The Red Cloud chief., 1908-07-10

salary, that's all" SV OTH/E w. N
Come off. Why, two of
That last bunch cleaned up ten thousand apiece be.
fore they walked the plank
Wei, 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, Jack9"
We'll, | never had Honest John tackled onto
me for a handicap, but don't want to go along
the street looking back to see If anyoneis following
me-"
But those fellows are alive and well today, and
the statute of limitations has run on EN-"
Yes. maybe; but it would be just my luck to
get 'snaked.' My tailor says stripes are unbecoming
on tall men, any'S.y."
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 it?'"
The foregoing conversation is verbally a correct
transcript between an appointee to a city office 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
alent among the crooked, the crafty and the un.
scrnpulous 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 his
"rake-of," or his bit"
II he was In a position where contracts were to
be let Ito the lowest bidder 1t was his business,
II 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-contractor. or in
various ways get a 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
course. extensive; where officials were co-associated
In city work. there had to be either a complete and
general understanding as 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" was carried on
in city hall and city departments to a greater or
less extent during every political administration
was a fact that was undeniable. Sometimes an ad-
ministration was especially corrupt; sometimes the
administration was headed by a man who was even
by his bitterest enemies acknowledged to be strict
ly honest. But as no one man could oversee the
ms 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 a man was appointed or elect
ed to Office his entire nature changed. The people
Imagined, apparently, that a 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 ana forth by irresponsible parties, con
corning men who were honestly and conscientiously
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 a bay-window put In a down.
town shop contrary to the ordinances, people who
hung about the city hall from dawn to twilight try.
ing to get a railroad pass, would enter a public
office with the air of Daniel going down the eleva-
tor into the lions den. And IL a question was asked
than, uuhan thnN mic thnip lpGinn fhnu aIyvat
imagined 1t had a hint Of graft In 1t. Well, now,
let me tell you: These folks that are always scent.
Ing graft" in every public Office and o~fhcer-these
Holy Willies' that assume such an 'unco guild"
air, they are often the people that will bear watch.
ing themselves.
was handled by men who worked II so that nearly
always 1t was entirely legal, in the strict letter
of the law, A measley five or %ten-dollar bill handed
here and there for some favor was a mere bagatelle.
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 net a mat.
ter for comment in this article.
Money Is the cheapest and least dangerous form
of graft | mean money that buys favors; brides,
in a word, Big graft concerns itself with shares
Stock "interests'-things that cannot be traced
so easily to corrupt sources. Big grafters are afraid
U