however, that q
Republican Congress will refuse sb.
solutsly to order Q free and iullin.
vestigation OF these departments, as
It did . year or more ago to order
an investigation Of the Post Office
Department when the Democrats In
Congress- dared them to do II.
Yet lie people continue to elect
Republican Congress. Are the peo-
pie enamored Of graft, theft, rotten
ness and corruption In Office.
In the lace Of all these peculstions
and dishonesty in Office, do they
think the Republican party still
worthy OF trust? Will they ask for q
railway regulation act that win
place %, 900 more Republicans in
Office and give them opportunity for
graft? Il is up to the people TO do
| 8 little thinking on this subject.
CHAs. A. EDWARDS.