The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-29
AN AUSTRALIAN VIEW
Of THINGS AMERICAN
Yankee Business Morals and Methods Discussed
in the Colones---Barbaric Display at
Newport Mostly to Blame.

J the com ptTOller of the Equitable stan
OF lobbyists at Albany, with a large
building as central Office and clubhouse
where opposition or support for propos-
ed Iegisia ton was organized. according
as it seemed likely to threaten OF TO
favor the interests of the society or
the rims OF capitalists with which it
was in lea que. This lobby gang had
orders to Kill at sight any bills for
| taxing real property. banks or trust
companies and to Give % quarter to
laws proposed in the interest of labor.
OF course the bullets for killing a bill
had to be made of gold. A certain type
of American politician has not been
slow TO recognize this fact, SO they
make a profession of initiating legis-
lation hostile to the rings, only for the
purpose Of dropping it when they have
received enough Doodle for doing So In
this way American capital has grown
upon itself two sets of parasities-t1e
lobby gang that bleeds it in friendly
way, and the Doodle squad that sucks
like a vampire.
In New York State the insurance ring
made its control of the Legislature
complete by admitting Governor OaeIl
to the charmed circle. 1t made the
mistake of putting him into the ship
building combine, which collapsed.
yielding the worthy Governor a foss
instead of a profit. So he got a friend
to bring in little bill for repeating |
the charter OF the Mercantile Trust
Company, which was at the back of the |
concern and useful to the |
ring. The Insurance lobby gang under- |
stood this gentle hint perfectly. and |
organized sympathetic movement for |
his regrettable losses. When I
balm to the amount of $4,000 had been
poured upon the poor Governors
wounded feelings the bill hostile to the
Trust Company was quietly
dropped
While the insurance ring was busy
getting at the Legislatures. private adj
venturers were raiding the insurance
funds. These got so audacious that
one Hartman used his position on the
directorate of the Equitable to invest
S5,coooo0 of the society's funds in a
wild railway gamble which was to
strengthen his control over 10000 miles
Of railways. To get an idea of the ex-
tent of this sort of financial depravity
in the United states it would be neces-
sary to multiply the petty rascality OF
our prominent land boomers by a thou
sand.
The hopeful sign about the whole
business is that the revolt Of the honest
has begun at last. These
have been Struggling their shoulders
Tor two generations, without any effect
IN the hydermatous crew infected |
with money madness. They have at
ength risen up to begin the big task
IF chasing wealthy boodlers back to the
social burrows where
hey properly belong. After talking for
| long while about tainted money, they
ire beginning to act upon the fact that
he source of the faint resides in that
'loated humanity which under a Uriah
ieep stimulation of democratic feeling
'uilds. barbaric palaces at Newport and
,alls them seaside cottages. Just as
he righteous element in France rose
It last in time to prevent the Dreyfus
becoming an indelible ma
ional stain, all that is good and true
n America has risen against so cynical
n abuse of trust as the raiding of the
insurance funds provided by the pru-
lent for the widow and the fatherless
n many large American cities, from ST
1ouis to Philadelphia, revolt against
he municipal corruption worked by
Wealthy bosses has been raised in earn
81. OH us SucceSS1ul prosecution the
oreign reputation of American democ-
acy viii largely depend. American
ulture, as tested by that of it's leading Y
nen of action and letters. will compare
With that of any country. but hitherto
has failed to lead public opinion to
Old in contempt that worship of the
ol1ar which CRATES on the sensibilities
the most sympathetic visitor to the
United States.
Mere money making is a low enough
ational ideal, but when the grabbing1
money by craft and corruption comes
} be both tolerated and admired it is
ute time a moral uprising enabled
he conscience Of the honest major
y in America TO check the further
Dread of the mania for money and to p
aduce acqufsitiveness to its right pro- E,
ortion in a well balanced character
FAME "