The Grafting Business by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Aug 21, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 34.

The Grafting Business.

By Editor

We speak it advisedly and correctly when we say "the grafting business." If the reports can be relied upon, and some of them come as the sworn testimony of government officials, the "grafting" in connection with the contract for the Pennsylvania capitol building has passed beyond the hundreds of thousands into the millions. For instance, the Pennsylvania Capitol Commission made public thru their report a few days since that—

"The contractor for most of the furnishings and decorations of the building, paid the various subcontractors who did the painting 12 cents a square foot for the same, and that he collected from the State $2.52 a square foot. He received in payment more than $700,000."

A report from London within the last few days tells of some land that was bought in "a comparatively outlying district" at the rate of five million dollars an acre. This land was purchased for desired city improvements, and it is said that some of the spendthrifts of the council stood aghast at the price that was paid. The despatch further states that "before the investigation is ended it is probable that several members of the committee will have to resign."

This grafting has become so carefully and so thoroly organized into politics that it is next to impossible to get hold of it in such a way as to bring the rogues to justice. It is found to serve the purposes of certain interests better to keep men in office who are corrupt than to have honest men there. And the education in this direction has been carried on so long and so persistently that we have an immense army of men who have no "visible means of support" except grafting.

Grafting is one of the results of the love of money that Paul tells us is to make the last days perilous. If it were not for the insatiable desire that men have to get hold of money in fabulous amounts, they would not work to elect men to office in State and city with the one direct object in view of being able to bribe them to do their bidding. The seed has been sown and fearful is the harvest that is just before the world.

It is commonly taught that all men have eternal life in themselves; but "this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:11. 12.