This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1914. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... seller of silks and ribbons, of powder and rouge, of wines and liquors, and some landlord protested that to clean out the bad resorts would hurt business. There never was a scourge of contagious disease but the newspapers were appealed to to suppress reference to the facts because publicity hurt business. What is business that it should be put above the law, above the enforcement of right dealing or good morals? Is it a sacred thing? Are dollars all? If so, the publisher ought to sell his editorial space, the councilman his vote, the minister his conscience, the physician betray his trust because he can enrich himself by so doing. But of course enforcement of the law against criminal offenders does not hurt a town. When the offenders are rich and powerful they can make a great noise and influence men with whom they have dealings to say that business is being hurt by the prosecution of guilty men. Corporate wealth was never so ingenious as when at bay. If it can save itself by false cries it will do so. It is no different position from the man in the dock who points to his weeping children or his sobbing mother as a reason why he should be given his freedom. His conviction would hurt them. A prominent manufacturer of San Francisco put the case in this way: I will not say that, personally, I want to see the graft cases pushed to a determination; but if Francis J. Heney is a candidate I am going to vote tor him and do all I can to elect him, simply for the good effect his election will have upon public sentiment regarding the San Francisco situation. I know what outsiders think about us. I know that practically every banker, every manufacturer, every big business man east of the Rocky Mountains is watching us to see whether we dare prosecute cases like thi...