The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-11-19
an HONEST GRlFTER
A Glimpse into the Future of Mu-
nicipaI Ownership

A TI,amB Nail sketch Of practical
Pelitieian"-Ths Profits Of an All
Around asorvant of the People, Who
seen His Opportunities and Took
EN-"
..8onest graft win reach its hIghess
,eyeI when. as predicted by the en-
fbustasts. the principles OF municipal
ownership are accepted by New York
and the city controls the trolley lines.
the electric light and gas works and
ali the ferries as well us the water
works and the police. the Ere and tho
street departments
Then such patriots as George Wash
inrtou Plunkitt. for many years Or
ganizatioa leader of the Fifteenth dis
rrict In Kew York. VIII reap rewards OF
..reater magnitude than they have ever
been able to gather under the present
order of things.
Perhaps you have never heard about
AR. PIunkitts honest graft schemes
published last year. which was intro
duced by 4 paragraph IndorsIng him as
4, veteran leader OF the organization"
signed by its greatest chief.
Plunsftt was sore because there were
some objections to graft being made
out of the city by men like him. and In
the first chapter of his book he uttered
a vigorous protest. ''BlackmaIiIn' gnm-
bIers. saloon keepers. dIsOrderly peo-
pie. ETC. he admitted to be wrong.
That was dishonest graft"
but" he added. there's an honest
graft. and I'm IN example OF how 1t
works 1 seen my opportunities and
took 'em-"
Mr.. Plunkltt's explanation OF how he
did these things Will illuminate the
possibilities of future municipal owner
ship days, II they ever como.
After eIucidn ting the ways he was
tipped or ut various times by mem
bers of his party-the party In power
when new bridges. new parks, new
streets were to be opened, so that he
might invest In real estate likely to
rise in price from the improvements
contemplated. he adds: 81 haven't con-
fined myself to land. Anything that
pays is in my line" Then he gives n
specific instance:
Learning that the city was about 70
repave n certain street and so would
have several hundred thousand old
paving blocks to sell, he was ION hand
to buy" and he knew just what they
were worth" But a newspaper tried
to do him md got some outside men
from Rroo$an and New jersey to bid
against him. Mr. PIunkitt's own words
tell the story best:
WAS 1 done? Not much. went
to each of the men and said, How
many of those 100000 stones do you
want?' One said 10000. and another
wanted 1900. and another wanted TO-
600. I said. All right; let me bid for
the lot, and I'll give each Of you all
you want for nothin'-'
'.Thcy agreed, of course. Then the
auctioneer yelled, How much am bid
for these fine PAWN stonesT
1.-TWO dollars and fifty cents says I.
1.-TWO dollars and fifty centsT
screamed the auctiOneer. oh. that's
Joke. Give me a real bid
HE found the bid was real enough
My rivals stood silent. got the lot for
SO so and gave them their share. That's
how the attempt to do Plunkitt ended,
and that's how all such attempts end
1t is hardly necessary, In the light OF /
this authentic statement OF honest
crafts" workings. to enlarge upon the
extended opportunities that would
come to the men OF the Plunkltt stamp
we're the dream CT municipal owner
ship to come true Plunkitt says most |
politicians who are accused Of Robin
he city get rich the same way" he did |
They didn't steal a dollar from the |
,ity. They just seen their opportunities
md took them"
While in the legislature Plunkitt in
reduced the bills that provided for the
outlying parks Of New York, the Har-
EN- river speedway. the Washington
bridge, the One Hundred and Fifty
fifth street vladuct. additions to the !
Museum of Natural History and many |
,ther important public Improvements.
he is now millionaire. Under the
proposed order OF things. with city CON
roI of everything. he might become
Under municipal ownership OF all |
public utilities in New York-and in
most other cities in fact-polIticinns
Ike Plunkitt, who at different times
las been elected state senator, assem-
Lyman, county supervisor and alder
nan by his fellow citizens, besides
ierving as police magistrate for one
ERIN, and who boasts of his record in
iIIing four public offices In one year
md drawing salaries from three OF
hem at the same time. would flourish
Ike a whole grove of green bay trees.
Go Slow on City Ownership.
Until politics in America Is purified