The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-01

|
| on The gu. stiun 81 sunptuaty, SabbataI!an,
and Kindred LEGISLATION; Az the head OF tn,s
stin young mn, and having by the
| distinction at the bar, he. with hi cNuher,
| ant good nature and hail iciiuw wen met
manner. soon became one of the most popular
| yuuur men IN Wisconsin,. He WAS then an ar.
dent Democrat. hut he went with the toe OF
punhc sediment on the war issues and IN
few years became the fvutt leader ~ tne
young and prngre-sive Re"ublicans IN tne Nottn-
wcs'. His political services. as well as MS abty
| Tct1rV -t,ntnn and when the Administration
! was casting about for some brilliant and plausi-
| ble advocate to reprcsent toe tovcrnmeni IN
tue argument OF The celebrated mllllgan o'se
4 before the Supreme Court, tie was employed
! and pitted against Judge Ria X 81 Pennsylvdnia.
| mously against the Vicious doctrine thnt IN .
| state FAR removed from the theatre OF war the
| IL was admitted by all who heard Carpenters
| argument that he made the best ~ bad case.
| In the campaign OF 1895 he rendered cxtraordi-
nary service Tor his party in this state stump
| sort Ma agsinat the Wasnburne faction. and
| after most despera.ely contested struggle.
! elected him to the United states Senate over
! CodNaladcr G. weshburne. He bad some. time
1 pievious to this settled at Milwaukee, and here
| he found some Of his mUet ardent friends and
! strop-~ft political supporters, but tue al who
tiers election was X. W. Reyes Of Madison. rnis
| man has extraordinary genius for urgsnizltion
| aud combination iu politics, and Tor the last SIX
teen years he hiss uecn Post master oil hadlrun
aud Chairman OF the Republican state Central
| lDmmittec. He " unsvrupulOuS. bold, ana
stgaciuus, and his long experience Ia state pol
itirs has made him 81 power IN the Marty ne
serves All his influence and all his skill a. =
matipulator and organizer have been dey"tcd
to the Carpenter interest, ami on the other hand,
Scn'er has ~ dc tne tsdsr, pS,soh'f 20
keyes's OF 'tation.
suRLwD MANAGEMENT.
The element ia politics which these two pol-
! utiaus carcfuliy cuitivatod was the Young men
and tive whisKey and sporting portion 81 the
community. Carpenter himself VS. " hail lel-
eudcsr himself 60 the f,st young men of society
| hr ioiuei in their revels and assumed on all oc-
castous tAs air nnd drcs. OF a careless reckless
man of the world. In tuis citS he WIS the IDOL
ui these 81 sses IL tucicty. and he e1rfted all MS
tunUgh United Stsdes senator, he continued 10
s-fNr distlicis IN ht- capacity ~ an attorney
Iandskopf Was indicted In 1874 nj Madison for
being concerned ~ running = crooked disullerS
near that city, tupcuter brought all ms ifnu-
cucc to uclr on tue commits tuutr OF Internal
keNenuc O" nave Tue proceed ies du.shed, but
ttis State WIS sum .isnt TO save the convicted
di.tiiler from all but mere nominal punsh-
meut.
. | he eutlre revenue service in this State
oreaniI,d ~ tie interest OF Carpenter md
keNcs. thc collector IA this district was n man
nawcu hfshinr, Nf' tNtu al hevlne. ne W !, Il
10 mere n-ufetcdd Ild y i'd no attention to the
details 81 the enc; ms SVats rineu su.rt
| over by Dan Mum, VINO. as the creature Of John
A iIoA an was ui'lr'reI 70 ia t N"rpenteI
| centage from the crooked wbiskey mAnuf1c-
|
q Tue psrty elsewhere. Onc OF Ctpeutei culei
5 fuglemcn in thie city We young Fellow named
. | ii. e. PAYNE, VINO was PresiIe1t Of the Young
o. Meme k"puhHcan 'luu " shwogNee' puIlll
4 | cal organization that included oil the young,
active ana influential politicians not only Of the
| city but OF the surrounding country. fayne
was the medium through wnOm 4 upenter and
Reyes manipulated tue su1ofuinsto revenue
= dirihl- in this disttict. ne storckeepers and
a gaurrr> were all selected from the Young Men =
p respeet bic y,,uns feii nws-nnany of Them me ~.
"A beers Of Eoco families his class OF revenue
officers usual, cOnlhtisee lot ol ward polit-
: clans aud bummers but here They were an ex-
= can tonally respectsuie set Of young men. lhev
II were {, iectcd with .srecia reference 20 their
ahi y - serve Carpenter by aiding To set W
u | nominating convent ms ana influence votes
J. here and elsewhere IN the state. Iney were not
r naturally corrupt men. hut on inc contrary they
q had the Instincts Of gentlemen. and had they
u never teen SUI jccicd to ny great temptation
! | would DOUBTLESS. have mace useful msnhers
d of society. Dut no sooner we're they assicnod
j. to duty ia distllleries ana rectiiying houses than
:. Tie wuIAkey inca sci ABOUT corrupIlng them.
II PRACTICAL CORRUPTION.
h yer. oni eauser Sl,6UO. but out oil tnis they
y were given 10 Understand oy fhyne mat thet
b. must pAy political assessment Of a least ntty
q per cent. After tuis was deducted Of course
, There Wa- u 1t much money lei { r the uucer
to I've on. but the distuler or rectlNer NO. Id
" prOacn them and prnpose to iav tnem $50
r. simply neglect to enter IN tier nook, all the
~ grain consumed ar all the hlRhw mes dumptd
d Iur re- t,hcAtion l. l. almost tue uniform test
~ muuy of these subordinate officers, IS | have
er read il Ia thcir sworn statements. tDat they dc
J.
~ their superioTr The deputy collector who really
AS run the office mere WIS yodnG fellow named A.
II &. Meissert. aud the special agent Tor the stat
a was ;. j. Cpnkliue, a fellow who, coming some
ad where IRON the interior Of TIE site u New
IA York, had lVod whiie IN ths state, and fOf ser
he vices rendered 60 Keye- aud Carpenter was made
It, Supervisor Of Internal Revenue for toe New or
" leans district When the twenty i've supetvi
ce sors districts cons Olidated into ten, Con
ps ling was left out IN the cod, and To- provide To-
r. him Carpenter procured the removal of Burpee
" tne o ecial asent IN this State, and had Conklin,
o. appointed T. toe place. The supervisor col
e- lsctoT and special agent were ali receiving thei
~ regular monthly fees from the distiilers, which
ne averaged about 5000 per month for ca h q
TO | them, aud u course when storekcepeT u
nd gauger would report any irregularity or unlaw
q | full proposals, no attention was PAID thereto
~ On tHe cVhtiM' tn1 us 'd MouI th snS .u'
rn | VIII they hed lone, and would quietly insiuu
ave that they were fools not tO take their shan
81 the steal. III one instance where store
H. Keeper bad stood out Tor some tinle, and per
- si- ed la reporting ire -uarities. the dis tleu
10 ~ whose est bhshmen' ne was stationed toll,
"a Tim l1inly one day that he was fool To perss
~ ia his course, and II he did not become accom-
"a | modatipg tie would he dismissed. The Office
~. opcusr his eyes wide At this re'uark, and IN as
~ constituent asked II the distilIer meant 70 81
-a | that tGsre was an understa ding between IA
"a nanufac. urers and the collector and speciu
re ,,Certainly. you IDIOT" replied the distillei
-, " Do YOU supp $50 your fepOris would nave bee
~ ignored had there not oeen all Arrangement Wit
W | your superior OficersT
ne The subordinate was stlll incredulous. tn
IL distihrr said he would convince am " tie woul
he ers Opera House. "Wlll Cenkling tell me to IL
IL | you Tuu crooked r Asked the storekeeper
OF CROOKED MARKS ON THE WALL.
at Certainly not" replied the dstiler. but
~ | when We 90 into bis room he gets ~ and with
% pencil makes a lot OF crooked marks ON the wal
will you toe satishedF
OF Inc storekeeper admitted that that would b
a conclusive evidence d "a secret underst andinI
n and accompanied 's tempter TO COnkling
ne room, where ley were sooner come tina
II that official made the signs agreed upon, an
re- OF course the poor storekeeper was Yauqulsnet
Is The supremacy OF Carpenter and his party
ne this State unquestioned till the back pa
OF scandal OF 1873 aroused the people from one Ell
lc- of the lAnu 20 tue other SUI he was, with o.
III admirable organization which Keyes had enec
,es ed throughout the State, well nigh inyincibl
he HID II not been for the formers movement Ia o
ia position to the railroads. which eliminated aDol
ar, the same time. the Carpenter party would hay
mt | teen able 10 bid defiance to all opposition. III
ch masses, long suffering and foroearin1 WEI
ny Thoroughly aroused, and despite the most stren
nus Gus efforts Of the party IN power 10 prevent
ca the revolution Of 1873 occurred, and hay sec
us for tho time being became the dominant ell
ain mentin Wisconsin politics. But The Leglslatu
Dh- wnicu was to choose n United states senate
Tue was not elected Till the succeeding year, AZ
va there Vas SIN chance 10 save Carilenter.
a Al ..ll