The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-01-26

''That there is an awakening to the
turpitude and disgrace of these iniquit-
Gus methods of acquisition, growing
sentiment against submitting to graft,
shows that the mass of the community
is still sound at heart, but it must ar
rest the process of degeneration if it
would escape moral and social perdition. "
And the New York Sun commenting or
the same topic, says: ''Really, how
ever, there is nothing to cause the lover
of the United States today the slightest
uneasiness. Where dishonesty and dis
loyalty have been discovered, in or out
of the public service, punishment has
been quick to follow. No wealth nor
high name, nor political nor social in
lluence, has been sufficient to protect
evildoers. The courts have not failed
in their duty, and never before was the
principle of equality before the law more
practically asserted than it is today.
blind to the evil deeds of accumulated
money. Perhaps today the men O.
wealth are held in less esteem than has
ever been the case heretofore.
Not only in the federal service but
also in state and municipal governments
the citizens are demanding highe.
standard of honor than ever before. lr
private life the responsibilities of trus-
tees to shareholders, and to the public
is insisted upon with a force that shows
how keen is the popular appreciation
of the necessity of honesty and fair deal
ing in all relations of life"
1t is a fact open to every observer IL
the political and business world today
that graft is found in one form or an
other in nearly every community. In it,
worst forms of bribery and blackmail
| the cases are not so numerous. Inc
public CRATER makes his clandestine APP
pearanee in every legislative assembly
| with more or less success, but the pr
vate CRATER appears openly and carries
off his prize by logrolling courtesy
am reminded of a certain candidate TO-
the New York assembly, who, while can
vassmg a country district, solicited the
support of a farmer. The latter knew
the candidate quite well and hesitat,
ed to make any definite promise. AT
ter being urged while, the farmer final
! " Welded and said: II will support
you, if you promise faithfully upon youl
homer that you will do no grating when
you get to Albany" whereupon the can
iddate replied, Il will go to Albany abso
lutely mpledged, or | will not go at
ALL" Every session of our state legis-
lature records the passage of about 400
| laws. some for the benefit OF the pub
| lie, Others of no real value to anyone
and the great majority for special OF
private interests. | firmly believe that
there is very little, if any, actual boodl
ing used in connection with the passage
of these special laws. but the specia,
interests, or in other words, the private
grafters, make their claims upon THEN
local representative felt in such way
that he must railroad their measure
through, if he can. Thus some of the
state funds, as for instance the road
and bridge fund prior to the passage
of the highway commission act, were
parcelled out to the various countries o.
| the state in direct proportion to the log
rolling strength of their respective rep
! resentatives, irrespective of the actua
necessity therefor. Then again public
graft enters largely into all state EN-
ployment Our legislature employs more
than sixty officers and clerks during 9
session, at least one half of whom enjoy
pure and simple public graft, as they
are rot needed, and merely exist for the
purpose dispensing party patronage al
the expense of the state. But are the
legislators themselves to be blamed en-
tirely for such condition of affairs? Dur
ing the first few days of my first session
| failed to land one of those grating
Jobs for Blue Earth county man, ant
my life was made miserable by the nu
merous applicants until | succeeded IL
getting such recognition. There is NJ
question, whatever, as to the absolute
right of any constituent to come before
his representative or proper committee:
of the legislature and be heard, but i
the demands are in the nature of pri
vate graft, the representative must tt
some extent sacrifice his standing among
his constituents by refusing to support
the proposed measure. Again and agar
| have heard the value of representa-
! tives in state legislatures or congress
and even the efficiency of other public
officers, estimated by the amount Of
public or private graft they were able
/ to land for their respective constituent
cies. But the public grating is not con
fined to the legislatures. Whenever &
public officer is paid for services not
actually performed, is paid more thar
his services are actually worth, or az
an officer receives or requests any special
favor or concession not contemplates by
the scope of his employment, he becomes
simply public CRATER. 1t is not at al
strange that so many public officers for
/ get their moral, and sometimes legal
obligations and submit to the temptation
of graft They, themselves, are con.
tinually pestered with a multitude OF
small private grafters such as party or
ganizers, wardhealers advertising agents
/ bookagents, ticketsellers, and all around
''good fellows" who demand anything
/ from the sale of two 50-cent tickets to
some easy snap at the expense of the
dear public.
| BY far the greatest and most effective
private grating is perpetrated on the
innocent public by the watering or in
hating of corporate stocks and the for
nation of large industrial combines fol
the purpose of sitting competition and
advancing prices of public necessities.
/ do rot mean to criticise all forms OF
combinations, because many of them re-
suit in lessening the cost of production
and afford a direct benefit to the pub
| lie. but where the entire output of q
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