That Old Brazen Spirit

Rarely has the round-up of crooks in public office been so thorough as in the past few weeks, and this has led some of the ever-hopeful to conclude that a new era has dawned on Massachusetts politics. After all, they say, who can be left? The Speaker of the House, two of the eight Governor's Councillors, the head of the State Police, and the chairman of the commission for the New Boston's showpiece--the Government Center, have all been indicted with twenty-odd accomplices. It is also rumored that, except for his untimely death, the chairman of the Turnpike Commission would have been roped in, too. All this does not include the previous catch from investigations of the Department of Public Works, the Metropolitan District Commission, and the Legislature in the past year or so.

While admittedly impressive, the list is little cause for comfort. All the men indicted, save Public Safety Commissioner Frank Giles, are still in office, doing business as usual. Speaker Thompson has flatly refused to resign, saying it will prejudice his case in court. Efforts by the inept GOP minority in the House to unseat him have failed, and for the moment anyway, Thompson, instead of being in irons, is still the Iron Duke of Ludlow.

All of this is no surprise in a state where mayors and legislators have been elected from the jailhouse, and where the Harvard commencement procession was once led by the Sheriff of Middlesex County while he was under indictment. Consequently, it is silly to expect Thompson and the others to be gripped with a moral fervor and suspend themselves--and even if they do, there is no particular reason to hope for much improvement.

There will not be much improvement until the politicians learn that theirs is a public responsibility, and until the public enforces it. One of the civil service commissioners, for example, appointed his own father city manager when he was mayor of his home town several years back. The ensuing scandal had no lasting effects for father or son. Though both were thrown out of office at the next election, they soon reappeared on the public payroll, the father as a $20,000 a year commissioner, and the son, with the sense of humor that is peculiar to Massachusetts, as chairman of the civil service commission. Apart from the unusual warmth and trust of the parental-filial relationship, neither of these gentlemen has any particular qualifications for office, any office; certainly no more than the judge who was once a lawyer who knew the Governor or the commissioner who is a defeated legislator. The Governor can be given the power to suspend all indicted state officials, and the Crime Commission can be given even more money to find the crooks, but this does nothing but increase the rate of turnover in offices. The hacks simply replace themselves, secure in their assumption of public apathy, and resolve not to be so clumsy about it the next time.

There has been little apparent change on Beacon Hill since the indictments. Legislator and lobbyist are reportedly more circumspect, but the old brazen spirit still shows through, as the legislators passed a bill to reimburse themselves for legal fees incurred in their defense against indictments. The only hitch is that they must beat the rap to qualify. But even then, there is no clear reason why they alone, of all criminal defendants in the Commonwealth, are entitled to have their lawyers paid by the public. They, and the electorate, would do well to recall Article VII of the first part of Massachusett's constitution:

Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor or private Interest of any one man, family or class of men.