The sun., 1873-05-03
CORRUPTION At ALBANY.
How Legislators Sell Themselves and are
Purchased.

| ALBANY, April 20 The Plain Facts in re-
| lation TO the corruption with which our leRisla-
tion is infected, published in THE SuN few DAYS
ago, attracted no inconslderable degree OF at
tention here. For many years past there has
been general impression among the people Of
Albany that money often used to promote
or prevent tho passage OF bills. In fact, the
slang Of the lobby hes crept Into the vocabulary
Of our people to such an extent that the phrases
ION the make" "bills with money in them +"
"healthy old customers" Commercial menu
bcrs," and others of similar significance are
nippantly used and a. well understood "a the
grave and duh Arguments heard In the Capitol.
But the specific allegations, the details of the
transactions, and tho names Of the partakers In
the corruption fund provided by the railroad
company, all stated with . degree Of circum-
stantiallty and precision that left no room for
doubt that the charges, one and all, were gus
oeptible Of being sufficiently supported, put a
new face on tho matter and invested the accu-
sations with a degree Of gravity that general,
vague and indefinite charges OF bribery and
corruption never possess. There Is a great diff
ference between a distinct and peremptory as
sertion that q certain welLknown Senator or
Assemblyman, whose name and place Of resi-
dCnco are given In full, received "A sum Of money
expressed with exactness In figures for his vote
In favor OF n bill known to have passed the Log
lslature under tho circumstances described by
TIE SUN, and n loose ayerment that money had
been employed to insure its passage. The posi-
tive statements created tho apprehension that
your facts were only a sample OF the contents Of
your repertory-s nrst installment, to he fol-
lowed by full history Of legislative rascality for
q long series Of years.
II is well known hero that ever since railroad
companies having been seeking beneficial iegis-
LAT frIN III tl.
OF the strikers who sought to levy black mall
upon them, money has been expended here,
often In considerable sums, TO accomplish those
purposes THIS practice, morally indefens,ble,
has been excused on the ground OF its necessity.
Railroad managers have insisted that the inter-
ests OF their stockholders could bo protected In
no other way-thst money so paid was in the
nature Of money paid for insurance upon per-
ishablc property. ! do not propose to consider
the ethical question at this time. There may be-
something Of palliation in tho circumstances
suggested, 80 far "a these managers are acting
In a nduc!ary capacity; but surely there should
be neither mercy nor measure In the condemna-
ton of the mon In the Legislature and out who
originate schemes Of plumber. compelling cor
poraiions To submit to ruinous legislation, OF az
the only alternative to pay money ~ prevent IL.
Take, for example, the pro rata freight ques-
ton. Apparently there Ia neither reason nor
Justice Ia the tariff Of freichts arranged by the
trunk railwHya. And yet II Ia easily domon-
stratod that pro rata freight bill would be utter
destruction to every hong railroad line In the
country. Still so plausible are the arguments In
lite favor, and so clamoruus are tho short freight
ers for its enactment. that there Ia no other
mode Of refuting these arguments but by a
rcSort 10 the troasuries Of the companies. And
year after year tbeee bills Introduced, with
ffsk. fVfa 4.
for the purpose Of constraining tho companies
10 "c"me down." In the parlRnce CT the lobby.
After these rather general observations, | shall
proceed 10 furnish you with some facts that
may be- - service In bringing to the bar of pub
lie opinion the soOundrels who have So long beon
In the habit Of selling tho influence Of their
oulcld po=itIons for money. Probably they will
AL manage Ia eecapo the penal consequence Of
their hacrant violations of law, but when YOU
have got them well covered over with ignominy
you have taken a long stride toward putting an
end TO the nofaroue practices by which the
character Of the state has been 70 long dis
graced.
have been In the Leglslature, and propose
only to speak of what | know. | insist, how
ever, that l am not In the condition OF an en-
hGhtonod West India law maker, who adduced
his own experience in support Of u bill. when
consideration bill to regulate the fees Of tho
wharhngers Of Kingston, jealous and patri-
otic member of the body advocated II with
great carnestness; and among the reasons why
II ought To become a law he adduced the follow
Ing: ." Mr.. Speaker, the wharnDgers Of Kings
ton are great rascals. was one myself for six
years, 80 l ought 70 know"
should like 70 give you IA detailed account
of the circumstances under which the Consuli-
datlon net was pasSed In 1853 and a statement
of what 1t cost the Central 10 procure a charter
Tor a bridge across the Hudson originally and
also for tho notifications Of that charter which
subsequently became Indispensable. And n
was able To give you the figures Of the money
paid by the Central, the Erie, the Hudson River,
and the other railways OF tho state, the aggre-
gate amount would astonish you slightly, while
your readers would be generally edited. For
y, ars and yoars combinations have existed, en-
hraclng knave- In the Legislature and out, who
enriched themselves by levyng contributions on
individuals and corporations who were COM
peeled 10 ask relief from the legislature To
such an extent has this rascality been carried az
times that the most unimportant and harmless
private hill could not be passed without the pay
ment Of money, the amount being pruportiuned
To The magnitude Of the interest involved. A
single instance viii be -uncent for the pur-
4 'n' "a AtANiIdN4'fp' ElNe Hlno IGtts Win
all the attendant circumstances, IA
was fully convcrsant with them at the time Il
the transaction. The lAtc laueuted Gen. Walls
worth procured - bnl to bo introduced in thc As
scmhly authorizing tie son Of his sister, born in
F'>It, 70 hold road eetato IN New York, thuro
beng then an absurd law on our statute boukA
prohibiting nliens from enjoying that privilege.
Frut ably the same prcPosterous prohibition stil
oNis;s. Perhaps II may havo boon repealed.
Certainly It ought N he. The hiu In question
was referred 10 the appropriate oom,nitte,, and
IN short tmo reported back TO the House
with favorable Recommendation. II went on
lac General Orders IA matter u course. Wads-
worth urged its speedy p0ssagr, ~ the settio-
Went of his fathers vast estate required that
turmality. lie soon ascertained that some un-
seen obstacle was In the way and after remain
Ing in Albany three OF four weeks without being
able 10 move the bill an inch, he went home in
dsgust. asking friend to see whether anything
could be done. Thls friend being more familiar
with ways that are dark" soon asoertalned
that money was necessary The sum of three
hundred dollars was paid, and the bill speedily
became "A lllW. This n fnir ~ "a.