St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-04-04
QUESTIONING MOTIVES.

The Shakopee Courier protests against
the practice of imputing to Legislators
improper or mereenary motives in sup
porting or opposing measures. 1t says
truly that men may honestly differ as
TO the ACCESSIBILITY of enacting bill,
and that they should not be charged
with venality by those who differ with
them.
MeaSurably the Courier is right. AS
rule to be applied to all cases, it eX
tends charity which is entirely mis-
placed. 1t is probable that the editor
of the Courier has never been brought
in contact with a legislative body, ana
has had no opportunity 10 size them
up;" or he may judge the whole from
what he may know of part. Pos
slbly, too, the Courier represents the
extreme of that other opinion, that
one which regards all legislators as
venal, and which is just as erroneous as
is the other. The truth lies, as usual. in
the means between these two extremes.
\ legislature divides off into three
classes, the Sturdily honest men, some
times, but not always the major part,
the corruptible aud the corrupt. The
first class know nothing of the corrup-
ton going on about them save as ru
mOrS bring it to their ears, simply be-
cause the men who do the purchasing
never approach them. The lobbyist
knows his man as jockeys know horses.
lie knows whom it is safe to approach
and whom not. lie does not have to
approach the corrupt; they hunt him
out. Ii is the man who passes for an
honest man but is weak for whom the
lobbyist is looking, and he generally
finds him.
But the justice or the injustice of the
suspicious of the motives which lead
men to oppose or aid measures rests
largely on the character of the measure.
If the measure be free text book bill,
or the ballot bill, or any of the bills
which relate to the administration OF
purely public matters. criticism of the
action of members can Justly rise no
higher than their judgment; but if the
bill is one that has a strong and wealthy
interest back of it, either in support or
antagOnism, or if, as in a senatorial
election, only personal success of one or
another man is at stake, then the man
who aids the side espoused by the
wealthy interests must have his reputa-
ton for integrity we'll founded TO es-
cape the suspicion of corrupt motive
This is not saying that he may not be
honest in his support or an:agOnism.
but it is so we'll known that money is
used in the purchase of votes on such
measures that the honest man runs the
risk of smirehing his good name by
siding with them.
Illustrative of this may be cited the
bill to put the surveyors of logs on
salary of 5000 a year. 1t is known
that their fees amount to over 5000
annually. The bill was supported by
the wealthy lumbermen of the state. 1t
was opposed by the incumbentS. The
lumbermen asserted that they had been
approached by members of the commit
tee having the bill in charge with an
offer to kill the bill for money. They
offered to prove it if called OH. Any
honorable and honest man on that COM
mittee would not have let moment
pass without demanding an investiga-
ton. The charges were made by repu-
table men. They were not mere news
paper gossip" And yet not one of
these men thus assaulted has opened
his lips to ask for an investigation. The
conclusion is irresistible. They must
not complain if it is drawn.