The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-02-23
CROOKED WORK
Partlzan Political Elections Bring
About Municipal Corruption
MUCH MONEY STOLEN

During 1908 Investigation Of
Councilmanic Deals in Pittsburg.
High Priced Election in Wisconsin.
What Is the Remedy?
The American people are yearly
paying the price for making elections
political, rather than business propo-
=sitions. Scarcely month passes but
some councilman, some count Of
1icial or other individual prominent
in the affairs Of a community fails
to remember that public Office Is
a public trust" and allows his po-
sition to become means for crimi-
nal procedure. City councilmen, who
direct the affairs of municipal cor
porations, invest their funds, handle
their bonds, grant or refuse their
franchises, and do hundreds and one
other things which make their favor
worth having, are made the targets
of all sorts Of propositions, blandish
ments, favors and bribes. II they
have been placed in Office as polit-
cal reward, they naturally take ad-
vantage of the prestige the job Of
9ers and make the most Of it. Again
politicians do not buy elections for
fun nor to serve the people from a
pure sense of duty. They spend
thousands in the hope of gaining mil
lions. Grit has comiled few OF
the more important cases of crook
edness that have come to light since
1909.
Indictments nave been found
against Councilmen Klein, Wasson,
and Brand, of Pittsburg, and Bank
.ers Ramey and Vilsack for bribery
in connection with the German Nat
ional bank of Pittsburg. 1t is de-
clared that further Investigation may
reveal additional crookedness on the
part of Pittsburg council. Thiev-
ing clerks are accused Of looting the
treasury of Kansas City, Mo-, OF
$4,000 in the past year. No de-
finite action has been, taken as 1t
is only short time since. the audi
tors Office made report for 1908.
w. W. Wallace, former county
clerk, in Wallace county, Tenn, is
under arrest on charge of embez-
element and breach Of trust. He ad-
mits a shortage but will not plead
guilty to the charges. Councilman
George Aunger, of Astabula, O., is
under indictment on charge of al
legged solicitation of bribe Of ST.
200 in connection with gas COM
pany's franchise.
Even school teachers in Oklahoma
have allowed their names to become
associated with criminal proceedings.
D. H. Hallock, of Goodward county,
is now serving six months in prison
and will have to pay fine of $1,000
on conviction of subornation and
perjury, in having school teachers
make fraudulent land entries.
Poor Farm Commissioner H. H.
Baumgartner, of Franklin county,
Pa, and Steward Henry Sutton, and
their wives, are under indictment on
charge of assault, larceny and re
ceiving stolen goods. They forced
their charges to steal and beat them
when they failed to appear with
plunder, and other charges Of an
almost unbelievable nature are lodg-
ed against them. A. \. Armstrong,
of Jackson, Mich, warden in a
State penitneiary, is under arrest on
charge of bribery in connection with
a chair factory in the institution in
which conyicts are compelled to
cork. He is likely to go back IL
the chair factory and work as a con-
vict.
The legislature in Wisconsin has
just closed the series of incidents
leading up to the election Of a United
States senator, by defeating Senator
Stevenson for reelection by one vote.
The contes. was bitter and included
resolutions to investigate therprimary
election, charges Of bribery and
fraud made against Stevenson by
John T. Bahne and vote by the
senate for an investigation of the
same. The senator-elect reported an
expenditure of over 100000 in Sc
curing his election and his expense
account is now in the hands of the
committee on elections in Congress.
Not the least of criminal proceed
ings brought in recent date is the
accusation made against Gov. Charles
n Haskell, of Oklahoma, and seven
other prominent person Of the State,
for alleged fraudulent entries. The
populace of Muskogee back Haskell
to man and feel he is being prose-
cuted by Roosevelt and Hearst.