Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-07-09

NNNAF - Nh"'S thh
Come off! Why, two of
that last bunch cleaned up ten thousand apiece oe'
fore they walked the plank"
We'll, it's a new deal. No side issues for me-
Just the little old four thou. That's all"
Why you amt honest, are you, Jack"
Well | never had Honest John tackled onto
me for a handicap, but l don't want to go along
the street looking back to see if anyone's following
me-
But those fellows are alive and well to-day, and
the statute of limitations has run on EN-"
Yes, maybe; but it would be just my luck to
get 'snaked' M tailor says stripes are unbecoming
on 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
one to ring the door-bell and ask how about tt?"
The foregoing conversation is verbally a correct
transcript between an appointee to a city ONCE and
a 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
aIent among the crooked. the crafty and the I'M
'scrupulous that public office was a private snap"
The salary was supposed to be merely expense
money for being in the political game; the real
money" was 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 MS
"'rakeof,' or his bit"
II he was in a position where contracts were to
be let "to the lowest bidder" it was his business
If a CRATER" to see that his man was the low
est bidder, or to have a Combination among the
bidders so that the contracts would be divided
among two or three favored firms or individuals
or to work in some one as sub-contractoT, or IN
various ways get a finger in the pie so that ne
could "holp up" somebody for "a dtvVy.' Where
individual officials had the entire control of their
oHioo +boir nnnOrt1nitieS for graft were, OF
course. extensive; where officials were co-associated
in city work, there had to be either a complete and
general understanding as to crooked Work, OF
there might be underhand work by one or TWO
men which was hidden from the rest
The public had weird and unique ideas about
'"eraft." The fact that grating was carried on
in city hall and city departments TO a greater vi
lass extent during every political administration
was a fact that was undeniable. Sometimes an au-
ministration was especially corrupt; sometimes the
administration was headed by a man who was even
INV his Interest enemies acknowledged to be strict
Nv honest. But as no one man could oversee Tic
ms and outs of every department in the CITY, there
,yas hound to be some grating" however petty,
somewhere in the various offices or departments
But the public generally seemed to be OF the opln'
ion that the instant a man was appointed OF erect
~ to office his entire nature changed. The people
imagined, apparently, that a business MAI "hoSe
integrity, through many years, hau never ooeL
questioned became crooked the instant he loon
fine oath Of office. And because oil thls, Ihe nio''
Insulting and libelous statements were beng pan
died hack and forth by irresponsible parties, con
,nerning men who were honestly and cohsclehuoo9l
doing their duty in public of1ces'
citizens who appropriated without any legal righ
tho sidewalks in front of their stores for shlpplhi
purposes-men who would follow an alderman III
yoaks in order TO get a bay-window put in a doWr
town shon contrary to the ordinances, people Wh
hung about the city hall from dawn to twilight tr!
st-al would pntHr a DnDD
office with the air of Daniel going down the eleV'
tor into the lions den. And if a question was aske
them when they stated their business, they AWAY
imagined it had a hint OF graft IN IL. well nov
Lot me tell you: These folks that are always seen
ing graft in every public office and olncer-lhef
"Holy Willies' that assume such an uhco gun
air, they are often the people that Will pear "a'o
ing themselves. ne
The fact of the matter was that that real graz
was handled by men who worked IL SO that neai
always it was entirely legal, In the stIlct letu
of the law. A measley five or ten-dollar Dill haho'
here and there for some favor was a mere Dagatel
And as for graft in politics, the legislatures Oh q
various states are as mighty universities 10 M
dercartens compared to city Administrations.
for the United States senate-but that Is tne XII
row. on the political checker-board, and not a III
fer for comment in this article.
Money is the cheapest and least dangerous Iol
of graft" | mean money that buys favors; prip
in a word. Big graft concerns itself with snare
4.stock0 sinterests'-things that cannot be trac
ca easily to corrupt sources. Big grafters are afri
of cold cash. They want something that can