Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-04-05
G. 0. P. IS FAIRLY
REEKING WITH GRAFT
Republican Party Staggers Under
the Burden of Robberies Conn
mitted by Own Agencies.
MILLIONS IN THE TOTAL LOOT
Sugar Frauds and the Chicago Cases
Cited-ohio and Pennsylvania
Are Other Examples.

Inc Republican party throughout
the United States is Keeling from the
effect of series of heavy blows which
are SCATTERING the organization
through which it has controlled the
national and many State governments
for sixteen successive years. Some of
these blows are of a political nature,
but most of them take the form of
| graft exposures. Practically every
| graft exposure of the last ten years
has uncovered Vaccinations of Re-
publican machine intrenched in office,
| growing fat off public property. Right
now these exposures are at climax.
| Uninterrupted power, fostering conf
dence, is shown to have bred corrup-
ton of amazing extent, in the nation,
in the State, in the municipality.
Secretary Ballinger of the Depart
/; uent of the Interior is defending him.
self from scandalous charges of COM
plicity in land frauds brought by the
| former chief forester, Clifford Pinchot.
Into the investigation President Taft
| himself has been drawn as defender
of Ballinger.
The sugar trust is shown to have
| stolen immense sums from the govern
ment by fraudulent weights, the New
York Suns estimate of the thefts be-
ing $30,O00,0 900, and while underlings
are prosecuted the big Offenders go
| free. The charge is not denied that
for a year after full information OF
the thefts was placed before the Re-
| publican national administration the
| sugar trust went on robbing the gov
eminent unchecked.
In the New York State Legislature
Senator Aids, just after being elected
leader of the Republicans In the Sen
ate, was accused of being bribe-taker,
and Senator Ben Conger brought proof
| to sustain his charges OF wholesale
| corruption, extending over years, In
the Republican legislative organization
of New York. Laws have been bought
| and sold as in a public market.
Chicago has contributed It's share to
| the exposures of graft, the conviction
of Inspector Edward Mccain for TAX
ing tribute from divekeepers being one
of the most notable cases of successful
prosecution of police corruption in his
tory.
PENNSYLVANIA, rock-ribbed Republic
| can State, whose capitol is a monu-
ment to the corruption of its Repub-
lican bosses, is still in the grip of the
party of plumber. Philadelphia, where
II Is estimated Republican freebooters
have divided s50.000,000 in the last
| decade. has not shaken off the ring,
which is as old as the city itself, and
the great strike which is now paralyz-
ing that metropolis is traced directly
to the grating politics.
There are few Republican grafters
| in commentaries; there are more of
them at liberty. but down and out, dis
graced. Chicago has furnished two
| convicts-John A Linn and John A
| Cooke Washington has furnished two
more. United States Senator ]. R. Bur
ton of Kansas and United States Sena-
tor John H. Mitchell of Oregon. Cooke
and Linn helped themselves to the
funds of their offices as court clerks.
Senator Mitchell was convicted OF
completely in land frauds, such as are
involved in the Ballinger-Pinchot con-
troversy. Senator Burton was con-
victed of attempting while Senator to
get a postal fraud order removed from
a get-rich-quick concern.
Senator Chauncey Depew still sits
as Republican Senator in Washington,
but the disgrace of the insurance scan
dals causes him to hide his head, and
no more is his jaunty smile pictured
in the press or his comment printed
as the witty utterances of "promi-
nent Republican" He is not wanted
on the stump in any political cam
paign. The yellow dog fund" of
$1,200,000, the house of mirth' at Al
bany, and my pestiferous friend up
the river" are all being recalled by the
Aids scandal, which gives pungent
point to recollections OF the insurance
scandals.
OF all the scandals for which re-
sponsibility has been fastened on the
Republican party the greatest in
money involved is the sugar trust
smuggling case. After paying $780,
900 to the government in settlement
of evaded duties. the trust saw four
of its former employes--Charles Ke-
hoe, Edward A. Boyle. Patrick ]. Hen
nessey and John NJ Coyle sentenced
to a years Imprisonment for under
weighing frauds. Then the big men
in the trust sat back and laughed at
their punishment. The gigantic ma
tnre of these frauds Is told In 'ecords
in the custom house.
Albany, n. Y, has long enjoyed the
reputation" of being the legislative
graft center of the country-it is not
able that Republican majorities have
ruled in Albany with few lapses-the
latest being the Aids scandal, grow
ing out Of charge that the man hon
ored by the Republican Senators as
their leader had taken a 1000 bribe
for supporting a DILL wanted by bridge
companies. Confederation has been
given in the inquiry TO the general be-
lief in organized barter of legislation
by the Republican machine OF New
York State When the investigation
of the cha-ges now pending is ended.
there will come another into general
legislative graft, and Republicans OF
New York are shuddering at the pros
pect.
Gov. Harmon of Ohio is giving a
practical example of what Demo
cratic administration can accomplish
He has appointed legislative graft
probe commission which has uncover
ed amazing graft scandals, which went
unchecked under Republican rule
Wholesale grating in State printing
contracts is disclosed
The worst TO Come.
President Taft, standing between
xx~1&rtz1r, AGAIN defends