The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-03-20
GRAFT PROBLEM SOLVED.

Pennsylvania was robbed of $11,00OOOO on her new
state house Her deficit at present 100000
wn,ch Is what she has been run in debt by the Quay
MageePenrose gang. The boodIers have stolen all the
taxes they could avoid spending for the state and
$79,0000O0 besides.
Philadelphia has been robbed for a generation and is
still asleep Even the shock of having her waerworks
1obbed off to ring touched her. She is still the
City of Brothery Graft.
Under the smoke of Psburg lots of things may occur
in secretwith the Magee and Magee IT, crowds opera
ing So Pttsburg has had her booders and her brbers
and her awakening from her maps and her falling to sleep
aganln which operation she is engaged by the way
But the way is opening. A great light has dawned. A
method of dsposng of thieves presents itself which ought
to be peculiarly adapted to Pennsy vania Like the Gal
weston pan the vaccination and ether and the for
cretinsm, 1t is an accidental dscoverybu it will rip
things up in Pennsylvania all the same
A banker named Reiber sent to the penitentary,
and was put to work the books of that retreat for the
discovered. OF course close examination of the books
revealed graft must be borne in mind that this was in
Pennsy lvania
There two other bankers in the penitentiary
strange to say gentlemen named montgomery and Rhine
hart Mr.. Reiber, must call him. not being
acquainted with his number called the others to his aid
and they uncovered $4,000 of apparent stealings in
short time II has been reported to the board of visitors
and some OF the management may soon become fellow
victs OF the trio of bankers
The thought at that Pennsylvania should
work her thieves in shfsone in JAIL and in office
BY convictng reasonable percentage of her criminals
beginning with those engaged in capitol and water steals
adding to their number with Ptsburg volators of the
rebate laws and other old eos they find handy
ana possessed OF the necessary Qualifications good
working force may be organized whose liberty may be
made aainabe by bringing equal number of their for
mer brethren OF the craft to book Coal magnaes may
be put the trail of steel crooks brbers of Pttsburg
aldermen may be set shadowng Philadelphia grafters
aldermen convicted in city may be detailed to Heney
ze those of another and of terror naugurated that
will make for general upft and down throw and terror
This scheme may seem imperfect, but it can be worked
out.
When the force of detective thieves shall have caught
enough to fill the pentenaries they should be liberated
their cells needed If necessary more pententares
should be built BY setting good trained thieves watch
the contractors building these good haul of contract
thieves may be landed But there is believe that
the pentenaries be built faster than this source of
recruits will fill them. even in Pennsylvania
TO prevent the further corruption of the people, and
increase of the criminal class beyond its present numbers
the places of dds honor and ms vacated by those
caught should be filed by the liberated convcs who have
caught them This will build up esprit du corps and
make for efficiency in both ofcehoders and their
At last the system will become perfected and Penn
sylvana will be found populated by three classes of c
zens-convcted thieves thieves in office and taxpayers
The amount stolen will be large but the work those in
the prisons will operate to decrease the akngs of those
In office and this will be clear gain for there is no check
at all upon IT now so far can be seen.
The objection to this plan is that the taxpayers will gain
by It, Taxpayers of the sort that stand the PENNSYLVANIA
style of graft deserve nothing better than they are getting
This drawback however does outweigh the inherent
merits of the new plan.