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?

MONTAGUE. In the end the public pays for everything. The stolen
franchises are unloaded on the market for ten times what they cost,
and the people pay their nickels for a wretched, broken-down service.
They pay for it in the form of rent and taxes for a dishonest
administration. Every struggling unfortunate in the city pays for it,
when he comes into contact with the system . . . when he seeks for
help, or even for justice. It was that side of it that shocked me most