The Washington herald., 1914-08-02

suggestion was received with an out
burst of righteous wrath that was as
inspiring as it was terrible to behold.
His fist came down on the shining ma
hogany surface of his table in the pres
ident's Office at the bank with bang
that caused the paying teller outside to
jump with nervous anxiety lest some
wanderer from the highway had hap
pened in with the intention of shooting
up" the institution.
'IIl see the board of aldermen scrap
ing on the bottom of the bottomless pit
before I'll consent to the expenditure of
penny of graft" he roared. "And,
what's more, Woglom, he added, IF this
thing is put through without my consent
by the payment of money to the guar
dams of the public welfare, I'll expose
the whole rotten proceeding if 1 have to
start a newspaper of my own to do II" :"
Far be it from me to suggest any
thing of the. sort, my dear Jimpson,"
Col. Woglom had interposed in his gent
lest manner. $50 far our hands are
clean, and whatever anybody else may
propose to do intend to keep mine so.
Nevertheless, we must consider the pub
lie interest, and the way look at it is
this: For the public good, if we have
any grafters in the board of aldermen, !
think the fact should be ascertained, and
if established communicated to the
world through the most effective in
struments of exposure available. Now
l am the last man in the world, as you
know, who would wish to corrupt fel-
bowman, but l should be willing never
theless to make almost any personal, or
financial, sacrifice to bring a crooked
public servant to justice The crooked
man in a position of power is menace
to our free institutions, cancer on the
body polite, and a fostering sore in the
public eye. He brings civilization itself
into contempt, and | consider it an act
of the highest patriotism and civic vir-
tue to bring about his downfall"
Then what is it you really propose
, to do?" demanded Jimpson, who, hav-
ing freed himself of his pent-up right
eousness and placed his principles upon
record beyond the possibility of their
being misunderstood, was quite ready
to get down to business.
my suggestion" said Woglom, SIS
that we skin this particular cat in an
other way-in way that will secure the
franchise for US and at the same time
land the grafters in the pen"
Both desirable" said Brother Jimp-
son laconically. But just how? I'd
like a bill of particulars"
well, your son-in-law, Harry Bob
leigh, is district attorney, and wants to
be mayor said Woglom. Now the
easiest way for him to get to be mayor
is through a series of graft exposures
in which he is the moving spirit. l sug-
gest, therefore, that you get him inter
ested in the present situation. Give him
to understand that we have had it in
timated to US that we can buy what we
want, and have him get hold of such a
man, for instance, as William Rayson,
of New York"
you mean the secret service man
who landed those Western boodlers last
year," asked Jimpson.
THE very same" said Woglom.
"Aheml" said Jimpson reAectively,
"Yes-he's a very able man, Woglom.
but-ah-aren't you afraid that under
all the circumstances-ahem might
be rather dangerous proceeding for
ahem-for US to get mixed up with "a
era man like that? He's no fool, they
tell me-"
1--WE don't have to mix up with him"
said Woglom. I'VE are merely pro-
viding the financial backing for your
son-in-law in his campaign for reform.
It's natural enough that you should back
your son-in-law in his public work, and
if ultimately your own financial inter
ests are improved by it, why, that has
nothing to do with"
That's what l don't see," said Jimp
son. Without crooked work on our
side how are we going to land the fran
chise?"
Simplicity ITSELF" returned Woglom.
'Bobleigh, as district attorney, can Sc
cure Rawson's aid legitimately in his
campaign against graft, and my idea
would be that a good way for them to
proceed would be to have Rawson come
here and start rival company to ours
he might call it the Greater Grafton
Public Service Corporation, for in
stance, and have it given out that he is
backed by millions of New York cap
ital seeking investment. The appear
ance of rival on the field will add zest
to the aldermanic thirst for the flesh
pots of our sinking fund. Where two
people want the same thing that same
thing rises in value, and the city faith
ers, operating under the law of supply
and demand, will begin flirting with US
Gf41a