The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-25
NTH The extract relates to New

south. The extract relates to New
York matters, but will set our readers
10 thinking whether they have ever
heard Of such things nearer home:
1T has become a regular practice for
railroad corporations TO send some oil
.heir swn men to the Legislature TO
further their interests. Senator Nag-
| Ter, of palace car fame, Is a type of TIN,
class. Through railroad influences he
has been regularly placed at the head
= the Senate Committee on Railroads,
! he committee constituted to SUIT HI.
| .lea.ure, and all measures looking to
mold ng these corporations 10 proper re
possibility to the public have had 10
un the gauntlet Of this packed jury
presided over by 4 Judge who had a re
..uniary interest in the adverse decision
of the case. Another class OF Senators
who are even more useful to the raj
roads are prominent members OF the
cyal profession, many OF whom are
egularly retained in all parts OF the
State, aud some thus employed are rex
,,arly elected 10 the Legislature by the
.rlroad.. Senators Robertson, Jacobs
Woodin, Sessions. and Fowler are types
j, this class. This clas. work more
secretly, presses to be friendly, assure
you ,hay will do all they car for the
ueasure where the public interest Is IN
Owed, but secretly endeavor 10 stltte
4 in comclittee or prevent II from ever
oulug to a vote. la case they are not
-lccesstul in this way, they either vote
,.alust il or are absent when h vote l.
ken. In some instances, when they
50 t sure Of enough adverse votes 10 de
cit i measure which they know their
constituents favor. they viii wen vote
yea, although, hal they been told 10y
ihe railroad managers that their vote
was wanted. they would have been re
corded on the other side. Another and
more numerous class are the contrac-
tors, merchants, or manufacturers IN
terestei in various enterprises which
he railroads eau greatly assist awarding
contracts or by giving favorable rates
on freight, and thu. power i freely used
OF this type Senators Mccarthy, Ste
vens, Halbert, Madden, Bramin, Rock
well, and others are examples. Auoth
err class cannot thus be controlled, blt.
having friendly personal relations with
the railroad representatives,, who are al
ways most agreeable men, they are IN
huenced by them, and, unless the issue
is sharply defined by their immediate
constituents, they vote with the rail
roads and against the public interest.
This class is closely cultivated by the
railroad representatives Free passes
and other courtcsies are showered upon
them, situations which in many cases
are sinecures are given TO friends aud
constituents, and in not a few instances
their votes are controlled az absolutely
as those of class three. Scattered be
tween the above classe. IL a no con,Id
cradle element OF absolutely venal iegls
who are not ashamed to associate
with lobbyists. and to DO their bidding.
When public sentiment looks upon buy
ing an election as a crime, and profess
lobbyists like A. ID. Ba.ber and
Edwards, who, together with Senator
Sessions, are o under Indictment for
bribery during the late Senatorial con
test, are regarded as social paIiahs to
be avoided by all decent citizens, it is
probable that few er Senators like Mr.
Sc ,sions will be seen at Albany, and
representatives like Messrs. Hustled and
Alvord will cease to be leaders in the
Assembly,