Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-01-04

CT1.
Honest graft" will reach its highest
level when. as predicted by the en-
thusiasts, the principles of municipal
ownership are accepted by New York
and the city controls the trolley lines,
the electric light and gas works and
all the ferries us well as the water
works and the police, the fire and the
street departments.
Then such patriots as George Wash
ington Plunkitt, for many years Or
ganiZation leader of the Fifteenth dis
trict in New York, will reap rewards of
greater magnitude than they have ever
been able to gather under the present
order Of things.
Perhaps you have never heard about
Mr.. Plunkitt's honest graft schemes.
He told about them himself in book
published last year, which was intro
duced by a paragraph indorsing him as
veteran leader OF the organization"
signed by its greatest chief
plunktt 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. "Blackmailin' gam
blers, 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 an example of how it
works. | seen my opportunities and
took en-
Mr.. Plunkitt's explanation of how he
did these things will illuminate the
possibilities Of future municipal owner
ship days. if they ever come.
After calculating the ways he was
clipped off, at various times by mem
bers of his party-the party in power
when new bridges, new parks. new
streets We're to be opened so that lie
might invest in real estate likely to
rise in price from the Improvements
contemplated. he adds. Il haven't con
fined myself to land. Anything that
pays is in my line" Then he gives
specific instance:
Learning that the city was about II
repave Il certain street and 50 would
have several hundred thousand Old
paving blocks to sell he was ION hand
to buy and lie knew Just what they
were worth" But newspaper tried
to do him" and got some outside men
from BROOKLYN and New Jersey to bid
against him. Mr. Plunkitt's own words
tell the story hest:
WAS | done? Not much. went
to each of the men and said, How
many Of those 100000 stones Ito YOU
want? One said 2OOGO. AMI another
wanted l5.G00 and another wanted TO-.
600. said, All right; let me bid for
the lot, and I'll give each of you ali
you want for nOthin'.'
"Thcy agreed. Of course Then the
auctioneer yelled, How much am bid
for these fine pawn stoMesT
1.-two dollars and fifty cents says t.
"'Two dollars and fifty cents"
screamed the auctionecr. oh, that's Il
joke. Give ME real bid
"IIe found the bid was real enough
My rivals stood silent. got the lot for
$3.50 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 plunkitt stamp
were the dream Of municipal owner.
ship to come true. Plunkitt says most
politicians who are accused of Robin
the city get rich the same way" he did.
They didn't steal dollar from the
city. They just seen their opportunities
and took them