The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-02-07

curing, by speech, editorial book. or
pamphlet, the defense by misstate-
ments OF what they have done. ana
yet when public Hervants correct their
Measurements be telling the truth they
dcCinim against them Tor breaking
silence, lest values be dopreciatcd.'
| They have hurt honest business mon.
honest working men. honest farmers.
and now they clafnor against the truth
being told.
upon the EFFORT to secure honesty IN
business and in politics Is well cN-
pressed In hraZCn protests against any
effort FOR the moral regeneration OF the
business world. on the ground that II Is
unnatural. unwnrrantetd and injurious.
and that business panic IN the ncces-
sarv penalty for such effort 30 secure
business honesty. The morality OF
such a plea Is precisely AZ grcnt AS II
made on behalf OF the men caught In
IA gambling establishment when that
gambling establishment Is raided by
the police. II such words mean any
thing they mean that thos" whose sem
timcnts they represent stand against
the EFFORT to bring about mora! re-
generation OF business. which VIII pre-
vent repetition OF the insurance.
banking and street railroad scandals in
New York. repetition OF the Chicago
q Alton deal; a repetition Of the com.
bination between certain professional
politicians. certain professional labor
leaders and certain big hnanciers,
from the disgrace Of which San Fran
cisco has just been rescued, q rcpeti-
tion Of the successful EFFORT by the
Standard oil people to crush out every
competitor, to ONuruwp the common
carriers, and to establish monopoly
which treats the public with n con
tempt which the public deserves so
long as IL permits men OF such prIn-
ciplcs and sentiments to nvow and act
on them with impunlty The cutlery
against stopping dishonest practices
among wrOnEdoers who happen to he
wealthy is precisely similar to the out
cry raised against every cffort for
cleanliness and dcccncy In city GOV.
hurt business" The same cutlery Is
made against the department of JUS
ticc for prosecuting the heads OF colos-
sal corporations that has been made
against the men who In san Francisco
have prosecuted with impartial sever
ity the wrongdoers among business
men. public officials and labor leaders
alike The principle Is the sam" in
the two cases. Just rs the blhckmail-
or and bride givcr stand on the same
cvll cmincnCc OF infumy. 80 the man
who makes an enormous fortune by
corrupting legislatures and municipal
itics and tcecing hts stockholders and
the public. stands on the same moral
level with the creature who fntt"nS on
the blood money Of tho gambling house
and the saloon. Moreover. In the last
analysis both kinds OF corruption are
far more intimately connected than
would nj hrst sight appear. the wrong
doing IL at bottom the same. corrupt
busiress and corrupt politics act and
react with ever Increasing dCbuSc-
mcnt one on the other; the corrupt
head OF n corporation and the corrupt
labor leader are both In the same de-
gree the enemies of honest corpora
tons and honest labor unions: the re-
bate takcr. the franchise tranlckcr.
the manipulation Of securities tn" pur
vcyor and protector of vice, the black
mailing ward boss. the ballot box stun
er. the demHgogue, the mob leader, tho
hired bully. ana mun-klllcr-all alike
work Mt the same web of corruption.
and all alike should be abhorrcd by
honest men.
The business" which IL hurt by che
movement for honesty IL the kind Of
business which. In the long run, u
pays the country to have hurt. II IL
tho kind OF business which has tended
to make the very name high finance" a
term OF scandal to which all honest
American men OF business should join
In putting an end. The special plond-
ers for business dishonesty In denounC-
ing the present administration for en-
forcing the law against the huge and
corrupt corporations which have dciicd
the law, also drnOunCc II for endcnvor-
ing to secure sadly needed labor lcgiE.
latlOn. such as n far-reAching law max
ing employers liable for injuries to
their employees.