Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-12-21

loud applause said he still hoped to
send one Of them to tho penltentlary
NJ. d. Rothschild, president Of the
beard of trade. presided and intro
duced Mr.. Wise as the guest of honor.
He began his speech by saying that
many thought the tariff law was one
o. the devils inventions. Whether we
liked it or not said Mr., Wise, 1t was
law, and to break it constituted
crime.
He then spoke Of the prevalence OF
smuggling when he went into office,
o. the fact that there was no senti-
ment against IT in the community,
and Of government encouragement of
it by willingness to compromise with
smugglers and underwriters.
Fought for Prison Sentences.
when / took charge" said Mr..
Wise, 81 determined to stop this. and
determined that Imprisonment was
the only effective remedy. But 1t
has been difficult to get the courts
to back me up. Conviction after con-
viction of prominent persons has been
won, but in vain have ] cried for peni-
tcntiary sentences. The obscure, the
unimportant or the poor man was sent
to Atlanta, to Blackwells Island or
to some other prison, but the rich
and the important got fines, in many
cases less than one-tenth Of the
amount of which they had defrauded
the government. But, please God. as
l tpin oh 4 usill
still fight for jail sentences against
those who violate the law ! do not
care whether he is rich and influen-
tial, or poor and unknown. There is
less excuse for the former than for
the latter.
But it has been difficult to send
the rich to jail. The judges evidently
think they should have plenty of
warning, and in case after case of
this kind | have howled in vain for
Jail sentences.
There was a certain gentleman
convicted OF smuggling. This gentle
man was once governor of a state.
In his campaign he stumped that state
believing for a protective tariff. That
was the issue upon which he based
his fight Yet he tried to evade the
duty on some $1,000 of goods he
brought In. He was caught in the
attempt and ] did my best TO have
him sent to the penitentiary. l urged
that he be made an example of, but
TIE judge let him off with fines and
penalties Yet little later a poor
Greek convicted of the same crime
was sent to Blackwells Island for
nine months"
Mr.. Wise, referring to the Duv cen
br others, said:
"Criminals OF the Lowest Type"
There has been no more shameless
OF disgraceful crime than theirs. They
were living In palaces here, In Lon
don and in Paris, assoclating with re-
spectacle people and by their cheating
sitting fair competition, driving hon
est men out of business. They are
criminals Of the lowest type and
still have hope OF sending at least
one OF them to the penitentiary. They
ought all to be there. Why shouldn't
be- indignant? Why shouldn't any
ore be indignant when they see Grim
nals such as these driving around in
automobiles. living in the most ex-
pensve hotels enjoying every luxury
OF life and then when convicted OF
crime let off with paltry fines, while
poor men are sent to prison for lesser
offenses?"
Mr.. Wise said the sugar trust had
adopted smuggling and undervalua-
ton as well as false weights to en-
able II to maintain a monopoly.
I'VE got 100000 out of them" he
said. "but they got It back imme-
diately by raising the price of sugar
When we came to fix the RESPONSE
bility we were told that only dead men
and s15-a-week clerks were guilty"
Mr.. Wise said that after one
wealthy woman vonvicted of snug
Cling had been sent to Jail no other
case of smuggling bad been called to
his attention.
Il have often wished" he ex-
claimed, that / had been judge in
stead of district attorney when the
cases Of wealthy smugglers came up
for trial. / warrant you there would
have been different sentences handed
OUT
The speaker said that there had
been over 200 arrests for smuggling