The Washington herald., 1922-08-21
1t Seems to Me
By Haywood Broun.

Much that Hylan says makes no
appeal to US, but we must confess
an admiration for the downright.
courageous frankness of the man.
We are thinking of his answers to
QUESTIONABLE submitted to him
Immediately after the publication
of Mr.. Hearst's views on the gov
ernorship. In particular, we were
struck by the following replies:
Q. Will you support the gober-
material nominee Of the Democratic
State convention. regardless OF
who he may be?
A. / am a regular Democrat.
Q. Mr.. Hearst indicates that il
the progressives of New York State
do not receive proper representa-
ton there may be a third ticket.
A. l am a progressive.
Undeniably there are dangers in
the higher education. II Phil
Douglas had never learned to write
he might still be pitching for the
Giants
1t seems impossible to think of
any good reason why banishment
should not have been imposed on
Phil, and yet we cannot share in
the hot anger against the player
who offered to desert the Giants
for a price. Phii's principles were
not of the highest, but still he had
some 1t is quite evident that the
business of throwing games was a
thing repugnant to him. That was
not included in his bid for a bribe.
Phil did not purpose to Dut his
prowess Up for sale. ''I don't want
this guy to win the pennant." he
wrote, "and / feel IL / stay here i
will win for him. You know ] can
pitch and win"
All that Douglas was willing to
do was to "go down to fishing camp
and stay there" Clearly Douglas
had no illusions as to his capacity
for scoundrelism. He realized that
IL he remained on the job the fervor
to play and win would overcome
him in spite Of his worst intentions.
A pparently he wanted to fee from
temptation. He didn't begin to have
sufficient strength of character to
be a thoroughgoing villain.
Outside Of melodramas we have
never observed anybody completely
emancipated from the thrall Of vir-
tue. Mankind speaks OF the "prim-
rose path" and pretends that 1t is
a coasting ground. We all act as
IL nothing but strength of will keps
us from going straight to the devil
AS a matter of fact, any real ex-
tended excursion into vice must he
arduous. Most of us remain toler-
ably decent merely because we
have no fair for wickedness.
The Douglas case inspired long
discussion about bribery and cor
ruption at the Newspaper Club last
night. We were gratified to find
that everybody took a high moral
ground on all such matters, but
when generalities were abandoned
we made the discovery that no one
in the circue. actually had been
tempted by anything specific, and
also lavish. When It came to the
revelation of incident. most of the
stories wound up, And he said to
me. Have a cigar And 1 told him.
I'm here to get the news. You can't
bribe me-"
Almost all of us were sobered and
made thoughtful by a story of Bill
McNutt's concerning the tragic fate
of Western mayor who tried
to be honest. During his first term
of office he was recalled, but when
the next election came around he
was again a candidate. All over
town he made the same speech. 81
thought you wanted an open town. u
he would say. "and so I gave you
aa open town. Now / know that you
want a closed town. and II you will
elect me mayor I'll give you a
closed town."
He was elected and strove man.
fully to keep his pledge. Dishonest
agents of vice and gambling. and
even traction men. came to his Of
nce and spoke to him of sums run
ming up into the hundreds of thou
sands. Each time the mayor would
roar refusal and have the miscre-
ants pitched out on the sidewalk
But at last there came one shrewd-
er than the rest. He made no prom
ises of fortunes to come. Instead
he took a $50 gold piece and rat.
tied 1t on the mayors desk. The
mayor tried to roar, but no sound
came from his mouth. He could
only sigh and put the money in his
pocket.
There is still another angle t.
the story equally tragic and very
efficient in its propaganda for mo-
rality. One the system of seduction
became known. other coins slipped
into the pocket of the mayor and
he could think up nothing to do
with his wealth. He could not con-
fide in his wife, who was honest,
and the risk of banking any of this
money was much too great, as
agents of the reform interests had
him under constant surveillance.
Moreover. the money ratified IL he
attempted to carry all Of 1t in his
pocket. Accordingly, he took to
gambling and by the most persist
ent and strenuous efforts be man
aged to lose the tainted funds just
as fast they were turned over TO
him.
Somewhat irrelevant to this talk
of bribery and corruption is a quss-
tion which perplexes US, quite often
We have been doing good deal
of wondering what we would do II
we had a slot OF money. A few