The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-09-17

"Burleigh," the well-known CORES
pendent of the Boston Journal, gives
this account of the manner in which
New York officials become rich on small
salaries:
HOW MEN ARE BOUGHT AND SOLD.
1t would surprise a stranger accus-
toned to some decency and integrity in
public affairs to hear how openly men
| talk of bribery and corruption in official
| life. 1t is understood that most men
have their price. They take no pains to
conceal it, and consider it an evidence
of smartness that they must be bought
If anything is to be done. 1t is a com
mon remark, G is Supervisor. He'll
make his pile"
If measures are to be carried, certain
men must be bought, a sum of money
put into their hands, or the thing fails.
There is u stout fight over the Office of
Senator. The pay is $3a day. The ex-
penses are So; SO for a room; the
cigars, liquor, &C., $40 more; and yet
the Senator will clear from $4,000 to
500 q session. If q railroad fran
chfse is to be obtained, he viii want
$4,000 in cash and block of the stock.
Or, coming down to New York, he will
go to certain parties and say, How
much do you make in your position ~
What is such a law worth to you 2"
or, What could you afford to pay to
have such law repealed? ?" The man
in reply will say that he makes from
$1,000 to $4,000 a year, as the case may
be. "Well," the Senator says, that
bill is to be repealed, or new bill is to
be introduced"
He demands $4,000 or 5O,0OO to buy
up his associates, and promises to de-
feat the measure. The excited New
Yorker flies around, raises the money,
and the threatened evil is stayed. Men
who, yeaE or two ago, could not get
trusted for a drink, sport their blooded
horses at the Park and live in great
style. Everybody understands it, for the
men are in Office. 1t costs from $4,000 to
$4,000 to get elected to paying office,
in the city, and the perquisites must be
large to sustain such an outlay. 1 do
not suppose that an intelligent man in
New York has the least doubt that
man. of our Judges are as regularly
paid for some of their services as are
the lawyers.
BUYING MAGISTRATES.
One of the executive officers used to
make a practice, " for a consideration"
to vacate his position, that bills and pa
pers might be passed in his absence. 1t
was his custom to notify the Common
Council that he was about.to go out of
the State, and some one would take his
official seat. He would take the ferry
boat at Cortland street, go to Jersey
City and take drink there, and go to
his own house and spend the evening,
He undertook to execute very vigorous
ly some obnoxious laws. A sum of
money was raised by the interested par
ties. Some say 100000; nobody puts
it less than $4,000. The bribe was ac-
cepted. The execution of the obnoxious
laws was stayed. The man got the
money, but even as politician he sank
out Of sight.
A gentleman who occupied the posi-
ton as Mayor in this vicinity was a
man of very decided opinions, and was
supposed to be an honest man. Some
interested parties wanted an ordinance
passed of great value to them. They
knew the Mayor would not sign the Or
dinance, and they could not carry it over
his veto. A check of $4,000 was pre-
sented to him he would simply have to
visit Jersey City and remain over night
the evening the ordinance was passed.
An argument was entered into to show
that he would not be responsible for the
ordinance if he was not there when it
passed and if it was signed by the act
ing Mayor. He spurned the bride, and
the law that would have made the rich
man richer and have oppressed the
poor, was not passed.
VANDERBILT's REVENGE.
1t is charged on the Commodore that
he is very arbitrary and rides rough
shod over smaller men; that he is i'm
perious, autocratic, and deranges the
market at his will. These men who
complain forget how they treated Van
derbilt when he first came to the sur
face as a financier. He was treated as
an interloper. Men were rude toward
him ON every occasion. He wanted a
favor of the Hudson River road. The
President, then a railroad king, treated
him very rudely, and when Vanderbilt
left his Office he told him that he would
see the day when he would be his mas
ter. That threat was fulfilled earlier
than either party supposed. The Com
modore walked into the Office of the
President and gave him his walking pa
pers.
One of Collins ships was disabled.
Vanderbilt wanted one of his ships put
on until the lost steamer could be re-
placed. Collins was then in his glory,
and repulsed Vanderbilt not very gra-
ciously, to which the Commodore re-
piled that he would drive Collins line
off the ocean, and he did. When he
came among railroad men they treated
him with no consideration or fairness,
and obliged him, before he could get a
foothold, to bring his stock into Wall
street and have it locked up under
charge of other parties. He took his
position when the railroad men in the
State conspired to slaughter him in con-
nection with Harlem. He gained de-
cided victory, slaughtered his enemies
by hundreds, became master of the stu
alton. and is not at all unwilling that