Telegram-herald., 1890-10-03

lssis-st4Fss ssgsa sesn srtsx tAs -
s<atzasl4a = sEsas r1t.sesa sorper4
seas "A sac variess parts ~ tAs wsrlA
1asss ssss saa pewsrfai es2siastiess
81 s2passA tas F.zlrse4s. rs4 zirsd
mzea spsciai lsgislatIea "a sxdss - 80
ssia tksis rights aad - sasb.s tksz -
carry 81 thsir great safsFPrss>~ szsssss-
fally kssts4d u rslsias upoa ths
eoin4ol Ia aad ia statistics already
s1istias ge.sxnias "a sszsrel 81 prep
sEty and tas FisEts of iziivieasis, sAsy
ssasAa ,gssiaI xs.ass "a charters, All
Is saes tas systsA sPrues AZ sf tss
lsehY. Ihsy assd IL fsr tas g.ssing 81
sesssvsr measures sksy stszss 70 -
thfozgh, aud. q eearss. tAs corpora
tions assd the nssas Walsh wsrs th>
sAsisst 20 sssars tAs safe aad rapid
passage sf their bills Thsy bsgsR ~
usiag mensy sna purchasing votes IL
tAs Legislature for tAs PaEP0ss Of Goa
sfslling lszislation. Legislator. we're
fouad essgywks-s was uadsitoo -
rsesmPsnss Or rseoap tAs1sslVss At the
expense % the zig corporations fer the
sxpsnss Of thsir slsetiOa and the cost
6. maintaining themselves 50 Legislators
BY aeesPtias brisss
DO yoa shink Legislators 80 . rul.
are vshsl -
''Ns, do act, bat many msn who
w0ald act eoassat TO take . bribs freq.
private individual fer privat.
matter usuld net hesitate for an in
slant about accepting mensy from
eorPorasios, sinPly fer the reason that
IL vas = serpOEAtioa. Great rival inter
ssts foaad il necessary, as they
thought, 10 spend vast sums of money
t. seearo what they held were their
own rights, or TO prevent their rivals
from securing any rights at all which
were calculated 70 injars them. ERor-
mou. sums OF Aoney were used In this
way for dsbaaehing the various lsgis-
lativs bodies
"rhs legislators themselves are not
the only people TO blame for the pas
sage OF eorrupt measures. 10 has
frequently happened that political
managers have been able 10 use the
party for the passage of very bad and
dishonest bills by making them party
measures and making the honest men
In the party vote for thsm because
they were Labelled with the stamp OF
the party. IL is also true that only q
very small portion of the money paid
By corporations 70 sscare the passage
OF bills in which they were interested
has ever reached the Legislators thsm-
selves, bat has been retained by the
middle parties, or lobbyists, who, by
shrewd and adroit management, con
troll the passage of laws without using
much OF the money put into their
hands for accomplishing the purpose
"Asothsr cause for the dsgeneracy
of our legislative bodies will be found
In the fact that demagogy has. to 3
large extent, controlled the legislature
in many of tho States and much Of the
Legislation In Congress during the past
few years. Many Pernioious laws
have been passed simply because some
pretentious organization, representing
some special interest, has demanded
IL. The fact is that most Of the people
ostsnsibly represented by them knew
nothing about them 81 ali. They
consist of a few men who get together
and agree among themselves that they
represent . large class of people and
that this Legislation or that must be
had. May Legislatures have frequently
given way to the claims of
these dsxasosuss, and passed dan
ssrous and bad laws.
What should the people do to COR
rect these svilsf
"Ths sources Of all power In modern
governments come from the people and
must be expressed through their lsgis-
lative bodies. The changes In the
future should not be in the direction of
further limiting the powers of the
legislative body upon the theory that
they may do harm to the body polite.
1 believe that the changes made In that
direction in the past have proved to
have been vorse than the evils which
they were expected to cure.
The large cities of the country
have contributed, as . rule, . much
larger portion of corrupt men in
/ our legislative halls than the small
where the interests of the people are
concentrated, it has long been the rule
to elect men who, inst. ID of represent
ing and protecting the municipality
sending them, have usually preyed
upon ID. OF course many honest men
have represented New York city In the
Legislature, and do to day, but ii is
only necessary to 60 over the politioAl
history Of the past twenty Ave years tc
prove the truth OF my assertion. The
corrGpt dealings of some OF these men
have become norsorious, and have
brought disgrace upon that body
These have been seen aud scino wled ID
BY many leading men on both side,
who have taken part in the politics oil
J the State of New York.
"Many remedies have BEEN suggested
to cure this oencerous sore on the bod
polite. and few of them have beer
tried. The present salary OF member,
OF the Assembly vas raised from $500
which was what the men. bsrs receives
when 7 was frst elected. to Al, 500 Thi,
WAS brought sbout because IL was be
llsved that by paying salary which
would enable me n Der TO live dscently
in Albany durinz the session . bsster
class Of msn would consent to take tn,
position. and thereby legislation would
De improved think that the r.sul
at srst VS. good, ont I would not ss-
that IL has BEEN e6scsivs continuoasl
in giving "a better class of legislator,
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