Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-06
CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES CAUSE OF MONEY FURRY

Especial Washington Correspondence of
The Argus)
| talked the other day with Il man
recognized in Washington as the first
fianancier of the capital outside of the
treasury department. From the win
dows of his Office | could look out on
the stately cOlonnade of that gray
granite building in which are kept the
millions of the United States govern
ment and under the roof of which are
housed the secrets of the relations of
the United States, treasury with the
great hanks of New York. With him
as 1 chatted were two former treasury
officials who now are great bankers in
New York, for the road from the treas
ury to New York banks is very straight
and very easily travelled. The banker
to whom | was talking admitted very
frankly that the trouble in New York
was due to corruption i'll the manage
ment of corporations. He said, and l
quote him as nearly literally as l can
from remembrance. that every corpo-
ration of great size ana power which
has been subjected to an examination
of any sort has been proved to be full
of corruption. From the time that the
investigation into the insurance COM
panies of New York began until now,
when they are investigating Thomas +.
terrupted succession of revelations %
dishonesty on the part of the managers
| of those corporations. The banks of
, New York are not weak. AS matter
of fact. they were never stronger. Con-
| ditions in the country are not perilous.
| Crops are good and prices high. But n
| few men of great prominence in the
| United States have put their personal
| fortunes far ahead of their individual
| honor. Moreover, men who are intrust-
| ed with the management of great cor
| porationS seem to put their own profit
ahead of their duty to those who gave
| them such positions of trust and of
honor. do not believe myself that
either newspaper cIamor or the trust
busting activities of the president
caused this collapse The big financiers
who are suffering from it today are
more responsible for it than any one
| else"
The Other Side.
AS against the point of view of the
Washington banker may be offered a
very brief editorial from n New York
newspaper. the Sun. OF course it is
not fair, for the Sun is never fair. But
it is clever, for the Sun is almost al
ways clever. No name Is mentioned,
but perhaps every one who reads the
words l now quote will recognize to
whom they refer:
He touched the dead corpse, Pub
lie Credit, and it sprung upon its feet
SIS it to be said of another New
York federalist. infinitely more popu
lar and far more of federalist than
Hamilton, that he touched the healthy
body of Private Credit and it became
a corpse?
"Shal it be added that an adorine
nation cheered the miracle and muir
INJURED with reverent lips: Hail Gaze
sar, We who are about to bust salute
I'you.'"
The Next New State.
The last state admitted to the Unior
was Colorado in 1876. When it came
in it was by grace of Democratic votes
1t was thought then that its three
votes in the electoral college would
be given to Samuel j. Tilden. AS {
matter of fact, when the presidential
election was held the Colorado vote:
We're cast against Tilden and fo
Hayes. They did not determine tina
famous contest. for it required thu
work first of the Louisiana returnin:
board and then that of the electora