The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-13

The Star wishes its
tn know that views and opln-
ions expressed in this article
are those of the author and
may not always harmonic
with its position. The Edltor.
NEW YORK, Nov. 12.-At some
risk of seeming to be a high
sounding, panty-waisted political
fop. 7 would like to suggest that
the most dangerous form of de-
featism within the nation at this
moment is the rather common be-
lief that graft and corruption are
inherent evils of our SYSTEM. and
may only be kept within wide
bounds at best, but never put down.
| have never heard such wide
acceptance of this sorry fallacy as
within the recent presidential cam
paign when every accusation Of
one side was met by a counter
accusation from the other. For ex-
ample, one of the political orators
of the new deal informed us, as
though we needed telling, that the
history of the utilities industry was
a long and sordid record of bribery
of state legislatures and city coun-
ellis. 1t may not matter, but there
has always been a question
whether the financiers who pro-
NOTED the original railroads, gas
works and street-car lines were
the authors or the victims of such
corruption. The other side of the
story is that if the promoters had
not paid graft to political bosses,
legislators, councilmen and tn e
like, these improvements would
have been seriously retarded.
No Answer
But however true, this orators
countercharge is no answer to the
problem of today when many
Americans have been reduced to a
belief that human beings, in office
or out, in politics or business, will
steal anything that is not nailed
down and guarded by arms, and
that dishonesty is the best policy
if it succeeds. l thought the retort
about the historic crookedness of
the utility business was intended
as an offset to current discussion
of the corruption of the Chicago
and Jersey City machines which
were in league with the new deal,
but far from reconciling me to
this alliance, the campaign orators
complacence disturbed me. BY
avoiding the issue he seemed to
argue that corruption could be
made to serve a good purpose.
This line of thought also raises the
proposition that because knavery
has existed and has gone unpun-
lshed there must always be retail
alton in kind, now by one side and
now by another, until, inevitably.
the whole American system shall
perish of its own poison. 4
The very suggestion at this
moment that graft would end, that
political machines should cease to
support their politics on public
money, that public officials should
serve their country for their pay
and not serve party, family, class
or financial interests would be as
laughable as an old-fashioned wall
motto. That is just what I am
driving at. 1t shows how far gone
we are toward a condition, and a
time when this country might have
to forfeit the American form of
government and the liberties which
exist only under that form and
submit to government by force.
Calls For Honesty
The form of government which
we are trying to preserve calls for
the highest degree of sef-dis-
clpline, s~elf-respect and honesty of
the individual, the official, the
party and the group. It is intended
to exert very little authority and to
be management more than govern
ment, conscience is supposed to
take the place of authority and
enforcement and as conscience
fails authority and enforcement
grow. Yet we do not regard cor
ruption as unpatriotic, although. by
comparison, a fanatic who
tramples on the stars and stripes
at an angry demonstration in the
streets is actually less dangerous
TO the flag than a governor who,
to discharge a political debt, know
ingly appoints a bad judge Or a
common citizen who condones cor.
ruption as inevitable.
The dead-weight financial load
of the graft is enormous. but the
popular resignation to a belief that
dishonesty must be, that hypocrisy
IS clever and that government has
a right to favor its political friends
and punish its political enemies is
as dangerous to the American
system as Hitler himself. And I
nate having to say that in the
last few years, and particularly in
the recent campaign there r a
pronounced popular and official
sentiment that wrong can be re-
dressed by the very methods and
IN the very spirit of those whom it
is intended to rebuke.
That is revenge, but not re-
form.
Ministers Continuo