The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-07-09

was the work of political enemies or "a dis
charged employe seeking revenge" very fine
article Of rosy talk" was usually tndulged In by
CRATER who was on the rum"
Then when he was finally indicted, his lawyers
would consent to tell what outrage it was that
their client should be prosecuted. All criminal
proceedings which seek to bring CRATER TO
book" are known by his lawyers as "man-hunts." ;"
The big "grafter's" friends flock to the court
room, and quite frequently the utmost courtesy
is extended to him by officials high up in jail
circles: especially if he be of the same party as
the Jail officials If he happens to be on the other
side of the political fence, these courtesies are
omitted.
After a big CRATER is convicted there is the
usual appeal to the higher courts and lot OF
skirmshing to keep him out of the penitentiary,
but he gets there Just the same. He may after
serving year of his sentence, become so III
that he will have to be pardoned II he has re-
turned part of the money he STOLE this is cnance
not to be overlooked. But if he is "stifnecked
and insists on hanging on to what he got, the
chances not so favorable. Only ridiculously
small percentage of the big "grafters" have been
punished Some of the biggest of them all have
absorbed their graft legally. But it was graft,
nevertheless. On many, the statute of limitations
has run" and prosecution made impossible. But
it is cheering to relate that grating Is not quite
so fashionable as 1t used to be by reason of these
prosecutions and much as the "refOrmer" has
been held up to rdicule it has been the reformer
and the reform organizations that have made
grating" if not unpopular, at least dangerous
Petty grating can never be wholly stamped
out, as it can be handed around by means OF
presents, privileges, ETC., in such a way that II
cannot be traced so as to provide ground fol
criminal prosecutions
The technical term graft" while peculiarly
applied to politics. is not confined to that sphere
only. Business, banking and railroad circles have
the disease. In city administrations the spot
where it is liable to make most insidious headway
is in city councils There it may be found either
indirectly CT directly apparent. And it Is there
after all that it is most dangerous, because affect
ing entire city. If public official steals from
LIS office, it is not such a direct injury to the
public man as the man who "ses out" to jam {
franchise through council
And so, in the last analysis, the eyes of the re
formers and the citizens should be fixed steadily
men are none too good; the salary should b,
such that a man could give all of his time to The
work and be well and even handsomely paid. l
the public expects man to give $4,000 wortl
of time in the city council for $4,000 salary the.
are merely putting premium on grating
The day of the brazen "grafter" has gone by
The new regime is making for better things Th
only way that grating" can flourish nowaday
Is by having city administration in full accort
with the most influential newspapers of city
apply the graft legally, pocket the ''rake-off,
point to the statutes in such case made and pre-
vided," and so far as the public is concerned, le
the CALLED jade vince"