FORETOKENS OF OUR LORD'S RETURN
By Prof. George W. Rine
THE UNIVERSALITY OF GRAFT.
ONE of the most brutal and remorselessly avid class of grafters peculiar to our day is the fraternity of pawnbrokers, or popularly stigmatized by the phrase "loan sharks." The tales told by the victims of these rapacious wolves, regarding their mad clutchings, seem positively incredible. Once in their gripping power, the victim is looted to a finish. In one instance—in New York City—the borrower was compelled to pay $31.50 interest on a loan of $19.75. Another paid $36 interest on a loan of $25. One victim, after paying back a loan of $25, with $15 interest, had all his furniture, including the baby's cradle, seized for default of further payments, and was politely informed that he was still indebted to the lender in the sum of $16.50. The editor of a conservative San Francisco journal told his readers that the lending Shylocks of that city invariably extort, from their helpless borrowers, interest varying from twenty-five per cent. to one hundred per cent. on all loans, even when made for only a month or two. Notwithstanding the competition among these ravenous lenders for business, their exactions grow constantly greater as the days go by. What is true in New York and San Francisco relative to this species of graft is equally true in every other important center of population. A Type of Corporation Graft.
A few years ago a corporation was launched, with some of our most conspicuous and respected rich men as its directors. At first the stock was quoted low, and remained in the hands of the directors. Presently they declared a generous dividend; at once the market value of the stock almost doubled. The expected result was realized—the public said: "Here is certainly a most promising enterprise, profitable already, and backed by some of our ablest financiers." The directors detected the "psychological moment," sold out, and retired. In the proceedings begun by one of the new stockholders, it was shown that the dividend had been "faked," not earned. When this stockholder convinced the directors who had sold out that he was in earnest they quieted him and forestalled criminal prosecution by paying back to him the "fake" dividend. "But—they did not pay back to the public a penny of the money they had stolen by selling out at the high price made possible by the fake dividend." Does not this wretched thing simply mean that those conspicuous and respectable men are, in plain truth, guilty of grand larceny? "But," says Mr. Lorimer, "they are losing no sleep over it. They have not lost standing." They are simply so many millions "to the good." On Sunday mornings, of course, they piously sit in their luxurious pews and deplore the increasing wickedness of society. It would be easy to give multiplied illustrations of this species of "refined" graft. "Wo unto him who increaseth that which is not his." Graft and Municipal Taxes.
The Era Magazine tells its readers that the New York City budget is greater by seventy-five per cent. than the entire cost of the state government. Competent authority places the amount of taxes, in that city, at $28 a year for each man, woman, and child, or $150 for each family. These taxes are not all paid directly, but they are inevitably paid in rent, food supplies, and in every other necessity of life. What makes these taxes so exorbitant and the civil administration wretchedly bad? A system of boodle, of politics for the benefit of the spoilsmen, which the World has characterized as a "system of organized graft." It is confined to no branch of the city government. It flourishes wherever graft is possible, wherever money must be appropriated, or the agencies of official routine come in touch with the business of the people. It is a system that wrings money from the pockets of the citizens for good government, and then gives the worst by selling all public-service franchises to a ring of despoilers, and sacrifices nearly every public interest to individual private greed. The Street Cleaning Department was paid $600,000 the past winter to be used for clearing the streets of snow. Only one-sixth of the amount was expended for that purpose. "Men scarcely able to pay for a mouthful of bread were forced to pay for tickets [graft] to stand in line to plead for snow-shoveling jobs they never got." I give this as an illustration of the deadly plague of graft that is gnawing at the vitals of every important city government in the nation. Especially are city Police departments graft-eaten. With the connivance of their chiefs, policemen levy tribute on keepers of vile saloons and dives in return for immunity; they have blind eyes for places of ill-repute in return for certain "considerations;" they countenance flagrant misdemeanors for a fat share of the "swag." They have even been charged in the public press with abetting robberies, with sharing the "loot" of crooks and thugs, and of actually holding up prisoners in the police cell for a part of their stolen plunder. Well, this whole satanic business simply spells g-r-a-f-t! Yet do not despair, good citizen. For do not practically all our optimistic brethren of the cloth wax eloquent in telling and retelling us that "the world is growing better"? Still, it might be profitable at times to give ear to Paul: "In the last days perilous times shall come." "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3:1, 13. Pay Graft, or Carry a Hod.
Mr. Will Payne tells the readers of a certain journal that a few years ago an ambitious young lawyer left his village home to begin his professional career in a large city. After waiting many weary days, he got a case of some little importance, the winning of which was to turn upon the prompt service of an attachment in 61st Street. Having procured the attachment and delivered it to the sheriff's office with minute instruction as to service, he went to his office and waited word from his client who was keeping watch in 61st Street. A long time elapsed, the impatient client telephoned to the lawyer, and the lawyer telephoned to the sheriff's office. He received a vague, unsatisfactory reply; so he went over to the sheriff's office, swollen with indignation. He found the deputy and began criticizing him, when the deputy arose from his desk, and in ringing terms denounced the lawyer for a lobster, a rustic, etc., and quickly convinced him that the rule, "No 'boodle,' no service," was in force in that office. The young lawyer saw the point, and sadly produced the only bank-note he had, and poisoned again the wellsprings of public office. Of course the attachment was instantly served. Telling his story to an experienced legal friend, the latter significantly answered: You could have gone to the court and complained, and the court would no doubt have ordered the process served. Or you could have gone to a newspaper, and the newspaper would have roasted that deputy, the chief deputy, the sheriff, the board of county commissioners, and, very likely, the court itself. Or you could sue the deputy to recover the money you paid under duress. But if you did any of these things, being a young and unknown lawyer with other processes to have served, you would probably find it profitable to drop the law business and get a job carrying the hod. That lawyer is now older, has more worldly wisdom. This case is not an exception. It is typical of the universal condition. Why Significant to the Child of God.
The sinister phenomenon briefly pictured in this discussion was fully foreseen and foretold by the prophets of God. In verse 3 of the 7th chapter of Micah, the prophet gives a graphic forecast of the prevalence of bribery in the time when Christians would be looking for the appearing of "the God of my salvation." Verse 7. Note: "Their hands are upon that which is evil to do it diligently; the prince asketh, and the judge is ready for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together." A. R. V. His thought intent upon the time when God will gather His saints, David prays: "Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men; in whose hand is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes." Ps. 26:9, 10. Is not the evidence of the present-day fulfilment of these prophecies positively overwhelming in its magnitude? And this striking fulfilment is one of the multitude of reasons why the Author of prophecy could give His children the comforting assurance, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." 1 Thess. 5:4. May He grant this to be the happy experience of every reader!