Litchfield enquirer., 1881-08-25

The Anti Monopoly conference at Utica, last week, declares war against discriminat- ing rates, stock-watering, bribery, free passes, vote buying, and other arts introduced by railroad monopolists into business and poli- tics. We wish specially to call the atten- tion of cur readers to the following descrip- tion of the New York Senate. It will apply, perhaps in less degree, yet with truth, to ooth- CT Senates in other States:
 It has become regular practice for rail- road corporations to send some of their own men to the Legislature to further their inter. ests. Senator Wagner. of palace car fame, is type of this class. Through railroad inf1u- of the Senate Committee. on Railroads, the committee being constituted to suit his pleas. ure, and all measures looking to holding these corporations to proper responsibility to the public have had to run the gantlet of this packed jury presided over by Judge who had pecuniary interest in the adverse decis- of the case. Another class of Senators who were even more useful to the railroads are prominent members of the legal profession, many of whom are regularly retained in all parts of the State, and some thus employed are regularly elected to the Legislature by the railroads. Senators Robertson, Jacobs, Woodn, Sessions, and Fowler are types of this class. This class work more secretly, profess to be friendly, assure you they will do all they can for the measure where the pub- lie interest is involved, but secretly endeavor to stif1e it in committee Or prevent it from ev. CT coming to vote. In case they are not successful in this, they either vote against it or are absent when. the vote is taken. In some instances, when they are sure of enough adverse votes to defeat measure which they know their constituents favor, they will even vote yea, although had they been told by the railroad managers that their vote was wanted 1 they would have been recorded on the other side. Another and more numerous class are the contractors, merchants, or manufacturers interested in various enterprises which the l railroads can greatly assist by awarding con
 tracts or by giving favorable rates on freight, | and this power is freely used. Ot this type 1 Senators Mccarthy, Stevens, Halbert Mad. | den, Braman, Rockwell, and others are exam | pies. Another class cannot thus be controll. l ed, but having friendly personal relations with the railroad representatives, who are al
 ways most agreeable men, they are influenced | by them, and unless the issue IS sharply de. | fined by their immediate constituents they vote with the railroads and against the pub | nc interest. ms class IS ClOSely CultlVateO | by the railroad representatives. Free passes and other courteses are showered upon them. | Situations which in many cases are sinecures are given to their friends and constituents and in not few instances their votes are con
 trolled as absolutely as those of class three. | Scattered between the above classes is nc inconsiderable element of absolutely vena
 Legislators, who are not ashamed to associate with lobbyists and to do their bidding. Wher public sentiment looks upon buying an cleo
 tion as a crime, and professional lobbyist. like A. D. Barber and Edwards, who, together with Senator Sessions, are now under indict. ment for bribery during the late Senatorial contest, are regarded as social pariahs, to be avoided by all decent citizens, it is probable that fewer Senators like Mr. Sessions will be seen at Albany, and Representatives like Messrs. Husted and Alvord will cease to be leaders in the Assembly.