The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-30
GOVERNOR HUGHES
TALKS ON GRAFT
In Speech He Declares That
Facts Must Come Out
PROTECTION IS NEEDED
Hughes Says 1t Is Necessary TO sho"
Where People of New York Have
Been Deceived and to Clean
Up Rottenness
PROTECTION IS NEEDED

i
household needs disnfecting and we
shall save money by making the pro-
cess a thorough one" declared Gov
Charles E. Hughes of New York to-
night In an address before the Mer-
chants Exchange banquet at New Ro-
chelle
FULLEST inquiry by every competent
means into the charges of political cor
H ruption in New York state, said the
governor. must be advocated
He declared he had no panacea for
the prevention of public ills but said
he renewed his belief in the direct pri-
mary as a salutary measure for purs-
ing the body polite.
Starting with the declaration that
political corruption is not partisan out
the common enemy, Governor Tughes
said
"These are wholesome days for the
people of this state, full of opportunity
and promise 1t Is not when the pes
thence is known the infected quarters
ascertained and every effort made to
limit and eradicate the scourge, that
we have reason to be believed but
rather when ignorance or indifference
permits 1t to spread unchecked.
Continuing he said;
| at am a republican strongly at
tached to my party and earnest IN the
desire for republican success But
cherish a concern deeper and more
vital than that. I want to see the IL
llcit efforts of privilege frustrated;
bribery and corrupt arrangements de-
stroved, and the market places where
governmental favor has been bought
and sold converted into true assemblies
of honest representatives of the peo-
pie
We should seek to the fullest ex-
tent possible the benefit of the purify
ing influence of publicity. This is not
time for concealment, for adroit
hnesse, for pleasant schemes to hood
wink the people. There must be star
light. forward dealing. Some object
that 1t costs money to investigate. That
is true but it will cost more not to
investigate The political household
needs disinfecting and We shall save
money by making the process a
thorough one.
LET there be the fullest inquiry by
every competent means.
1T is needed to expose those who
have been faithless to their trust.
TT is needed to put an end to corrupt
alliances between business and poll
tics.
1T is needed to protect honest bus
mess.
1T is needed for the honorable men
in the legislature who should not be the
victims of an indiscriminate denunciaton
by reason of practices in which they have
no part.
1T is just to party organization that
it may be saved from the corruption
uses which have brought it into con-
tempt.
1T is needed to show how and wherein
the people have been deceived that they
may protect themselves against decep-
ton in the future.
1T is necessary In order that remedial
measures, whether in executive rules or
statutes, should be adopted so as to re-
luce to a minimum the opportunity for
stealth and of chicanery in advancing
or retarding legislative proposals
Whatever may be the result of such
an inquiry It is clear now as 1t has
been for a long time that we should
make a change in our methods of NOM
mating candidates for elective offices.
The revelations of the past few weeks
have supplied fresh evidence of the de-
fects of the present system under which
fraud and corruption have prospered.
The single aim of political corruption
lists is to place in office men who will
do their bidding upon whom they can
depend to further their interests. These
generally are not party interests at all
but purely personal interests and the
stamp of the dollar is on most OF them.
| II favor a plan of direct nominations
| by which party candidates for elective
offices shall be chosen directly by the
secret vote Of the party voters. 1 also