--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have graft today. A hundred years ago…" description: "\"“We have graft today. A hundred years ago we had graft. We probably have more today than we had a hundred years ago. For three generations now people h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/erle-stanley-gardner-20055_corruption_we-have-graft-today-a-hundred-years-ago_1478312.jpg" --- # We have graft today. A hundred years ago we had graft. We… ![“We have graft today. A hundred years ago we had graft. We probably have more today than we had a hundred years ago. For three generations now people have been following reformers, fighting all sort of graft.—And what has it brought them, sweetheart? Not a damn thing, except more graft than when…” quote by Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/erle-stanley-gardner-20055_corruption_we-have-graft-today-a-hundred-years-ago_1478312.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/erle-stanley-gardner-20055_corruption_we-have-graft-today-a-hundred-years-ago_1478312.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b0/erle-stanley-gardner-20055_corruption_we-have-graft-today-a-hundred-years-ago_1478312.jpg) > ““We have graft today. A hundred years ago we had graft. We probably have more today than we had a hundred years ago. For three generations now people have been following reformers, fighting all sort of graft.—And what has it brought them, sweetheart? Not a damn thing, except more graft than when they started”” [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Graft (corruption) persists across generations, increasing despite reform efforts, yielding little benefit. **In simple terms:** Corruption grows over time despite attempts to fix it. Key Takeaway Address root causes of corruption. Themes politics ethics history Mood cynical reflective Type critical observational When to use this quote - government policy - corporate governance - public accountability - community activism Key Concepts systemic corruption social decay reform fatigue Questions to Reflect On - What drives persistent corruption? - How can reforms be made effective? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched systems is complex and slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Three generations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-generations/) ## Related quotes > [Every law that was ever written opened up a new way to graft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/every-law-that-was-ever-written-opened-up-a-new-way-to-graft/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [I've seen it over the years, the more intellectual they are, the more work they don't want to do. You have to do both,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertie-ahern/i-ve-seen-it-over-the-years-the-more-intellectual-they-are-the-more/) [Bertie Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertie-ahern/) > [The first gold star a child gets in school for the mere performance of a needful task is its first lesson in graft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-wylie/the-first-gold-star-a-child-gets-in-school-for-the-mere-performance/) [Philip Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-wylie/) > [Graft good Fruit all, or graft not at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/graft-good-fruit-all-or-graft-not-at-all/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Do you know that the tendrils of graft and corruption have become mighty interlacing roots so that even men who would like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-sligh-turnbull/do-you-know-that-the-tendrils-of-graft-and-corruption-have-become/) [Agnes Sligh Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-sligh-turnbull/) > [“No doubt, what with all that graft and corruption filling your schedule.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thomas/no-doubt-what-with-all-that-graft-and-corruption-filling-your-schedule/) [Rob Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thomas/) > [The biggest thing is being a man of your own time, combining craft with the graft, creating your own opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joivan-wade/the-biggest-thing-is-being-a-man-of-your-own-time-combining-craft/) [Joivan Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joivan-wade/) > [Conversion is not the smooth, easy-going process some men seem to think... It is wounding work, this breaking of the hearts, but without wounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/conversion-is-not-the-smooth-easy-going-process-some-men-seem-to/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Put your head down and work hard. Never wait for things to happen, make them happen for yourself through hard graft and not giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/put-your-head-down-and-work-hard-never-wait-for-things-to-happen-make/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [Mixed martial arts is about graft, it's about having to work hard on all your skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-hardy/mixed-martial-arts-is-about-graft-it-s-about-having-to-work-hard-on/) [Dan Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-hardy/) > [It was hard graft all the way and a good result in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tyler/it-was-hard-graft-all-the-way-and-a-good-result-in-the-end/) [John Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tyler/) > [Since having three kids, and the responsibility that goes with it, I know what it's like to graft for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-cross/since-having-three-kids-and-the-responsibility-that-goes-with-it-i/) [Rob Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-cross/) > [Painting it was hard graft. There are one and a half large tubes of white in the ground - yet that ground is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/painting-it-was-hard-graft-there-are-one-and-a-half-large-tubes-of/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [I liked the idea of being a writer and letting somebody else do the graft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siouxsie-sioux/i-liked-the-idea-of-being-a-writer-and-letting-somebody-else-do-the/) [Siouxsie Sioux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siouxsie-sioux/) > [Forget the idea that inspiration will come to you like a flash of lightning. It's much more about hard graft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-anthony-turnage/forget-the-idea-that-inspiration-will-come-to-you-like-a-flash-of/) Mark-Anthony Turnage ## More by Erle Stanley Gardner > [“You might be interested in his economic philosophy, Mr. Mason. He believed men attached too much importance to money as such. He believed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/you-might-be-interested-in-his-economic-philosophy-mr-mason-he/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“I take it," the lawyer remarked musingly, "patience isn't one of your virtues." "I didn't know," she said, "that patience WAS a virtue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/i-take-it-the-lawyer-remarked-musingly-patience-isn-t-one-of-your/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“of the murder and whether he could possibly have been out there at the country club at the time the murder was committed. “There’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/of-the-murder-and-whether-he-could-possibly-have-been-out-there-at/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [I have never stuck up for any criminal. I have merely asked for the orderly administration of an impartial justice...Due legal process is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/i-have-never-stuck-up-for-any-criminal-i-have-merely-asked-for-the/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“Every eight years, the people swallow some politician hook, line, and sinker and make him president. They hold him on the political stomach for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/every-eight-years-the-people-swallow-some-politician-hook-line-and/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [I like what I like and not what I'm supposed to like because of mass rating. And I very much dislike the things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/i-like-what-i-like-and-not-what-i-m-supposed-to-like-because-of-mass/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“Dear Editor: It's a damn good story. If you have any comments, write them on the back of a check. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/dear-editor-it-s-a-damn-good-story-if-you-have-any-comments-write/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“reason I am telling you all of this is that, according to Harrod, Fern Driscoll”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/reason-i-am-telling-you-all-of-this-is-that-according-to-harrod-fern/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [The real trouble with the writing game is that no general rule can be worked out for uniform guidance, and this applies to sales…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/the-real-trouble-with-the-writing-game-is-that-no-general-rule-can-be/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“will-have a tendency to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/will-have-a-tendency-to/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“If you ask me, this younger generation is altogether too careless about their morals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/if-you-ask-me-this-younger-generation-is-altogether-too-careless/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“A nurse,” I said, “would be wearing a starched uniform, and she’d have a fever thermometer ready to jab into a patient’s mouth at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/a-nurse-i-said-would-be-wearing-a-starched-uniform-and-she-d-have-a/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“Della Street, Perry Mason’s confidential secretary, said, “A couple of lovebirds have strayed into the office without an appointment. They insist it’s a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/della-street-perry-mason-s-confidential-secretary-said-a-couple-of/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [“Events are like telephone poles, streaming back past the observation platform of a speeding train.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/events-are-like-telephone-poles-streaming-back-past-the-observation/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) > [It's a damn good story. If you have any comments, write them on the back of a check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erle-stanley-gardner/it-s-a-damn-good-story-if-you-have-any-comments-write-them-on-the/) [Erle Stanley Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) [Explore all 31 Erle Stanley Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erle-stanley-gardner/) ## More Corruption quotes > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [In the lead up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility, at worse,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-zinni/in-the-lead-up-to-the-iraq-war-and-its-later-conduct-i-saw-at-a/) [Anthony Zinni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-zinni/) > [“Don't let cycles of violent crimes, uncontrollable, rising cases of bloody impunity, evil puppets in a crippled judiciary, marionettes in a corrupted legislative system…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-hopes/don-t-let-cycles-of-violent-crimes-uncontrollable-rising-cases-of/) [Angelica Hopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-hopes/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [My aim was to make money for the bank. You lose track of the amounts involved when you are engaged in this kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/my-aim-was-to-make-money-for-the-bank-you-lose-track-of-the-amounts/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [As you fight corruption, it fights back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yemi-osinbajo/as-you-fight-corruption-it-fights-back/) [Yemi Osinbajo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yemi-osinbajo/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [ Corruption could lead to the collapse of the Party \[Communist Party of China\] and the downfall of the state \[People's Republic of China\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xi-jinping/corruption-could-lead-to-the-collapse-of-the-party-communist-party-of/) [Xi Jinping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xi-jinping/) > [“Oh where is the noble face of modesty, or the strength of virtue, now that blasphemy is in power and men have put justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/euripides/oh-where-is-the-noble-face-of-modesty-or-the-strength-of-virtue-now/) [Euripides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/euripides/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The victory of Hamas is not only based on the corruption of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas has a vision and a program, and this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ismail-haniyeh/the-victory-of-hamas-is-not-only-based-on-the-corruption-of-the/) [Ismail Haniyeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ismail-haniyeh/) > [It looked incredibly credible!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-horlick/it-looked-incredibly-credible/) Nicola Horlick > [All power corrupts but some must govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/all-power-corrupts-but-some-must-govern/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) [Browse all 2,253 Corruption quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We have graft today. A hundred years ago we had graft. We probably have more today than we had a hundred years ago. For three generations now people have been following reformers, fighting all sort of graft.—And what has it brought them, sweetheart? 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