Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-10-08
A TALE OF THE LOBBY
The Trick by Which Vote Wa Bought
at Cut Rates.


at Cut Rates.
A citizen of Chicago a member of
the Illinois Legislature, recently told
the following story, which he located
in that indefinite place, "out West"
1t seems that big corporation in
the West lacked a few votes of passing
in the Legislature of certain State
a measure 1t had in hand, and. as the
time for final vote was near those in
charge of the bill decided that the
quickest and easiest way of acquiring
the necessary votes was to buy them.
SO, along with other emissaries. they
sent a quick-witted and shrewd Irish
man In their employ to another Irish
man, a member of the Legislature. also
noted for his quick wit and shrewd-
ness, to buy his vote as expeditiously
and cheaply as possible, but on no ac-
count to come back without the vote.
for which he was instructed to paw not
more than couple of hundred dollars.
After some preliminary diminishing
and much preliminary drinking the
two lrishmen got down to business.
An so that's yez lowest price, is it,
Mr.. MuldoOn?" asked the agent of the
corporation.
ITS not a-tallIin' about price | am.
Mr.. O'Shea," replied the honorable
member of the Legislature "Ye said
yez was willin' ter make me bit of
loan, an l was afther sayin' that a wan
an three naughts was the lowest |
could git along wild"
"A wan an three naughts it is.
then" replied Mr.. OShea. and he
handed brown paper envelope, close
ly sealed, bearing on the outside the
legend 1000" to Mr.. Muldoon. BE
afther putin thet in yer pocket, an
doant yez open it or show it to a
mothers son until afther the Y. u. bill
is passed, or it moight be uncomfort-
able for the both of us"
MIR. MuldOon smiled satisfied smile.
slowed the brown envelope away in his
pocket and straightway carried it home
to Mrs. MuldOOn, instrUcting her to put
it away and not look at it or show it,
on her life, until he gave her permits
sion. But Mrs. Polly Mudoon be-
longed to the Pandora type, and Mr..
MuldoOn had not reached his seat in
the State House before his better half
had investigated the contents of that
envelope
On his return home that afternoon
the Hon. Muldoon was in happy
frame of mind, for the Z. Z. bill had
passed, he was riched by wan and
three naughts, which he had invested
a dozen times in the course of the day.
why, Patrick said Mrs. Muldoon,
the moment he entered the door. "Phat
did yez want ter be so particular wild
Their envelope yez was afther givin'
me? There was nothin' in it but a
tin-dollar bill"
"Phat?' asked the Hon Mr. Null
doom, weakly. sinking into chair.
"A tin-dollar bill. Plat should they
be? Here it is, shure."
Mr.. Muldoon grasDed the money. and
in anger sought out his friend, Mr..
OShea.
"O'Shea," asked he of that worthy,
what sort of name thrick are yez
afther playin' me? Yez promised me
$1,000 for me vote on the 4. T. bill. an
yez Civ me an envelope wild the cor
rect figgers marked on the outside. an
on the inside Mrs. MuldOOns afther
fndin' d miserable tin-dollar bill"
81 promised yez nothin' fer yez vote
on the 4. Z. bill" replied O'Shea. in
dignantly. What | did promise yez
was that I'd lind ez bit of money. a
wan and three naughts, fer a few days
but moind yez, Muldoon, was not
afther sayin' jist where I'd put the
decimil pint, shure.'
The next day Barney O'Shea was
promoted by the T. z. Company and he
now holds one of the most lucrative
and responsible positions in the gift Of
that corporation.