The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1908-07-10

Y,
that last bunch cleaned up ten thousand apiece be-
fore they walked the plank
Wen. it's new deal. No side issues for me.
Just the little old four thou That's all
why. you amt honest you, Jack?"
We'll, l never had Honest John tackled onto
me for handicap, but don't want to go along
the street looking back to if anyone's following
me"
But those fellows are alive and we'll to-day 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, anyway"
You're foolish, Jack"
"A regular lobster Billy: but when I'm let out
l want to sleep nights, without listening for some
to ring the door-bell and ask how about p"
The foregoing conversation is verbally a correct
transcript between an appontee to city office and
political acquaintance, the wellknown and almost
"disbarred" attorney the Hon. William "Skiphis-
name 1t occurred just written down, and is
merely given to illustrate the general idea prev
alent among the crooked, the crafty and the
scrupuous that public office private snap"
IPhe salary was supposed to be merely expense
hey for being in the political game; the real
money was to be gotten out Of side deals"
schemes where the official to his influence
and his opportunities to get into something good
whereby for favors either directly or indirectly
granted he got what is known sometimes his
"rakeof, his bit"
If he in position where contracts to
be let ito the lowest bidder" it his business,
If a CRATER. to that his man" was the low
est bidder, or to have combination" among the
bidders that the contracts would be divided
among two or three favored firms or individuals
to work in some one sub-contractor, in
various ways get finger in the pie so that he
could 'holp up" somebody for "a dvvy' Where
individual officials had the entire control of their
Offices their opportunities for graft were. Of
course extensive; where officials co-assocated
in city work. there had to be either complete and
general understanding to crooked work.. or
there might be underhand work by two
which 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 greater
less extent during every political administration
fact that undenable Sometimes an ad-
lnnistration especially corrupt; sometimes the
administration headed by man who was even
by his bitterest enemies acknowledged to be strict
ly honest But one man could oversee the
ins 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 opln
ion that the instant man was appointed or elect
- to office his entire nature changed The people
iA.ined 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 and forth by irresponsible parties. con-
cerning who were honestly and consclentlonsly
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-wndow put in 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 pubic
office with the air of Daniel going down the eeva-
tor into the lions dcn 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
. "Holy Willies" that assume such an unco guid
air they are often the people that will bear watch
ing themselves.
The fact of the matter was that that real graft
WAS handled by men who worked it so that nearly
always it was entirely legal. in the strict letter
of the law. A measley five or ten-dollar Dill handed
here and there for some favor mere bagatelle.
Ard as for graft in politics. the legislatures OF the
various states are mighty universities 10 KIN
dergartens compared to city administrators. 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 favors; brlbes.
in a word Big graft concerns itself with shares
Stock" "interests"-tE."gs that cannot be traced
easily to corrupt soues Big grafters are AFRAID
of s,ld cash. They want something that can De