The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-10-06
from page 2

"The Operatro" lists thousands of
such cases, cases beyond the law and
cases just within the law. 1t claims,
for example, that $75 million year
is spent in the campus buying advance
copies of exams, hiring people to
write dissertations, or manufacturing
fake academic degrees.
Not long ago the entire country
was shaken by the television quiz
scandals. But within few weeks the
shock was over, the country quickly
adjusted, few people were made
public scapegoats, and life went back
to normal.
WAS ROME WORSE?
One last example from the book
will summarize the moral climate of
our society:
Three men were having lunch to-
gether in a very good restaurant
When the bill came, each insisted on
paying for it.
''I'm in the 80-per cent bracket"
said one. cit will cost me only 20
per cent"
''Don't be foolish" said the sec
ond. "I'm in the 10O-per cent excess
profits bracket, and it won't cost me
anything
"I'm on cost-plus contract" said
the third as he picked up the bill. 'I'll
make money"
Could it have been worse in Rome?
The second factor that brought
about the fall of Rome, according to
Gibbon, was the corruption of the
civil servants, the military leaders,
and the government officials. How
does our society stand in this area?
Two events occurred in the past
year which were enough to answer
the question of how our society
rates in public integrity.
In january 1860 the Chicago po-
lice scandal broke wide Open Now
scandals in Chicago ARE like the barn
acles on ship: unpleasant, but I'M
noticed. This one, however, really
shook it up. 1t was revealed that a
number of Chicago policemen had |
planned and participated in hundreds
of burglaries, that uniformed police
men had served as watchmen and as
that the loot had been
taken out in squad cars and stored
in police stations, and that It's police
men were involved. To cap the mat
ter, when those accused were brought
before the judge, he dismissed the
case for insufficient evidence.
In May 1860 the highest govern
ment official of the Borough of Man
haitian confessed under oath that he
had accepted gifts, loans, and favors
from a real estate executive who did
business with his office. When the
real estate man was asked whether
he thought he had done anything
wrong, his only answer was, "After
all, isn't everyone doing it?' II
Yes, everyone is doing it. And
everyone was doing it in Rome-until {
he walls fell. {
The third factor that undermined
Rome, according to Gibbon, was the
pending of public money on Injuries &
instead of essentials. What are the
acts today?
The facts are, in terms popular
lied by John Kenneth Galbraith,
that we believe in private luxury
and public poverty.
We are fierce balancers of the Z
udget. Every penny must be account
d for and what ever cannot be de- !
ended as an absolute necessity is =
when it comes to such unim- n
ortant commodities as defense, edu- :.
alton, public health, city planning =
nd religion-even though the church l.
nd synagogue are frightfully under =
5affed, third-rate teachers staff =;
lany public schools, our cities are =,
ilthy and transportation poor, and ~
ussia passes us in scientific and =,
lilitary achievement.
UR VALUES BASED ON A
OUBLE STANDARD sh