The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-06-24
sharper Than \ serpenl.s Tooth.

AEnAA FFA AaAA8 = tPNh rs ApPNAs
1t l. not difficult to imagine the
feeling of the bitterness that ranklea
in the breasts Of Charles L. Heike aud
Ernest w. Gerbracht, officers OF the
Sugar Trust, convicted Of particIpa=
ton IN theft. Both are old in years
and IN crime. Both had been aceuz=
toned To consider the intrenched Do
sltion Of the Sugar Trust : sufficient
guarantee OF aaftey Both knew TINT
the political party that has enjoyed
such long lease OF power has been
the partner Of the Sugar Trust IN
crimes committed under laws made
TO order for industrial gTafters. and
traded by political grafters for the
influence OF q titanic corporation
that influence meaning the amount 81
hard cash IL has been willing TO iay
down for the nerpetuatIou OF what
President Taft has aptly called party
solidarity"
The Republican party hag been The
creature OF corporation magnates, Al
though a majority of the criminal cor
poratIons, as they exist. aHs creations
OF The party. Billions have been
stolen from the common herd by the
plutoeracy under laws corrupllY
planned. and eorruptly and compla-
Gently enacted. Vast fortunes have
accrued TO captain OF industry though
the insertion Of little word here and
there IN the texts OF bills. by editors
of Legislation acting In dual capacity
as real servants of special interests
as nominal representatives of ultIz
mate consumers. Theft under the
law, equally ~ immoral. but safer
than theft In violation Of the Inv.
has pfospered amazingly. Tnz
arduous piraeleH of Capt. Kidd and
his kind and the robbeTIea of the
bandlit OF old who lived from hand
20 mouth and slept In caves when not
losing sleep IN their efforts TO dodge
representatives Of organized govern
menI. constitute mere examples of
petty sneak thieYery compared with
the aecretions Of wealth that have
tumbled into the Golfers Of the Snug
chufeh-going. ehurch-endowing e
ponents OF modern piracy and whole
sale robbery while they have slept 81
tight ~ the pfoYefblal bng IN the ruE.
secure from molestation.
From robbery under the lag TO rob
berry outside Of the Law Il but step.
and one that may be taken without
any aualms b. the type Of plllager
who has no conscience until he l.
caught with hi fingers IN tie pockets
of someone else and publicly branded
or sent to prison. There Il honor
among thieves only Insofar al II Ser
YES the ends Of self-proteetion. L L
not u be expected thai representa-
tiYeE 81 trust hat has fIonrIshed IN
der dishonest Legislation would he's
tate, a. long n the venture seemed
safe. 10 perpeITate weighing frauds
TO supplement Inc earnings II has en-
joyed under legislative frauds. Tie
intimate relations long existing be
tween the trusts and tie party II
power naturally bred belief In the
minds Of the sugar trusts officers
that there was no danger N inserting
a few steel springs In tie scales 10
reduce the weight Of valuable com
modify.
Public servants come and go. The
reliable. dependable. necessary serF-
ants Of the great corporation, equip
ped for usefulness by knowledge Of
the business, and guaranteed against
dismissal by perfect familiarity with
the criminal methods Of their EN-
ployefs. are fixtures as long as they
are not incapaeItated. Il Is natural
that the old and faithful employees Of
fidence In the shifting population Of
official Washington, and should
have looked to the boys TO devise
ways and means Of making campaign
thunder without invoking the aid of
actual thunderholts. The stage thnn=
der barrel has served 20 often that
the serenity and trustfulness that
have existed among members of the
old guard In the sugar business are
logical and comprehensive. Nor.
In the hour Of their distress these
venerable migefeants-the middle men
between the thieves at the dock aud
the thieves in the highest ofIices-feeI
that It is sharper than a serpenI's
tooth to have thankless Administra-
ton. 1t is possible TO understand
their position. and TO sYmpathIze IN
a measure with the bitterness they
experience, without wishing to see
the least of the offenders escape ser
vice IN the penItentiary a. a merited
penalty for a longer service in a den
of thieves.
RuI the milk In the eoeoanut Of
trust corruption has not yet been tap
ped. Not until. from one cause or an
other. some one high In the counsels
of the sugar trust develops a CON
science. prison=grown or otherwise.
and tells how the gang IN New York
and the gang In Washington have CO.
operated, compounded and eoyenanted
to skin the millions out Of billions
for the mutual benefit Of a political
clique and an industrial group, vii
the tale OF sugar trust corruption be
told. May the Lord hasten the day