The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-05-31
THE MODERN CRATER.

The man seeking once W Idli OH VIC
big grafters in order to win popular
favor. 1t was the custom, we remem-
Der, to say the worst things about the
largest enterprise. The most success
full corporation was always the great
est monster of evil designs.
There was truth in some of the
charges against The big business, but
in some there never was a ground for
all that was said. In Georgia the
thing reached its elimination when
Hoke Smith stalked forth preaching
confscation and legislative destruc-
ton. Many an enterprise throughout
the country with budding business
promise withered as if under terrible
blight.
People began to reflect The effect
of the great so-called political reforms
was felt all over the country, for the
agitation cost the lives of hundreds Of
business enterprises. 1t crippled 9th
ers and they will go on through the
years with the scars of the agitation.
But an end came and now many OF
the politicians are willing to admit
that the big enterprise and the cor
poration have to exist and are indeed
a great part of the very business life
OF a state and nation. And some Of
them, it is admitted, operate honestly
and fairly
p But with the change another CRATER
is coming into light He is the man
who would water the milk, who would
establish a new weight for a ton OF
coal and fix new standard for d bush:
ell of potatoes or a bushel of corn He
would put the sound apples on top OF
the barrel and the damaged ones be
low where the buyer cannot easily as.
certain what he is getting for his mon,
ey. These are but Illustrations Hun
dreds of schemes are developed and
maintained for gain through dishones-
ty. In this business politics can
have no part. The man who plays this
role is usually the individual voter and
he is the man whose favors the poll.
tician will need.
We will not likely sec the office
seeker coming down the state con
demning this sort of graft The great
ness of great statesmen will have moth
ing to do with checking dishonesty of
this kind. The man who has made his
fortune robbing just weight from sacks
of flour will be needed in the count
ing of votes. In the meantime the
prenicious CRATER will go on, all the
time trying to teach himself that
his methods are right. lie
will be among the loudest in condemn
ing John ID. and the others of unholy
oil fame. He will raise the greatest
howl against the sugar combine that
is robbng millions of people. But who
will be left TO set him right?
In Georgia community where hon
esty and fair dealing is so admired
where petty grafters of this kind
will be slow TO thrive because of this
very high appreciation of honesty, ii
will be hard for the average citizen
to believe this kind of CRATER will
ever have the upper hand. But it is
none the less a growing evil. In the
larger communities it is widely prey
alent. There one man with an advan-
tage over another seldom fails to ex-
ercise it to the limit The evil is.
spreading and the perpotrator of fraud
is justifying himself ON the ground
that others have adopted such meth
DDS.
That honesty is the best policy is a
saying as true now as it was in the
days of Poor Richard. The business
man who operates with honesty as a
basis may thank God for that Qualiti-
cation OF character for it is still ones
greatest asset. It viii not down no
matter what modern business may
have to say. The honest business
man is always the need Of the hour.
In his methods are the texts Tor ser
mons whose preachments shall serve
10 check dishonesty on his right and
IN bic loft