New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-07-16


the grandest sports in the world. We are
frank to declare that we did not invent it.
We are old, Father William, but not so old
as that. 1t was invented way back in what
George Shaw has described as the Beginning
of Things. In fact it is one of the first things
that began
This sport of criticizing the shortcomings of
people is at its best when those you are criti-
Ching are officehoiders and you are on paper
representing what is known as the "outs."
Your approved kind of offceholders have
been turned out and in their stead has been
elected another political variety. You give the
newcomers a chance to settle down and get
their various schemes of iniquity going right,
and then you open up them.
AS an example, take The New York Evening
World, which has had staff correspondent
telling all sorts of things about the improper
doings of Senators and Representatives in
Washington. The Evening World, Of course,
has Democratic leanngs, and the Senators and
Representatives mostly lean hard the other
way. Summing things up, World headline
writer throws his heart and his hat and his
coat and his horn-rimmed spectacles into a
headline which declares: Political Morality
at Lowest Ebb in This Congress-" And the
Washington correspondent (unnamed) quotes
"sef-appointed physician" (also -unnamed)
to the effect that CLOSE Of old fashioned hon
esty in public life is the remedy for pre-
vailing symptoms"
All this terrible summing up is over series
of articles in which the chief charge is to the
effect that "nepotsm is rampant" and that
md pfo% ,1xx
those of the wrong leanings) are appointing
relatives to jobs that should go to the relatives
of people who are not relatives of office
holders.
Perhaps The Evening Worlds Indictment is
al true and nobody can get job as a Senator
or Representative in Washington unless he can
show a card from the Relatives Union. The
writer remembers terrible case of nepotism
which was called to his attention at an Indian
agency down in Arizona The agents wife
was acting as his secretary. She came over
to the office promptly every morning after
getting her homework out of the way early,
and she was hammering away at the typewrit-
ing machine quite late in the afternoon
An inspector from Washington was present.
but this seemed to make no difference The
lady came over and attended to her secretarial
there
The Inspector was a little uneasy about things,
evidently, though the matter had entirely
escaped the attention Of the writer of this
article. Finally the inspector said:
You've observed that the agents wife is
acting as his secretary"
Now that you mention it, I see that such
Is fact. What of it?"
well, just wanted to explain that this
agent is crackerjack. He has done wonders
Tor these Indians. But the salary that is paid
on this job Is not large Consequently. in
Such cases, we overlook the appointment of
relative as secretary or something of that
sort, Tor the reason that it's our only show
OF holding good man. 1t gives him and his
Wlte something approaching an adequate sal
airy II we enforced the law to the letter.
probably we'd drive many frst-class agent
out of the service"
mere was case where representative of
an cut newspaper could horrify the public.
ne could have his newspapers front page
Iiyehed with headlines deplorng the low po-
AIical morality IN the Indian service and could
maze II appear that "nepotism rampant" was
The crest of the Administration.
BUT the writer has to admit that he was
4alse TO the highest journalistic standards. He
80 mo- 'h'o" the Spot!lght OF the press on
these hetrayers of the public trust He gave
no headline writer chance to point out that
political morality had hit the lowest bumns
since $40 B. c. He did not insist on the dis.
charge of the agent and his wife and the in.
spector who had condoned such terrible case
OF nepotism. In fact. it seemed to him that
the lady was doing the work at the typewriter
pretty well. When in doubt about the spelling
OF a word she always looked it up in the die
honary. Apparently, she could read her short
hand notes, though they dealt with outlandisb
Indian names, and she did not chew gum, nor
did she keen pencils in her coiffure. So the
inspector went right on refusing to see that
she was IN the Office, and nobody said darn
word to let the public know how it was being
robbed and jobbed, and how the foundations OF
political honesty, which our forefathers had
laid so carefully, were being so terribly under
mined out on that distant Indian reservation.
Of course it was wrong. We know it now.
because we are grayer and older and have lot
worse disposition A big section of the public
likes to be told that political morality is at
the lowest ebb" Some people cut out cheer-un
poems, about all being right with the world.
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