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Show HAVK VK A DOL liLE STANDARD? One of the most incomprehensible features of American life is the strange conception which many people peo-ple have of what should constitute public honesty. Public funds are looked upon as something in the nature na-ture of spoils, the rightful property of him who is shrewd enough to annex an-nex them. Now we have no reierence here to the public official who resorts to the very crude expedient of defaulting. :IIe is a bungler and deserves all of ithe punishment possible to iflct up-oi: up-oi: him. Rather, we refer to the, amazing system of graft that is so openly and .defiantly practiced in almost every community in the land, and that by people who would be quick to resent any slightest question of their probity. prob-ity. Take, for instance, Mr. Jones, (a purely fictitious personage). He is .one of the most substantial men of his town. His word has always been as good as a bond. No hint of crooked crook-ed business methods has ever been breathed against him. He is regard, ed as scrupulously nonest and above board in all of his dealings. But Mr. Jones is elected to some office wherein he has the custody of the people's money that is, the spending of it. Now what do you see? Why, the sickening spectacle or an hitherto honest man "grafting" on the public. Deals are made that he would not .'or one moment have considered in his capacity as a private citizen. And it is noticeable that they all tend to his own or his friends' advantage. It is a bite here and a nibble there, until un-til in the long run he has consumed many loaves in excess of what was his legitimate portion. And the strange part of the circumstance is that Jones would indignantly resent any reflection on his integrity. Now, why was Mr. Jones not just as scrupulous in his public acts as in his private dealings? Is it possible that we American people have a dou. ble standard of honesty as well a3 morality? Is it wrong to filch from one and right to filch from the many? And another strange feature of the case is that Mr. Jones is as highly respected after he retires from office as he was before he assumed it. We submit that Mr. Jones was and is essentially an honest man, but with a wrong perspective. He is, unfortunately, unfor-tunately, possessed of that all too common idea that the public is a cow, and should be well milked,in order that she may not dry up. We should change our perspective. We sould require as scrupulous Uonesty in public as in private life. The funds of a commonwealth are just as sacred as are those of a customer, cus-tomer, or a client, or a ward, and should be so considered. It should be just as reprehensible to allow "leaks" in public business as in priv- ate affairs; just as wrong to graft from an individual as from the public. pub-lic. j There is but one. standard of honesty, hon-esty, and that is HONESTY. |