New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-11
TIE TNCOTERING or PIiN.

Something else has been uncovered Not any
thing especially mysterious, nor ahl'"'"S INV
existence Of which was not already wei h""""'
I'm, vet something that has an important bearing
upou the existing political situation ana i ''n
seaucnrly Of public interest. An essential P'r'
Of a poliiical machine has been uncoN'r''' anu
tho man who sat by II. worked ". "iicd H. "'
nipulatcl H. and has for long period oi years
made il produce wealth for himself w''ile II WIS
no,luring the sources II law. coTupiing The iou"
tolns Of powc~ and bringing a great party al
honest men into discrcdt and disgrace. has bc'h
,.J out bv the ear The men who led nm "u'
hal long known he was there. and Just what WAS
his occunotion. His being and his reason for
being were we'll known 10 every one VINO ever
had legislative business 10 transact M Albany
ar who had any familiarity with The WORKING 81
uoli,ical machinery or the methods OF p'h'l'"l
management lie was IN open secret Day py
day It was his habit 10 enter The senate I1pr''E'
hang his coat and hat on the hook he called his
own seat himself M The table he had pr'"h'p''h'
snread ont his correspondence. ana, WIN inc
public stationery in the luxurious quarters I"'
nshcl by the State proceed 10 the 'rnhsac'loh oi
his business The State gave him more 'h'h Ill
thc comforts Of a home or. II me stare diu h"'
give Them he calmly assumed possession "i
Them. Every member II the Legislature knew
him and knew his business II was not Tor thcir
avn enlightenment that "A committee Of Senators
,,d him ont into the open and began asking him
,,h,, Ia. was thcre for. There was appear
once Of vigor when they took him by Inc ear pu'
II was not the sort Of pinch that brings sl'iea'
and they tossed him very gently on me prohGs
az inquiry They did not care to find Out TOO
much.
Still the brief examination sufficient 10
mt tho gentleman on record. and upon his own
odn,ssions uncover him and his machinery 10
nuhlic view Mr. Louis f. Payn Is not prac-
,io,pc LAWYER: was never admitted 10 the bar;
and SO far rs is known. has never studied any
,hing relating 10 law except methods Of ap-
nro,chiny lawmakers And yet II appears upon
his own statement before the committee That ne
hos made II business for several years to repre-
sont generations at Albany during sessions Of
the Legislature. acting as their attorney in pro
curing favorable or defeating unfavorablc leSis-
lo,iou relating 10 their affairs Besides the cor
norations-thc names Of which hc refused Ia dis-
clos.- from which he receives annual salaries.
tho amount Of which he also refused TO reveal.
he il employed for similar purposes by n large
number OF people ln'fI'S''' III 't'"'''''' P''
ceedincs. His methods Of influencing legislation
he did not make known In detail. though he ia
say that he never used any improper influence
and no money" All the money he got. he frank
IL said. he kept and he did not consider his
business dishonest or improper" In addition to
the service he rendered the corporations and In
dlyIGuals by whom he was employed he added
that ne SCANNED the political legislation pretty
closely" and had acted as II confidential politi-
cal adviser for some years past" II was not n
searching examination. He was not questioned
mon his personal and political relations with
MFR. Thomas C. Plat, whom common runor
credits with II potential, though by no means
mysterIous. influence with the legislators whose
action Mr.. Payn Is employed TO affect Perhaps
because those relations ARE 80 notorious ~ Ia
| need no illumination, or possibly because there
were other eggs IN that basket.
As a rule legislative Investigations stop short
Just before they reach the most important branch
Of their inquiry. Immediately the scent gets
warm the committee shifts something or hears
something or secs something that makes u shy
Some time or other, perhaps, We shall have a
committee that isn't skIltlsh; that win walk right
M 10 things aud not bolt the track This com
mlt,cc SHE'D. Iut II did one thing ut least II
led out Mr. Louis Y, Pnyn from under cover,
madc him tell what he was there for, aud pni
him publicly AMI officially on record. There's M
excuse for permitting him ever araIn to exercise
his peculiar functions at the state Capitol
which, In the Judgment Of all honest men, are
both dishonest" aud improper" whatever he
may think about them-nnd least Of all II there
any shadow Of Justification for his establishing
himself In the senate Library as the headquar'
tiers for his miserable business. lie does NOT
belong In the Library even for the purpose d