MONTAGUE. For instance, I am running a street railway...
LAURA. [Quickly.] My father is running them all!
MONTAGUE. Very well. Your father is in alliance with the organization; he is given franchises and public privileges for practically nothing; and in return he gives the contracts for constructing the subways and street-car lines to companies organized by the politicians. These companies are simply paper companies... they farm out the contracts to the real builders, skimming off a profit of twenty or thirty per cent. One of these companies received contracts last year to the value of thirty million dollars.
LAURA. And so that is how Grimes gets his money?
MONTAGUE. Grimes' brother is the president of the company I have reference to.
LAURA. I see; it is a regular system.
MONTAGUE. It is a business, and there is no way to punish it... it does not violate any law...
LAURA. And yet it is quite as bad!
MONTAGUE. It is far worse, because of its vast scope. It carries every form of corruption in its train. It means the prostitution of our whole system of government... the subsidizing of our newspapers, and of the great political parties. It means that judges are chosen who will decide in favor of the corporations; that legislators are nominated who will protect them against attack. It means everywhere the enthronement of ignorance and incompetence, of injustice and fraud.
LAURA. And in the end the public pays for it?