Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1907-01-24


Around Servant Of the People. Who
Seen His Opportunities and Took
EN-"
Honest graft will reach its highest
level when, As predicted by the en-
thusiasts. the principles OF municipal
ownership are accepted 10y New York
and the city controls the trolley lues,
the electric light aud gas works AID
all the ferries as well as the water
works aud the police the fire aud 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 20 gather under the present
order Of things.
Perhaps you have never heard about
Mr. Plunkitts honest graft schemes.
He told about them himself in a book
published last year which was intro
duced by a paragraph lndorslng him as
a veteran leader Of the Organization"
Plunkitt was sore because there were
some objections 10 graft being made
out OF the city 10y men like him. and Ia
the first chapter OF his book he uttered
a vigorous protest "BlackWallin' gam
blers. saloon Keepers. disorderly PEG.
pie. ETC." he admitted 20 be wrong
That was dishonest graft"
But" he added. there's an honest
graft and I'm an example Of how il
works seen my opportunities and |
took EN-"
Mr.. Plunkitt's explanation Of how he
did these things viii illuminate the
possibilities Of future municipal owner
ship days, IL they ever come.
After calculating the ways be was
tipped or al various times by mem
bers Of his party-the party IN power
when new bridges, new parks. new
streets were 70 be opened. so that be
might invest IN real estate likely 20
rise in price from the Improvements
contemplated. be ADDS. Il haven't con
fined myself 70 land Anything that
pays Is la my line s" Then he gives
specific instance.
Learning that the city was about 20
repaye a certain street and so would
have several hundred thousand old
paving blocks 20 sell. he was Ion hand
10 buy" and he knew just what they
were worth" But a newspaper tried
TO do him" and got some outside men
from Brooklyn and New Jersey 20 bid
against him. Mr. Plunkitt's own words
tell the story best
Was I donef Not much. went
10 each OF the men and said. How
many Of those 10000 stones do you
wantT one said 2O.OOO. and another
wanted 1900. and another wanted TO-
Oo0 said. All right: let me bid for
the lot. and I'll give each OF you all
you want for no;hin''
They agreed. Of course. Then the
auctioneer yelled, How much am | bid
Tor these fine PAWN stonesT
Two dollars and fifty cents says l.
Two dollars and hfty cents"
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
=
low the attempt to DO Plunkitt ended.
and that's how all such attempts end"
II is hardly necessary. in the light Of
this Authentic statement OF honest
CRAFTS" workings. 20 enlarge upon the
extended opportunities that would
some 10 the men OF the Plunkitt stamp
we're the dream OF municipal owner
ship 70 come true. Plunkitt says most
politicians who are accused Of Robin
The city get rich the same way he did.
They didn't steal a dollar from the
.ity They just seen their opportunities
and took them"
While IN the legislature Plunkitt In
.roduced the bills that provided for the
outlying parks Of New York, the Har-
EN- river speedway. the Washington
bridge the one Hundred and Fifty
sfth street viaduct. additions 10 the
Museum OF Natural History and many
,ther important public Improvements. /
he is now a millionaire. Under the
proposed order OF things, with city con. /
rol Of everything he might become I
blllionalre.
Under municipal ownership OF all 4
public utilities In New YOrk-and IN .
most other cities In fact-politicians .
ike Plunkitt, who az different times F.
aas been elected state senator assem- I
blyman. county supervisor and alder I
nan by his fellow citizens, besides .
serving as police magistrate for one /
term, and who boasts Of his record in /
hlling four public Offices in one year .
and drawing salaries from three Of f.
hem at the same time, would flourish .
dke a whole grove Of green bay trees.
Go Slow on City Ownership.
Until Dolitics I'm America X uurifed