The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-28
P|TTSB j re PLANS
CLEANUP FTER
CRAFT ORGY
Officials To Expose Those Higher Up
Who Profit by Vice in City That
Has Been Put To Shame BY
Corrupt Men.
Commission Form of Government Is
Proposed - Roosevelt Started
Great Bribery Upheaval.
BY ANGUS GORDON.

III
OF the jungle OF municipal graft. open
ed To view by the wholesale prosecu-
tion OF bribetaking councilmen AMI
bribe-giving business men. there has
arisen In Pittsburg the form OF the
I commission plan of government, and
TO this the reform element OF the city
pins faith for the future.
i When w. ii. Stevenson. leader OF
TIE citizens reform movement. declar-
ed that the commission plan be adopt
ed, he became the hero OF the situa-
ton. The machine politicians Will
II fight tooth and nail TO defeat Steven
sons plan, but he declares that II can
not fall III the people are sufficiently
Z aroused.
He points out that GO American
cities, with total population OF b.
100000, now operate under commits
sion plans, and thereby escape graft
and extravaganza. Under the commits
sion plan Pittsburg would be govern
ed by board of citizens who would
take the city's management out OF the
hands of ward bosses and partisan
politics, and apply 10 It strictly hon
est business methods. There would
be no party names on the ballots. and
the commissioners would not repre-
sent the interests of classes or city
sections, but each would be respon'
sible TO the whole city.
eIames Council System.
Capt Johnny Klein. who for years
distributed the graft among his fellow
councilmen and who confessed his
bribery crimes at the threshold OF the
penitentiary. says that the council
tsystem has been responsible for Pitts
sburg's corruption. He admits that
Icouncils In which he sat pocketed
lover 100000 OF brides given by six
banks to get the city's deposits at low
rates OF interest. and by the Dallas
&c. Byers steel mill TO vacate street
which the Byers concern could use In
Its business.
Klein says that II was inevitable
THAT councilmen should fall To bribery.
l"They are not elected for their honor.
land most of them are cheap men," he
lsaid. THE city pays these men moth
ling for their time and they have TO
live. you know. Those of us who took
lbribes are no worse than the rich and
respectable business men who passed
JUS the cash Why, there's graft these
Idays in nearly all business. Ninety
lper cent of the business people OF
lean system"
These are the words OF a self-con-
Ifessed thief and can be taken for
lwhat they are worth as showing the
depth OF Pittsburgs shame.
Pittsburg's graft system. hand and
glove with the rotten state system,
lis hoary with age. There have been
sporadic attempts at reform In late
YEARS, but these did not come to any
thing The town was content, APP
lparently.
The present upheaval was really
started by Roosevelt, when in 1908
bank examiner reported TO Washing
. ton his discovery that the bank was
| buying councilmens votes TO get city
| deposits at low interest rates. Roose-
. Melt stirred certain prominent citizens
ho action and an investigation brought
Iout the astonishing truth that six
prominent banks. with the knowledge
and approval OF their directors. were
head over heels in the business, and
pna by one. facing prison and hoping
Dor immunity. councilmen have con-
tessed their part in the transactions.
After Men Higher Up.
w A. Blakeley. district attorney
kiefving the influential bribe-givers as
hyell as the vengeful bribe-takers,
eauRht in the laws net. has forced
the prosecutions through the courts.
lie has all along declared that he was
afier the men higher up who for
business success have traded In coun-
,ilmen and have sold out the people s
rights.
His biggest victory came when Capt
tohnny Klein, go-between OF councils
land business. made a full confession.
lllein. n picturesque politician. had
Iought mis- prosecution stubbornly. He
declared he would never confess. After
his conviction his brethren In crime
failed to support his family, and send
ing for Blakeley he told him the whole
rotten story.
Rlakeley let down the immunity
Ibars for councilmen with guilty con
ccienoes. and they came in rush 10
c,nfess. In "a hours the guilty
etorics of IL councilmen had been told
n the court. and for week the con
LESSONS continued.
Armed with these confessions
Rlakeley SAYS he will get the full
list of bribe-giving bankers-the men
higher up. Prior TO the Klein confes
sion the district attorney had sent
WIN Ramsey president of the Ger
man National bank. to the penitenti-
arv for Is months and $1,000 fine and
had caused the conviction OF "A. "A. VII
VTVNO