The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1923-02-16

Tor those who would play the
able men in public life. Their,
when we make conditions dece
From experience 1 believe it to be
true that, as our political system is
constituted today, any man who per-
forms the duties of public office in
strict accordance with the ordinary
rules of honest work will usually leave
that office bankrupt, both politically
and financially.
l held the office of Collector of the
Port of New York for three and a
half years. 1t is one Of the most i'm
portant in our Federal service. 1t has
been for over a century one of the
richest plums within the gift of the
party in power.
1t is an Office that affords rare OBJ
portunities both for making money
and securing political friends. / need
ed both, but gained neither. I trust
did, however, win both the respect
and the friendship of those splendid
workers in the Federal service of. the
port who are always anxious to CO.
operate with and support any superior
officer who plays fair with our Gov
eminent.
In the Office of collector of the
great port Of New York, as in most
offices of any magnitude, an official
quickly discovers that he must decide
whether he will work for his Govern
ment and the public, or for political,
financial, and social influence. The in
experienced optimist would assume
that he could and should serve all the
these. 1t can't be done, because i'm
portant political, financial, and social
interests frequently demand special
privileges and concessions which are
incompatible with the best service OF
the Government and the public, and
often times strictly forbidden by law
A Protest Against Justice
One of the first cases brought t.
my attention was that of a million
aire deputy commissioner of the city
who had juggled two valuable import
ed automobiles through the customs
without payment of the proper duties
When he was notified that the mat
ter must be promptly adjusted, he
arrogantly ignored the whole thing.
sent him a political official communi-
cation stating what my duties were
in such cases and giving assurance
that my practice was to administer
the customs laws with absolute i'm
partiality to all, and stated further
that I expected him to appear in my
office in person before noon the fol
lowing day. He came there and paiC
fine Of about $4,000. And out with
him went political friends and pres
tige.
We. were soon after informed thai
one of New York's richest and mos
prominent society women had brought
in large amount of valuable jewelry
without payment of duties, and were
asked what was to be done about it.
"Do two things" I said. "Get the
jewelry and put it in the safe. Gef
the evidence and take it before the
grand jury"
The jewelry was recovered from thu
woman's house and adequate evidenc'
of smuggling obtained. The the storm
broke. The most influential men anC
women, politically, socially and fnan
cially, descended upon my Office will
indignant protest. This thing was IN
thinkable. must not send the cas-
to the grand jury. Did I realize tina
she was a woman of the very highes
social standing? Yes, I so understood
but did that excuse her for aagran
defiance of the law? Did I not know
that she was a woman of grea
wealth? Yes, that was my under
standing, but that was the reason VIII,
she should pay duty rather than evad
payment. They told me of her dis
tinguished antecedents, her fine edu
cation, her charming personality, an
that she had crossed the ocean som
forty times. All true, no doubt; bu
to my way of thinking these thing
neither excused her for the commission
of a crime nor justified me in failing
to enforce the law that punished sue
crimes. One wondered rather hoy
much she really owed Uncle Saml
So 1 sent the case to the gran
iurv. where her friends apparent,
found more sympathetic ears, as sh
was permitted to appear in persoi
before the jurors and explain to then
wherein she was different from othe
citizens and why she should be give
preferential treatment at their hands