Sauk City High School - Sauk Log Yearbook (Sauk City, WI)

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chemistry, and we find that purity is one of the last things the packers look for, money, holding the head of the list. Milwaukee, the metropolis of Wisconsin has also for long years been the scene of much graft under the leadership of Rose and his faction, and we find also that District Attorney McGovern, by trying to uphold the law was almost deprived of his office by the grafters, had not the people fought and followed New York’s example. Then we must also pass to unfortunate San Francisco, whose misfortunes in the last year, have been terrible, but probably to her advantage in the end, for among the broken fragments of old splendor, she finds the schemes of the grafters, secret treasuries and depositories of her money, and the grafters themselves, and so as she is gradually up- lifted, her political system also ascends the heights of re- formation. Now as Bossism, is one of the reasons of corruption in our cities, let us examine the character of some of them. We find the bosses to be of a winning nature, talkative and smooth, for they are generally good lawyers. These men, when in conversation with you, seem to be the most honest men God has allowed to exist, they inform you of the exist- ance of graft among the constituents of the other party until they have won your vote. Bosses rise, as great men rise, they rise as La Follette rose, for he is a boss, as they become influential they make use of their influence either for just or unjust purposes. When once their power is known to capitalists, their race is won, they are the rulers, their influence wins votes and what their influence and power can’t do, money can. Among the important grafters or bosses of the present day we find Ruef of San Francisco, probably one of the greatest and shrewdest of our grafters, whose principles had probably not been found out, whose misdemeanors not dis- covered had it not been for recklessness of Mayor Smitz. Murphy, another beacon light of graft, a personification of Tammany, showed his power and that of bossism when, at the Democratic national convention, he backed by the money of Hill, forced the convention to nominate Parker against the protest of Bryan. Weaver, probably the slyest of all Bosses, rules over Philadelphia, donned the gart of reformation, so gaudily colored, that he was elected mayor, while he secretly con- spiring, where he could next make money. This was lately

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these places are the scenes of hair raising incidents. Take for instance, Packingtown, as shown to us by Upton Sinclair’s “Jungle”, who in letters of blood and words of thunder con- demns the Packing industries, who charges and contaminates the Packers with inhuman deeds, who shows how offenders of the law are treated, how judges of the courts are the machines by which these corporations keep down and check the unions, who tend to better existing conditions, how government laws are freely violated and inspectors freely and easily bribed, as was done by the south in the fifties, and what was the result, a war. This may not have to be the extreme taken in this case, but it ought to go so far as prosecuting and unconditionally imprisoning any violators of our laws and any government officials bribed to hide facts. Corruption to a great extent is due to bosses in the cities. By bosses are meant men who by their influence either thru intellectual superiority or financial greatness control certain districts and elect men which favor them. Let us examine the work of some of the bosses in our largest cities, as New York for instance. New York, the metropolis of our nation is the seat of uncounted breaches and violations of the laws. This has been the case in New York, ever since i860, we find that purity in politics was out of question there, and we find that in the long sway of the fire and life insurance companies, some of our nations greatest boodlers and swindleas, the Tammany society and the New York Police, that bribery corruption and bossism walked o’er the heads of the power- less rabble, until finally a man appeared, as if from Paradise, whose tiger eye saw into all violations of the laws and opposed them at the next election, but this time the rabble awoke and in spite of the most desperate efforts to dislodge this champion of righteousness, Jerome was elected under the fire of the cannon of Wall Street. Baltimore, was the seat of uncounted dishonorable appliances in the hands of Democrats and Republican leaders as Gorman and Aldrichs, who sold franchises to street rail- ways, bought votes at wholesale which turned out retail profits in the face of the bitterest opposition. Chicago, probably the most intricate and darkest political center of our nation and has been subject to volumes of graft and corruption, which in its rapid growth had grown unnoticed. We find that government laws and officers are alike outwitted by the great inventions of man, especially in

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proven, when it was discovered that he was again at the head of his faction. Then we come to Gorman, the tool whereby the “inter- ests” got desired legislation, he of all bosses, is the one who has the greatest stains upon his career, being accused and found guilty of having sold, outrightly, franchises to street railways, in Baltimore to have sold canal courses to cor- porations and to have made a wholesale bribery of votes at every election and in Congress to have opposed all measures for the general welfare, and upheld individual or sectional measures. As there are individuals, so also there are groups of grafters, known as trusts or corporations. Among these we find the Railroads, Standard Oil Company, Steel Trust, Beef, Coal and Gas Trusts. A thorough discussion of all the deeds of which these various combinations have been accused of, is impossible, as it would take volumns to describe all, but the railroads support these trusts by rebates, thus giving these trusts a chance to sell goods cheaper until competition is destroyed, then they have the consumer at their mercy, depriving him of his hard earned dollars. What will be the result when this has been done, what will follow? It will follow, that panics will arise, fights between trusts will occur, until one man or one faction will rule supreme, without opposition, a temporal Deity, the last stone of our arch is layed, we are again at the bottom. These are sufficient illustrations of corruptions, of bossism, of graft, of misuse of wealth, of illegal control, to bring to the mind of a nation of intellectual abilities like this, a fear of the future, a hope of reform should cause an awakening. But how can we remedy, how can we improve existing conditions ? That is the question, a question which should make us sulk and think as Achilles did in his tent, or as the great Napolean did, and then with one, general plan, to overwhelm all resistance and with the unanimons support of all, let this nation free itself of a serpant as great and as hideous as the one which Beowulf overpowered. It is easy to build air castles, but what are some remedies? I will name a few, first, our nation must awake, the veil of darkness must leave our eyes, second, we must become more familiar with current events, third, we must deny ourselves, the desire to become fabulously rich. I know it is a passion as hard to control, as love, and when it once has gotten a hold