Читать книгу The Goose-step: A Study of American Education онлайн

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The deep comfort and healthfulness of pecuniary independence, whether the scale of affairs be small or great.

The necessity of rigorously punishing by legal penalties and by social exclusion those persons who commit frauds, betray trusts or steal public funds, directly or indirectly. The fatal consequence to a community of any weak toleration of such offenses must be most distinctly pointed out and enforced.

And then the shrewd old rascal, evidently knowing his business associates thoroughly, added this amazing provision.

The grantees covenant that these things shall be done, and that the failure to comply with these stipulations shall be deemed such a default as to cause reversion in the manner hereinafter provided.

Now, you understand that the first principle of the interlocking directorate is never to let go of money on which it gets its hands. It is accustomed to misappropriating funds, and turning public funds to its own uses; a little thing like a deed of trust would not stand in its way. What it failed to realize in the case of this Wharton trust was the uncomfortable amount of agitation and publicity which would be involved. If the trustees of the University of U. G. I. had realized what was coming to them, they would have made up that six hundred thousand dollars by raising the price of gas in Philadelphia.