The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-13
PINGREE's "WOLF" CURE.

ElNUHILtE'S -" OlE'' CURE.
Governor-Mayor Pingree, double-ti-
tied because he says he will hold his
office of mayor of Detroit until the
term expires and also that of governor
Of Michigan, proposes a remedy for
the extinction of the wolves who in
fest every legislative body, and whose
numbers are apparently increasing as
| the knowledge expands Of how rich
vein Of wealth the plundering of cor
| porations by enactments made or
! threatened opens to the venal. The
reports Of the scandals, the constant
| attendance of members of the third
house. and their known 1iberality in
securing the passage or defeat of meas
ures naturally stimulates the unscru-
pulous in every legislative district to
get into the legislature. until each sue
ceeding session is by common consent
agreed to be more corrupt than any Of
it's predecessors. In fact, lobbying has
become an art with its regular practi-
| TONERS, who pursue their business as
methodically as do the members of any
of the learned professions. Often they
aid in the nomination and election Of
available men, but they investigate the
characters and regulations of candi
dates after nominations are made and
know to a certainty into which Of the
three distinct divisions of legislative
bodies, the incorruptible, the corrupt
| nd ho Mt oh 1av FOL
Long before the legislature assemblies
these craftsmen know the material
they have to work on and with.
But Mayor and Gov.-elect Pingree
| lays all the blame upon the railways
and says if they would cut off free
passes, discharge their lobbyists and
legislative lawyers and make a fiat
| 2-cent passenger rate, they would stand
in better favor with the public, and
bills injuring them, finding support as
| reprisals, would be frowned upon in
stead of being justified or excused
While admitting the presence of cor
| rupt legislators, he attributes them to
the general knowledge that railway
companies "bleed" easily and profuse-
ly, thus inducing such creatures to
strive for legislative positions and their
opportunities for "boodling" Measur-
| ably, Pingree is right The early prac-
tice Of chartering railway companies
by special grant and the desire to OBJ
tain in them valuable concessions to
grow later into vested rights" the
competition for these charters and the
struggle for the profuse grants of land
were prizes to be gained which justi-
fled, in the opinion Of their promoters,
investments where they would do the
most good When this field was ex-
hausted litter Of wolves had been
bred whose appetite was sharp and
demanded Doodle for food. They then
began to exploit the sentiment Of hos
tility to railways, caused by what were
deemed exorbitant charges. From buy
ing favors the railways had to buy off
attacks, and thus the wolves grew in
numbers and fattened. Other corpora
lions and even private interests became
plumber for them until it has become
a very serious question how they can
be exterminated.
Public sentiment has become demor-
allied and cannot be depended upon to
aid. This is due largely to the preva-
lence of opinion, not wholly unfounded.
that railways have been rapacious and
If they are made to smart for it 1t is
only q rough way of visiting Justice
upon them. Men known to be open
boodlers in their communities, coming
home from the session with and invest
ing money they could not have hon.
estly obtained, suffer no disparagement
in popular esteem and find renomina-
ton and election easy. Their illicit
gains are used to secure further "hon-
ors." and thus the virus of corruption
spreads out into the precincts. One of
these wolves, when expostulated with
by a member Of his party for his bare
ly concealed corruption, frankly re-
piled that ut cost me over $4,000 to get
elected and how else am I going to
get my money back?"
The victims of these wolves of the
legislature have the remedy in their
own hands, and it is not that suggest
ed by Michigan's governor. When, four
years ago, it seemed probable that
the elections would give the legislature
of this state to the Democrats and
Populists, the chairman Of the state
committee, discussing this venality of
legislators, said that, in the interests
of his party. he proposed to engage