The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-08-23
EVILS OF BRIBERY.
Moorfeld storey's Strong Speech
to the Bar Association.
Confidence Of The People Shaken by
Corruption.
Great Corporations Make or Defeat
Laws with Money.

Uiy Associated PressJ
SARATOGA, Aug. 23.-When the Bar
Association resumed its session to-day
Mlcriicll Storey, of Boston. read an ad.
dress on the american Legislature" In
oienins me spoke of the abiding ialtl
which Americans are brought up to
place in thcir Institutions and good sense
Of Ia" people, and their uhi.osophic III
difference to political evils.
Vet he said. jurihg the last twenty
years there has been change in the
attitude of the people towards the fun
damentLl principles of our Government
He ,lulrd briefly ~ the contempt ioi
law cvinrCi in tlc conduct OF labor
strikes and to the conflicts of the last
twenty years for the control OF STATE
Legislature. Continuing, he said. in part
riUm tnc most august legislative body IN the
country, tt senate Of the United States, down II
the Aldermen Of New York the citizen too OfteI
histruYts. fears and is ashamed Of his representa-
tiNes.
The business community throughout the condtry
welcomes the adjournment Of Congress as the en-
~ filled with ptrrlekity and dread. d
we applaud Congress, 1t IL rather tociuse the bso
Laws have been repealed or bad propositions haHi
been defeated thar because good laws have heci
u,-sed. We congratulate Ourselves upon our mar
rev ESCAPES, and wonler whether We shall b.
cuIalY fortunate ag.iIi.
When a state Legislature sieets. every great
corporation within It's reach prepares for sell dc
trnsr, knowing by bitter experience, now hOsp
tahv attacks upon Its property are rectlftd II
COMMITTEES and on the floor. The private citizen,
on ms own part, never knows what cheriShc
right may not be endangered by existing monup
olies or by schemers in search OF valuable fran
ChiSos
Toward municipal legislatures the
speaker found the same distrust exist
ing. Biennial sessions OF State Legis
latures, he regarded as an evidence OF
public distrust, also evinced in the con
stitutional inhibition of special legisla'
ton, The same distrust is reflected II
the Legislature itself. and nowhere Sc
strongly as in the Federal House OF
Representatives, which by it's rules has
so fcttered its own action as to have
almost revOlutiOnized its character. Con
tinuing he said:
IN representative government, loss OF faith In tn
people hcm-ely'i, and his feeding really lies Il
the root OF tho changes in public opinion on fun
da''entAl principles air, ady noted. More or les
distinctly recognized tn ,dea that tie corpora
| lions have corrupted the Legislatures is dnrman
| IN the minds of many. and bribery is made In
excuse fer anarchy
| The danger against which we ruFrd in consti;u
| tons amd which in conversation recognize aut
depore, is the danger that private interests car
rnurd to pay for he privileges which they se,l
prices which the Ordinary Legislator cannot refuse
Mr.. Storey spoke at some length of tht
method by which lobbyists and corrup
| tionists pursue their nefarious work, cit
| ing various instances of the bribery o
Legislators in the interest Of corpora
| lions or individuals.
when bill is introduced into the Legislator,
which gives to certain private individuals th'
right to take their neghbOrs property without
hdepute compensation, to tax their feow-citizens
or to Use the public streets for private purposes
the ordinary voter smiles and thinks that ab
surd a measure cannot possibly pass. When
however after period of incubation in com
nittee, spent in 'eduCating the Legislature
the measure is reported, the public awakes, anC
certain citizens, whose interests are menaced. Of
whose public spirit is exceptional. bestir them
educated 10 be reached by argument and de
| ternned to pass the bill which seemed impossi
| BILE.
| Great corporations secure or defeat legislatIo
at Will anu dominate the politics of whole states
| ana their power rests on corruption.
| Inc came conditions exist In relation to legs
| lstion by Congress The existence Of the lobb
| system threatens the permanence OF our instili
| tlphs. III large body OF voters desire change |
| our monetary system and think that Congress ha
been influenced against them by other than publ
| considerations; II they demand relief from taxa
| ton and believe that the right to tax them ha
been sold to private citizens for money, whethe
pali TO individuals or to campaign funds whic
are used to elect individuals: II they seek great
| privileges from transportation companies and fin
themselves beaten by large expenditures in n
sold Tor money which the public does not receive
can they retain confidence In their Representative
system or rely on 1t for the redress Of grievances
| The action of the Legislature in each case ma
| nave been right hut when wise law Ia bought
the injury done the public is far greater than u,
| most foolish law cause.
our selr-constituted political leaders talk unuc
about the public but they fear nothing as muc
| as the expression OF its real opinion. IIenc
| they resort To every device which can proven
| OF cmbarrass 1t. Premature caucuses and pscke
| conventions, false returns OF votes and stuhe
| hallot-bOxes are familiar expedients and In
! last, at least, have been made more dficult b
| recent laws. There is, however, one ancien
wrong, native regret to say. in Massachusett.
| but readily adopted elsewhere, which seems
| grow with our growth and strengthen with on
strength. refer to the practice known a
| "GerrymanderIng."
Mr. Storey gave an outline Of how thi
species of political corruption was man
aged and said the Supreme Court shout,
appoint the commissions to redistric
territories.
The subject of campaign contribution
also came up for consideration as al
element for legislative corruption.
The manner in which contested elections hav
been decided in our Legislature Is a standin
rerroach. and there is no remedy event I
have these tried by Judges While "
cannot, without Constitutional amendment tax
| from our legislatures the right To decide ulti
mttely as To the elections and qualifications G
their members, Ne ran by proper Legislation
make the judgment Of court the nrma faci
tile to seat As well as the certificate Of
Returning BOARD, and such y Judgment ate
public trial, would with diatculty he reversed
Mr.. Storey said In conclusions:
The fees which are raid for very slight legI,
| latii" services are large. Their size often sIIS
| rdl's"s the employment. The temptation Is grca
bat We who are the Interpreters and to y gre
extent the makers Of the law. We whose cor
| 'ei,n,rs are educated In courts 81 Justice We VII
| SHOULD lead the community M. and who .,Ino,
| mat upon respect for The Law rests our whCI
system ~ gOHcTIment We certainly cannot ,sr,r
IpNi," or GrCli"scrnu ui ours the fountains ,
m" l'W are polluted. Tn" honor ~ our prof .,