Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-16
ROBINS Tells 0F.
CNY'S CORRUPTION
Story With d Moral Holds At
tention Of Large Y. N. G. A.
Audience
THE DOWNFALL OF o'coNNoR
Raymond Robins, Social Settlement
and Civic Reform Worker, Delivers
Interesting Lecture on "civic Cor
ruption and tho Way OUT = Applies
the Moral to This or Any Other City

Raymond Robins, a member Of the
Chicago board of education, a social
settlement and civic reform worker.
and a man who has delved into a doz-
en- vocations to get first-hand knowl-
edge, told a story of graft and politi-
cal rottenness, and drew from 1t q
moral applicable almost anywhere. un-
der the subject of "Civic, Corruption
and the Way Out" at the Methodist
church Wednesday night. The audi
ence was large, but not so large as
Robins deserved.
Robins story is the meat Of his lee
sture, and he tells it we'll. He Is not an
orator in the strictest meaning of the
word, but nevertheless an orator, his
yeloquence, being the oratory of one
who is convinced, and who tells his
story from first-hand, personal knowl-
edge. His moral is drawn. from the
experiences Of actual work, and the
results obtained by doing good for the
people and opening their eyes to the
graft and corruption to which they
have contributed thru ignorance.
a Downfall Of O'connor.
His story, insofar as he referred to
graft and corruption in city and ward
government, could be duplicated in al
most any large city. Robins field
happened to be the Seventeenth ward
of Chicago, which is Tricky settled by
laborers of a score of nationalities.
They, were poorly cared for by the AID
erman and ward boss, Maurice O'Con-
nor. Graft was rampant. streets were
dirty, sanitary conditions were fright
full Poisoned milk killed their babies,
and all paid tribute to O'Connor. Then
Robins and his settlement workers
took hand in ward politics. They
established milk station, where pure
milk, modified to s,rit the wants OF
young infants, was sold. The children
ceased to die. They dug into the sew
er department and indicted thirteen In
spectors. They forced the erection OF
new school buildings, and the children
were kept off the streets. They Sc
cured the appointment, after long
legal struggle of square" sanitary
engineer, Charles B. Ball, who is still
at the head of the department.
Their candidate for alderman was
beaten at the first election by o'Con-
nor, backed by, as Robins declared.
$4,000 of public service corporation
money. A year later, O'Connor was
beaten at the polls, after the voting
places had been cleared of his men,
who tried to block the lines and delay
the voting.
This was five years ago. A few
weeks ago the same candidate who
was beaten by O'Connor and then
out opposition.
Tho Remedy.
Robins remedy was doing things for
the people; showing them the way
out by lettering their condition, and
opening their eyes to the graft in which
they were taking part. His strength
came from the working classes, and
his hope for the country lies in the
group of toll, which is not Influenced
by the possible loss Of privileges or
business advantages which control the
majority Of those engaged in business
or the professions.
His hope for civic and national pur-
ity of government lies in freedom in
its fullest sense. and a willingness to
attack graft and corruption in any
form, not by denunciation but by good
works.
What was accomplished in the Sew
enteenth ward of Chicago Mr. Robins
said, it was possible to accomplish any
place, for no section Of any city was
more rotten than that before reform