The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-07-09
6 #6K9IFT0I 7 hglZD H7HyZ0GE 6tHZEN22

Come off! Why, two of
that last bunch cleaned up thousand apiece be-
fore they walked the plank" ,i
Well it's a DEAL No side issues for me-
Just the little old four thou. That's ALL"
Why you amt honest, you Jack?"
Well l never had Honest John tackled onto
me for a handicap but l don't want to go along
the street looking back to If anyones following
me-"
But those fellows are alive and well to-day, and
the statute of limitations has on en-"
"Yes, maybe; but it would be just my luck to
get 'snaked, My tailor says stripes unbecoming
tall men, anyway"
You're foolish, jack
"a regular lobster, Billy; but when I'm let out
want to sleep nights, without listening for some
to ring the door-bell and ask how about it?"
The foregoing conversation is verbally correct
transcript between appointee to city Office and
political acquaintance, the well-known and almost
"disbarred" attorney, the Hon. William "Skiphis-
name" 1t occurred just as written down, and is
merely given to illustrate the general idea prev
alent among the crooked, the crafty and the un-
scrupulous that public office was private snap
The salary was supposed to be merely expense
money for being in the political game; the real
money" to be gotten out of side deals,
schemes where the official was to use his influence
and his opportunities to get into something good
whereby for favors either directly or indirectly
granted he got what is known sometimes as his
"rake-off,' his bit
II he in a position where contracts were to
be let ITO the lowest bidder it his business,
If CRATER to that his man was the low
est bidder, or to have Combination among the
bidders so that the contracts would be divided
among two three favored firms or individuals;
or to work in some one sub-contractor or in
various ways get finger in the pie, so that he
could "holp up somebody for "a divvy." Where
individual officials had the entire control of their
offices, their opportunities for graft were, Of
Uho 0O-aSSOnfat0d
in city work. there had to be either complete and
general understanding to crooked work." or
there might be underhand work by one or two
men which was hidden from the rest.
The public had weird and unique ideas about
graft" The fact that grating" carried on
in city hall and city departments to greater or
less extent during every political administration
was fact that was undeniable. Sometimes an ad-
ministration especially corrupt; sometimes the
administration was headed by man who was even
by his bitterest enemies acknowledged to be strict
1y honest But one man could oversee the
ns and outs of every department in the city, there
was bound to be some grating" however petty,
somewhere in the various offices or departments.
But the public generally seemed to be OF the opin-
ion that the instant man was appointed or elect
ed to office his entire nature changed. The people
imagined apparently that business man whose
integrity through many years. had never been
questioned became crooked" the instant he took
the oath of Office And because of this, the most
insulting and libelous statements were being ban
died back and forth by irresponsible parties, con-
cerning men who were honestly and consclentlousy
doing their duty in public offices.
Citizens who appropriated without any legal right
the sidewalks in front of their stores for shipping
purposes-men who would follow an alderman for
weeks in order to get bay-window put in down
town shop contrary to the ordinances, people who
hung about the city hall from dawn to twilight try
inc to get a railroad pass, would enter public
oA3na with the air of Daniel going down the eeva-
tor into the lions den. And if question was asked
them when they stated their business, they always
Imagined it had hint of graft in It, Well now,
let me tell YOU These folks that are always scent
ing graft in every public office and oficer-these
"HoIy Willies" that assume such an unco guld
air they are often the people that will bear watch
ing themselves. m
The fact Of the matter was that that real graft
was handled by men who worked 1t so that nearly
always it was entirely legal, in the strict letter
of the law A measley five tendollar bill handed
ere and there for some favor was mere bagatelie
And as for graft in politics. the legislatures OF the
various states are as mighty universities to kin
dergartens compared to city administrations AS
for the United States senate-but that is the KING
row. on the political checker-board, and not mat
ter for comment in this article.
Money is the cheapest and least dangerous form
of graft" mean money that buys fayors; brides
in word Big graft" concerns itself with shares,
sstock" "interests"-things that cannot be traced
80 easily to corrupt Big grafters are afraid
of cold cash They want something that can Dc