The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-01
THE LESSON.


The ease pith which state officials of New
York can be corrupted and the necessity OF
sweeping Investigations and wholesale removal
from office is the lesson New York should learn
from the details Of the latest Thaw scandal Cor
ruption in high places is The disclosure made.
Following swiftly on the heels of the expose Of
the police graft system In the city 1T shows that
liz the Stale also fs money powerful to tempt the
virtue OF public officials. and that many State
officials are as open to suspicion as those OF the
city,
Many find in the incident-for bribery and
corruption appear to be but an incident in New
York-evidenee Of the power Of money to defeat
the ends Of justice. The New York san calls IT.
~ shameful lesson in inequality of rights and
privileges" and declares that Thaw lis making
justice a stencil" The fact seems TO have been
overlooked however. that Thaw is still In Mat
teawan and the recent Russell-Anhut disclosures
probably make it certain that It win be many
years before that young degenerate walks the
earth again. free man That money frequently
balks justice la nothing new, but the long series
OF failures that has followed Thaws attempts to
bride his way out of lunatic asylum and the
grief to which his aienists and bought agents
have come serve to show that even money can
not always save the guilty. That it fails some
times, at least, is shown because It has failed
here Thaw and his family have spent for
tune, and many jackeg lawyers anc corruptible
officials have grown wealthy at its expense, but
Thaw is still behind the bars
But while that money has not freed Thaw, It
has made bribe-tahers Of State officials 1t has
shown that q cleanup In New York is impera-
tive. 1t has demonstrated that the greatest care
must be exercised in the appointment Of officials
and that until the electorate of New York wakes
to the realization of the fact that until govern.
ment by clique and by political bosses is forever
ended and until the determination of bosses ana
the substitution of popular rule is effected gov
eminent for graft and government for grafters
win continue.
Thaw's efforts to gain freedom have again
met with disaster, and the removal from Office
of those directly responsible for the latest scan
dial has been effected, but there is no guarantee
that the same thing will not happen again, anc
there will be no such guarantee until the govern
ment of the great State of New York Is taken oul
of the hands of bipartisan political machine
Governor Sulzer claims to be free man: HI
has promised to follow the street called Straight
but Dix made the same promises albeit some
what less effusively. We believe Suzer vii
keep his word, but If 1t should develop that Ii.
does not the people of New York will agar
go through the farce of electing another COVER
nor and another set of officials at the behes
az Charlie Murphy Bill Barnes sulzer is no
Murphys man. or, at least, Murphy did not wan
/ him elected but Murphy chose many of the othe
officials and Murphy chose many of the judges
and Suzer himself is an exception Dix wa
Murphy's man. and those WHO were not wer
controlled by the Republican BOSSES
it all comes back to the people Smash Nun
ply and eliminate Barnes and their like: nomr
nate and elect candidates free of boss contro
and mistakes will sometimes be made, but cor
ruptibe officials will be few and scandals les
frequent and less nauseous