The San Francisco call., 1910-01-02

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.UPPOSE friend should offer
you 81, 100000 on condition that
. you hold up your hand and re-
! peat so help me South Caro-
S@Ses@8@.s-3 lima or some such unmeaning
x% formula what would you do?
$%% You are aware, of course that
no man ever honestly earned
81 100000 in any such way and
YOU know that when your friend represents it as
"a perfectly legitimate business transaction" he is
living Yet the chances are. unless you are very
unusual person, YOU would accept
WHAT HAPPENED TO GILLETT
Something OF that sort in general way appears
to have happened to Governor Gllett, Representa-
tive McKinlay and Representative McLachlan with
this difference that if reports true the cut up
should be considerably more than 81 100000 apiece.
By swearing affidavit or being friends with the
man who did the swearing and putting up $40 an
acre for these $500 acres, fortunate fellow cti
zens are reported TO be in the way divide among
themselves S22.OO0000 II we allow for exaggera-
tion and divide that by the pay still seems
-cessve
UNLIKE THE HARDY PROSPECTOR
Did these our distinguished fellow citizens. go
forth with pick and shovel. grubstake and burro,
like the hardy prospector find these coal lands in
the Alaskan wild? Have they ever been on the
ground? Could they find the place the map
Probably You can supply the to these ques-
tions without my help. They took the goods the
gods provided, and asked no questions. Perhaps
later they may be compelled to answer some.
TAKEN IN ON THE DEAL
Yet it was not altogether dspensation of prov-
dence that threw into the political lap this bountifu
largesse. Somebody wanted the vote influence
OF these eminent persons. The easy money
simply a form OF bribery slightly disguised "a
perfectly legitimate business transaction. They
were taken in the deal"
WOULD YOU DO 1T?
Do not let us be too hasty to condemn This
money was lying around loose and the policeman
had turned his back. Human nature is weak. The
prize was vast, colossal What would YOU do?
Unless you can say honestly that you would spurn
the offer and call the police do not be hasty to
condemn
GOOD FELLOWS ALL
would just as soon see Governor Glett get
this money as anybody have no use for it myself.
I have nothing against Duncan McKinlay except
that he makes dreary, long winded speeches do
not have 10 listen to the speeches. Except as
congressman. McI,achan IS person OF small con
sequence unless it might be the Fictitious import
ance of fly in the soup. | do not have to eat the
soup
The episode serves TO illustrate the tremendous
difficulties in the way OF keeping men honest in
country of great undeveoped resources. Lord
Give one OF the greatest soldiers England pro-
duoed was tried for what call grating in India
and his comment on the affair was:
when | consider my opportunities I
prised at my moderation
THEY ALL DO 1T
Very much the same sort OF thing has been going
all down the line in this country for years. 1t
was only the other day that Union Pacific agents
were caught stealing coal lands in Utah and Wyo-
ming and were compelled to disgorge. The fortu-
nate brotherhood of Alaska may likewise find that
the luck has turned.
CONSIDER BALLINGER
Consider Balinger. Ballinger in Seattle fol
lowed the line OF business that John A. Benson
and F. A. Hyde pursued in San Francisco. lie was
land office attorney Suppose John A. Benson
were appointed secretary of the interior. Think
Of Hyde as commissioner of the general land Office.
That Office has been notoriously corrupt for 40
years Secretary nitchcock tried to clean it out,
But was unable TO complete his job. The office is
still rotten at the core
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