The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-02
MIR. CAGES SIMPLICITY.

MIR. CAGES SIMPLICITY.
II is astonishing indeed to see the
attitude which Mr.. Lyman J. Gage, for
mer Secretary Of the Treasury, takes
toward the reports which first came TO
him about the Sugar Trust frauds. He
refused to consider seriously the idea
that such eminent capitalists and such
lofty gentlemen as head tho Sugar Trust
could possibly be guilty of frauds
against the government, and he thought
IL was quito tho proper thing to lay
what came 10 him in the way of charges
of fraud against them, before those
trust magnates, in his simplicity assum-
ing that they were entirely guiltless
and would at once take measures TO stop
tho frauds committed in their behalf
by their subordinates
In this Mr.. Gage showed a trusting
nature that fitted in very well with the
views of the magnates of the big trust.
AS long as they could have the charges
Of fraud in their interest referred to
them for correction, all was we'll with
their operations; and 1t appears that
this sort Of trust in them gave them
tho idea that they could branch out
in even more extensive frauds and
more bare.faced swindling of the gov
ernment. According to developments in
the Sugar Trust trials at New York
the disbursing agent of the trust was
the one who bought the government
employees, and he bought them very
cheap, too; $500 to $500 apiece
seems to have been about the standard
price.
But surely it is a sickening thing to
SEQ confession like that of Mr..
Cages. The absolute idiocy Of turn
ing over to the manipulators of trust
benefited combination the allegations
that they were committing frauds
against tho government, and dropping
the matter right there, seems so much
like collusion with the trust, so much
like official protection for the rogues,
that were 1T not for the Justly high
character of Mr.. Gage he would natural
ly be assumed TO be in collusion with
the trust. However, in view of Mr.
Gage S character and high repute, this
is not a thing to be thought of for a
moment His explanation, simple and
ccniiding as it is, showing credulity
Of mind absolutely amazing, is undoubt
cdly the true explanation. He, as an
upright man, could not conceive of
men in high positions, wealthy, far re-
moved from any real temptation to
theft, committing theft, But that cred
ulous trust indulged in by Mr.. Gage
has doubtless cost the government n
good many millions of dollars, And
the very thing that he deemed to be
impossible for men of such high stand
ing TO do, is exactly what they did, or
at least connived at the doing and con-
sented to receive the stolen goods.
Mr.. Gage, however, in making such
an ingenious explanation as this, shows
himself to be altogether too angelic
a character for the rough and tumble
duties of actual life, especially of of
fetal life where that oficialdom has
to deal with such rogues as seem to
be in charge of some of the trust and
industrial combinations. 1t would seem,
however, as though Mr.. Gage, as
diligent student of American events,
could hardly have overlooked the fact
that men IN very high places and of
lofty standing and pretensions have
been guilty of various lawless and dis
honest acts from time to time. 1t would
seem, too, as though this knowledge
should have given him at least little
prudence and little caution, so that
he would not have placed himself so
entirely in the hands of this Sugar
Trust when the notice of its evil do
ing came to him officially, and when
it was his official duty to act for the
government and not for the trust