The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-25

world knew was corrupt Few people believe the National Government is corrupt; it is, but is is so decently corrupt that we think 1t is all right. Bribery is not the only kind Of cor ruption some people recognize, and po- litical graft is the only kind or graft some people recognize as graft. No wonder they think in Washington and Wall Street that they are honest The first letter, dated New York, June D. 1897. shows their inRocence.
 My Dear Mf. Gage: The National City Bank of this city. of which l re- gently became ice-presldent
 is one of the banks designated as United States depository and l write to reaus est that in any changes which slnay be made under the administration we may not be disturbed in this respect. We should like to remain a United States depository as at present. or course the bank Is very strong, and 1T you will take the pains to look at our list of directors you will see that we also have very great political claims in view of what was done during the canvass of last year.
 (Signed.) A. B. Hepburn.
 The list of directors referred to In the lines I have italicised. Is of Stand ard oil names: and what was done last year" is an allusion to the heavy con tributions made by these men to save the country from Bryan and silver. No corruption about that, only patriot ism. Those men gave up their good money to elect the President wno ap- pointed Mir. Gage and 1t was only m afterthought that prompted them to ask a favor in return. But when A. D. Hepburn pressed his very great poltu- cal claim in view of what was done last year." he turned the contributions or the Standard oil crowd into corrup- ton fund. MT. Gage didn't happen to throw into the bundle for Congress his answer to this letter. but other let ters show him favoring the Standard oil bank. And If he favored this bank because, as A. B. Hepburn ex- pected. of those contributions to the party" he was as much corrupted as if he took a brlbe. And if his appoint ment, upon his retirement from the Cabinet, to the Presidency of the Stand ard oil Trust Company was brought about in any measure by the favors he did the City Bank. then. insofar. he was, to use a political phrase, given an ofice for services to the party; in other words, he was paid.
 But Mir Gage was no "Rud" Hynicka. He was a banker. as James Stillman, the President of the City Bank, wrote him on October 30, 1897: Your banking experience endDles you lO dppTeuldlS our position, and we fully realize that such consideration will be accorded as may be consistent with your official du- ties."If the treasurer of Hamilton coun- ty (CIncinnatD had been banker, he would not have collected any gratuity for letting out the county moneys with out recompense to the county but he would probably have agreed with his county commissioners and with long line of Secretaries of the Treasury that it was poor business to ask his fel- low bankers to share their profits with the public. And so it was with the bankers and insurance men. the fail- road attorneys and the corporation agents and officers of the Senate. They don't have to be bribed like "Rud" Hynicka: their experience enable them to appreciate our position"
 It is in the interest of business to favor business. and a business man, ir ofice or out. feels that anything he does to help business is virtuous act. Out in Cincinnati, the president. Charles A. Hinsch, of the Fifth Nation al Bank. after telling how he got and used money from Hynicka was asked this question;