The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-03-28
GRAFT IN ENGLAND,
Perhaps Not So Great In Extent
as Here, but Yet We'll Started.

''NS 49, w. ffSSSSNH
There is nothing about the visiting
American in England more amusing to
the native than the Americans convic-
tiOn that there is no graft in English
municipal politics.
Frederick C.. H8we, the magaZinist
who writes SO much In praise of munc-
ipal ownership. the British form of
socialism. admits that there Is graft in
England, but says it is all practiced
by the lords and millionaires. No
graft. he declares. has crept in through
the municipal ownership and operation
OF public utilities.
Graft in England may not be of such
magnitude as in the Ualted States"
said an EngliShman who is well known
in public life, but is neither a lord nor
Il millionaire. but it exists here as
certainly as it does in America. 1t is
carried on along similar lines. and. fos-
tered by the opportunities which the
rising tide of municipal trading affords,
it Is rapidly growing in magnitude. 1t
Is owing to our OvcrStrict libel laws
and to the fact that immunity may not
be granted under English law TO one
who cOnfesSes to accepting bribe that
the corruption now 50 well known to
exist in our municipal governments has
not been effectively exposed long ago.
The newspapers know all about it,
and they know who are the grafters.
but they do not dare to expose the sit
uatiOn, and until the proper statutes
are enacted it will be almost impossi-
BILE to punish grafters through the
courts.
Not so very long ago a certain
speech was reported in one of the
London newspapers. The speechmak-
er was indignant, for neither the sub
ject matter of the speech nor the cir
cumstances under which it was deliv
cred were creditable to him. and he
brought a suit for damages on the
ground that the libel laws had been
violated. 1t was not claimed that the
speech was Incorrectly reported; in
deed, it was admitted that the report
was substantially without error, yet
nevertheless heavy damages were
awarded to the plaintiff on the grounds
that the plaintiffs reputation had been
injured and that the publisher could
not show that the publication of the
report was of benefit to the public.
"A little longer ago it was suspected
that members of the council of London
borough of Poplar had been accepting
bribes from contractors who were fur
nishing materials and supplies. Detec-
tiyes were put upon the case, and the.
facts were run down. Certain of the
contractors and cOuncilmen. confront
ed with these facts. confessed and
promised to go upon the stand in court
and testify to the. truth. In due time
one Of the guilty men took the stand
as promised and told the story as
agreed.
"He was Immediately arrested as
criminal Under the law as its stands
and slated for an early trial. This
chilled the enthusiasm of the others
who had promised to confess. and they
changed their minds promptly and ir-
revocably. AS the prosecution was
thus left without witnesses. the inves-
tigation was brought to an abrupt
close.
"Now. the installation and operation
of tramways, electric light works, gas
works, etc. involves the letting of
many large contracts by men who hold
places in the municipal councils, not
because they are fitted by training and
experience to let such contracts, but
because they have succeeded through
petty politics in getting elected. They
receive no pay for their services and
in many cases are men without tinan-
cial resources of any consequence.
"There are contractors in England
as we'll as in America who are not
above getting contracts through brib-
cry, and there are council members OF
the grade I have mentioned who are
no more able to resist the temptation
to be bribed in England than they
would be in America. If it would not
sound unpatriOtic, might go so far as
to say that since municipal trading has
so increased the magnitude of munich
pal contracts EngliShmen In many cit
les have been known to seek election
to the councils in order to have the
chance to he bribed
1--WE could today make exposures of
graft In London and more than one
nfh EnnIt-l, Nv fhot yIrn11l1 cfn rtl
American readers even. accustomed as
they are to reading graft stories, If we
could only give immunity to whoever
might be either scared or reasoned into |
the truth. In other words, |
ownership and operation of |
public utilities in England are rapidly |
all our municipal gov
with graft.
"The law makes an exception with |
regard to election bribery charges, and |
may. lawfully he promised |
to those whose testimony is needed to
convict the guilty. This has enabled |
us to unearth many election irregular |
tiles, as the readers of English news
papers know very well, and eventually |
we are going to be able to unearth the
facts with regard to bribery and job
berry in English municipal administra-
lion. We are well aware, however,
that It will probably be quite as diff
,ult to Job eS it was thirty odd years
lgo In America to unearth the frauds
by New York's notorious
Tweed ring"
Nothing h1s vet been discovered that
hOronghi" t;'''es the place of the stim.
Illus of profit in carrying on any bMsi-