The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-10-18

AS to the senatorial contest IL was
sheer abyss of corruption. The
thing was fathomless. The bride
<givers complained that there wds no
honor even among the thieves; and
that when they had bought up a
member, or Senator he would not
stay bought; but the other side would
buy him away from them; and they
were compelled to purchase him over
again. In many cases, after several
such shiftings, the man who paid the
last bride got the vote.
The Legislature took a lot OF testi-
mony in reference to these matters
and THEN SUPPRESSED IT; and from
that day to this it has never seen the
light of day, and it never will.
1t is common rumor that corrup-
ton was reduced to a scientific basis,
and that, in the House, thirty MEM
bers had banded themselves together,
as a society of infamy, and their
votes were sold and delivered in a
bunch, by a single agent, like so
many stalks of asparagus. And the
air is full of other stories, still more
shocking, which / forbear to repeat.
Every knave in the state now
knows that the pathway to fortune
is through a place in the Legislature;
and next year there will be a desper-
ate rush to be elected to the House,
and especially to the Senate; for THE
SENATE IS THE CORRAL, INTO WHICH
THE CORPORATIONS DRIVE THE BIG
GAME FOR SLAUGHTER.
If there is not virtue enough among
the people to take hold of the next
Legislature and FILL 1T WITH HONEST
MEN, the robbery of the people will con-
tinue, their condition will become
more deplorable than it now is, the
power of the corporations and rings
will increase, and the result will be the
eventual overthrow of free institu-
tions."
Now, that it may not be sup
posed that these statements were
exaggerated, let me quote afew adj
ditional extracts. The St. Paul
Daily News, OF April %, 1889,
said:
"Yesterdayin explaining his vote
on the Winnipeg 4 Duluth for
fixture bill, a member from Hen
nepen took occasion to handle
without gloves, "the powerful
and wicked lobby on both sides
Of this question" There has
been a good deal said in public,
and still more in private, about
the integrity OF the present Legis-
lature. 1t remains for the men,
Der of the House to add his con-
founding testimony to the wick
edness Of the lobby. This testi-
mony is the more damning, for
wickedness in a lobby is one of
those crimes that cannot be
penetrated without two criminals.
There must be not only a wicked
lobbyist, but also a. wicked legis-
latOr."
This legislative remark, or con-
fession, was not rebuked by the
speaker. There was no cry OF
order from the House. This re-
mark was greeted by distinct ap-
plause from a dozen members of
the House. What are the public
outside to conclude from this ex-
traordinary spectacle? What
was meant to be the effect OF this
strange speech?
The member from Hennepin
who made these charges was one
of the active members in the
Washburn campaign in the SEN
atorial contest. Why did he not
make some comment upon that
as well as upon the Duluth &
Winnipeg bill? If current report
can be believed, there is where the
Generalization of the present
Legislature began, and we know
no member of the legislature liable
to be better informed in the mat
ter than Representative Hay, of
Minneapolis. Every one knows,
of course, that the senatorial
matter was a cash transaction,
and quite likely Mr.. Hay was
correct in his assumption that
the policy there inaugurated had
been continued through the ses-
sion.
There has been quite enough of
this kind OF talk among RESPONSE
BILE persons to make the ears of
every honest representative tin
gle. Corruption in politics must
cease, if we are to maintain our
institutions. The legislative
halls should be purged Of such a
faint. The reputation Of this
Legislature has been deliberately