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"Makes The Political Head Sick."

"Makes The Political Head Sick." image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
November
Year
1903
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Grafting is making the whole political head sick and the commercial heart faint. They are full of wounds and bruises which dishonesty has inflicted, and the putrefying sores which bribery has caused.

It has been taken for granted by an indifferent or complacent public that when a man pays largely to obtain an office, he must get back a far larger return outside of his legitimate compensation. It has become the experience of almost every office holder to be approached either directly or indirectly by the grafter who desires him to become a partner in his infamous transactions. The grafting devil often assumes the garb of an angel of light. He offers the one holding a public trust a "rake off" even on a contract which may be the lowest that is offered and, therefore, claims that no bribery can be charged. But thus to use a gift of the people for private purposes is a betrayal of one's civic position. But when a contract is made for a distinct personal consideration, whatever it may be, it is downright depravity.

One must make the best bargain possible in the business transactions connected with his office, but the office alone must reap the benefit. Whatever of personal good may come must be purely incidental, and thus be entirely free from the taint of corruption.

A man can advance his own business interests in a way that he cannot justly follow as a representative of the people. Bishop Huntington is not too sweeping when he says, "Bribery is none the less bribery, whether paid to a man's pocket or his politics or his palate, in gold or banks notes, an electioneering lift, a professional assistance or a supper party. Financial, political, professional, convivial, they are all of one debauched accursed brood."

The remedy for the evil of grafting lies in an awakened public sentiment fostered by the pulpit and the press and by the presentation of candidates for office of men of acknowledged probity by each political party. -Bishop Sampel Fallows of Chicago.

The independence of Panama means that to all practical intents and purposes it will be United States territory. Such a state as Panama cannot possibly maintain itself as an independent nation and of course does not expect to. This is simply a step in the policy upon which the great republic is now pretty fully launched. To be honest with ourselves and the world we should so state and not try to deceive our own people or other nations. No subterfuge of living up to our obligations under the treaty with New Granada should be advanced as an explanation of what we have done at the isthmus. Colombia having held up the canal treaty, it is the purpose of the Washington government to build the canal any way and the necessary steps are being taken to bring about the desired end. The canal is to be built any way. Of course the people of Panama, as of all South American countries, are always ready for revolution or any other old thing, and they did not need to guess twice to know how Uncle Sam would stand on this project. the thing could not have worked better had it been planned at Washington.

Today congress meets in extraordinary session primarily for the purpose of taking up the Cuban reciprocity treaty. Whether that treaty will be passed or not is almost or quite as problematical as when congress adjourned. The selfish interests concerned are quite as narrow from the standpoint of keeping the national faith with Cuba as when congress adjourned, and quite as greedy. If the treaty becomes the law of the land it will be because of fear of the chief executive and not because congress wishes or has any intention of doing the right thing.

The Argus-Democrat should be in every home. $1 per year.

The supreme court of the state has sustained the decision of the trial judge in the case of the Detroit United Railway in which the railway took the position that the city ordinance requiring air brakes on the city cars was unreasonable. The company claimed it was unreasonable in that it would cost the company $350,000 to thus equip its cars. The decision of the court is a decision in the interest of human life as against a mere money consideration. It is in line with a purpose among the people to make life more secure and not to permit a mere money consideration to stand in the way of this greater safety to life and limb. Many lives are blotted out in Detroit every year by street cars and it is undoubtedly true that some of these lives might be saved were the cars equipped with air brakes. When cars are run with the speed they are on street railways, it is very essential to the safety of the citizens that there be means provided for stopping them with certainty and expedition. in great centers of population there is bound to be constant danger to life and limb, even where every possible precaution is taken. It is important therefore, that every possible precaution to be taken to lessen this danger. Air breaks and grade separation are among the necessary devices for diminishing this danger, and the decision of the supreme court is in line with the advancing thought of the times on this important subject of making human life more secure from the dangers resulting from modern methods of transportation.