Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-15
By ALFRED HENRY LEWIS

|
speaking for the trusts and for
criminal privilege-those thumbs and
fingers of Satan!-taunts the public
with its political idleness. and in pass
Ing calls it "a Pharisee." The public
says the condemnatory daily-com-
plains of criminal privilege and accuses
1t of coercion, corruption and bribery.
The daily points out how the trusts are
frequently the victims, not the crimi-
nails, and-threatened by the publcs
own elected officers-pay not brides,
but blackmail. The public, crying for
protection, should-by word of the dali
ly-in its turn protect. 1t should save
the trusts from extortioners in office
before assailing them as extortioners.
bleeding the public.
This charge is not new. 1t was made
four years ago by Mr. Archbold. You
know Mr. Archbold He sits all day at
No. % Broadway, inClosing certificates
| of deposit for $1,000 and $4,000 and
$4,000 and $4,000 to My Dear Cen
| eral Grosvenor" and Dear Sibley" and
| My Dear Senator Foraker" and Dear
Mr.. Penrose," meanwhile urging per
incident that this measure be killed or
that measure pressed, or this man be
made judge or that man prevented
! from becoming an attorney general;
and all and singular with view to ex-
tending a corruption which in the be-
ginning produced him (Mr Archbold)
and has ever since continued to pleas
antly foster and fatten him.
Public Should Reform Itself.
| Mr.. Archbold and the metropolitan
daily have some reasonable right on
their side. Good can come out of NaZ-
areth truth proceed from a metropoli
tan daily or an Archbold. 1t may even
be echoed by a Chancellor Day. And
because IF a woolsack aphorism which
insists that he who comes into equity
must come with clean hands convict
ed public, complaining of trust eXtor-
lions and the encroachments Of crimi-
nal privilege, should turn honestly ac-
tive in an effort to reform itself.
As declared by Mr.. Archbold and re-
declared by that metropolitan daily
defending criminal privilege with red
faced zeal-the public too often and
too carelessly has maintained band Of
wolves at its capitols as part and parcel
of what It calls congresses and legis-
| latures
Failing OF it's plain duty, the public,
! in the business of its office filling, has
allowed itself to be ruled by bosses
ruled by money. These bosses were
mere wolf masters. They picked out
and controlled the public wolf packs.
The big parties were both to blame.
There was the Republican part Of the
pack, which corresponded with the
black timber wolves of our Northwest
ern woods There was the Democrat
fragment OF the pack which-dingy and
brindled as to moral hue-found their
prototypes in the big gray wolves Of
| the plains.
Being gathered together, saunt
hurgry-eyed, famished of flank, the
wolf pack letting its glance rove about
the plains of business. describes fat
trust-felonious but fat 1t is now the
chase begins. The fat company is be
set by some bill or some resolution, call
culated for its injury or destruction.
Price Must Ee Forthcomln9'
At this crisis enter the ill-odored
| folk of the lobby whose province is the
unclean province of the go-betWeen
The threatened trust is told the price Of
peace and safety. Unless the price be
forthcoming the injurious bill or de-
structive resolution will be voted
| through
The harassed company pays the
| price. With that the wolfpacH fall
| upon that blackmail-after the bosses
and minor wolf masters have torn off
their shares-and rend 1t to pieces.
Who is responsible for this special
and particular corruption? Is it the
trusts hunted by the wolf pack? or is
it the public. lazily Indifferent both to
its ballot duty and its political respon-
sibility?
The above however, doesn't mark in
full the boundaries of a public culpa-
bility, and Mr.. Archbold and the metro
politan daily stopped talking too soon.
| In It's laxities of politics the public is
not only to blame for wolves of black
mail in legislatures and congresses, but
also for the leg freedom wrOngfully
enjoyed by multitude of trust organs
and felons Of criminal privilege. OF
these Mr.. Archbold and the excited daily
say suspiciousy nothing.
| Consider those beef acquittals in
| Chicago and those sugar dismissals-
! through the interposition of conven-
lent statute of limitations-in New
York. Consider the score or more of