St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-15
torney and their friends left the court
How the Law Reads.

room.
How the Law Reads.
The state law under which the alder
men are indicted reads thus:
A. Judicial person who executes the
functions of public Office not designated
elsewhere in this code, or a person employed
by or acting for the state, or for any public
officer in the business of the state, who asks,
receives or agrees to receive a bribe OF any
money property or value of any kind. or
any promise or agreement therefor. upon any
agreement or understanding that his vote,
opinion, judgment, action. decision, or other
official proceeding shall be influenced
or proceeding, or in any way neglect or
violate any Official duty, is punishable by i'm .
prisonment in the state prison for not more
than ten years, or by fine of not more than
$500, or both. A conviction also forfeits
any Office held by the offender, and forever
disaualfies him from holding public office
under the state.
City Clerk Haney's case is somewhat
different. but the punishment is none
the less severe. He comes under the
head of persons who offer brides, and
the law governing his case reads as fol-
lows:
Section 81. An act done with an intent to
commit crime, and tending, but failing to
effect its commissions an attempt to commit
a crime.
Sec. II. A person who gives or offers, or
causes to be given or offered, brlbe or any
money or value of any kind, or any promise
or agreement therefor, to a person executing
any Of the functions of public office. other
than one of the officers or persons designated
in certain other portions of the code, with
intent to influence him in respect to any act,
decision, vote or other proceeding, in the
exercise of his powers or function, is p n
ishable by imprisonment in the state priuon
for not more than ten years or by fines OF
not more than s., 600, or both.
What the outcome of the trial of the
three men indicted will be is now occu-
plying place in the public mind. Will
they be convicted? Will the investiga
ton go further? Will others be dragged
into it? Will Haney ''squeal?' All
these questions are being asked and
none are answered definitely. Haney
may conclude that discretion is the bet
ter part of valor and that he can best
serve his own interests by telling what
he knows. F. G. Penney is quoted as
saying:
'If c. F. Haney would tell all he
knows ne could putstwenty aldermen in
the box"
This is a sweeping assertion, but by
no means beyond the range of POSSIBLE
ity. There has been good deal of job
berry of one kind and another in the city
council for the past fifteen months, as
review of the councils record will show.
1t has not all been confined to the vaca-
ton of Water street. There has been
so much jobbery that there has been
ample room for bribery. Taking all
matters in connection with the council
into consideration. it is not impossible
that there are more guilty ones than
those who stand publicly charged with
the commission of crime.
No one, beside the persons actually
connected with the case. knows yet just
what will be the line of defense of the
accused. 1t has been whispered that
they would not attempt to deny the
agreement to receive money, but will
try to disprove the assertion that their
votes were influenced. But this is
scarcely probable. 1t is too flimSy
plea. There are lawyers, too, who as
serJ that the Indictment is weak one.
They assert that if the defense be taken
upon certain lines, and one part in par
ticular of the indictment vigorously at
tackled, the prosecution will fail. But
this will all come out in the trial, and
until May is not long to wait.