The representative., 1899-11-30
PLUNDERING The SCHOOLS

FLUNDEklNu l1E N1UOLS
Bribery In Michigan to Furnish
School Libraries-A St. Paul Firm
Mixed Up In the Dirt.
Minnesota seems to be a storm CEN
ter of corruption. Read this:
CHICAGO. Nov. 27.-Alonzo J. White
man, former state senator in the Mime
sofa legislature, and prominent in politics
in that state, who disappeared after being
convicted Of forgery in this city, and who
was recently re-arrested In New York, was
taken to the house of correction today to
serve a sentence of two years. White
man said today that he would at once appeal
his case to the supreme court.
From China to France our intelligent
citizens are giving lessons in villainy to
the world. The long fight to down"
the editor of The Representative, and
defeat reform generally, has educated
whole college of rogues In this state
in the sublime heights and depths of
rascality, and now they are expanding
over the world.
Harry Hayward made q short cut to
success, but was jerked up with a rope
around his neck.
Harry was the perfect flower of our
Minnesota civilization-but a little too
brusque and rude in his methods.
II instead of hiring Blixt to shoot
Miss Cling, he had confined himself to
buying up legislatures and corrupting
courts, he would have been In congress
by this time Read these passages from
a recent Chicago paper:
LANSING, Mich. Nov. 25.-The Ingham
county grand Jury today returned indict
ments for legislative bribery against the
following named persons:
WILLIAM A. FRENCH, commissioner Of
the state land ONCE.
EDGAR J. ADAMS, speaker of the lower
house Of the Michigan legislature.
CHARLES H. PRATT, former representa-
tive of the West Publishing Company, of St.
Paul.
When Judge Person convened the grand
jury in this city last Thursday to investi-
gate rumors Of corruption in the legislature
the people believed from rumors which had
long been af1oat that there was occasion for
the Investigation, although but few Of the
we'll informed expected that the grand jury
would indict men of so much prominence.
The testimony laid before the jury has
been Of the most sensational character, and,
while but one subject has been thoroughly
Investigated, suf11cient glimpses Of other
forms Of crookedness have been obtained to
indicate a most desplorable state of ofhcial
corruption.
The grand jury will not now rest from it's
labors. The people have tasted blood and
the demand Is almost unanimous for thor
ough investigation of the acts Of the last
legislature. Although the Official indicted
today are Republicans, the element of poll
tics has not entered into the investigation.
AS stated by Judge Person in his admirable
charge to the Jury: Dishonesty is no part
Of any party creed" and the present investf
cation has been elevated above all party
considerations
Th- egan thorough investiga
. A0s OF 81 @ss of bribery in connection
chase "a 4, Isrfbrary for every 'ounty in
the state, which had failed of passage. at the
last legislative session by q narrow margin
Of three votes. Speaker Adams had favored
the passage of the joint resolution, which
1t was claimed would at once place $10O, 900 j
in the hands of the West Publishing COM
pany, of st. Paul, and in the course Of
few years would benefit the company sew
eral hundred thousand dollars, as the Ii
braries we're to be added to yearly and the
books were to be published by the company
named.
Last August a rather dapper young agent
of the publishing house, who was piqued at
Speaker Adams, exhibited to several gen.
tlemen in Grand Rapids several drafts
amounting in all to $4,000, which he as
serted were in the handwriting Of Speaker
Adams but which were signed by himself.
This dapper young man was Charles H.
Pratt, who is now under indictment here.
He stated that the drafts were drawn against
the account of his employer in St. Paul
and that the amount which they represented
was to be paid to Land Commissioner
French for securing the passage of the joint
resolution and the adoption Of the company's
books by the board Of state auditors Of
which French is a member.
When the grand jury was called Pratt re-
fused to confirm this story, and to newspa-
per men he declared that he knew nothing
about the alleged transaction, stating that
his previous utterances were intended to
ruin Adams politically.
He adhered to his story only during
the first few minutes he was before the
grand jury, but he finally decided to lay
before the jury the details Of the alleged
Pratt had been before the
jury nearly half the time during the eight
days occupied by its investigation. He has,
to use his own words, been pumped dry"
Everything which he could recollect con-
cerning the law library deal has been ex-
planned to the jury in detail, and many Of
MS statements nave DCcn COrrODOraCeQ.
The existence of contract between the |
West Publishing Co. and Land Commission |
er French was alleged. A copy of this |
contract, which 1t Is claimed was returned |
to the company, has been found.
A letter purporting to have been written |
by member of the West Publishing Co., !
asking Pratt to secure the contract from
French, has been offered before the grand |
Jury.
Stenographic notes of letters dictated by |
Pratt asking for the return of several Of |
the drafts which were claimed to have been !
in the possession of Speaker Adams were |
also produced
1t was Pratts claim that Adams had been |
employed by French to assist in securing |
the passage of the measure, and the letter |
TO Adams concerning the drafts, with the |
testimony OF the members of the legisla- |
ture that Adams worked for the passage |
Of the measure, are some of the evidence |
tending to corroborate the alterations of |
Pratt in this regard There is also other
testimony tending to show the return of the
traits by Adams and French, as well as a
hurried meeting between the alleged con-
;pirators at Detroit Immediately after Ad-
ams was served with q subpoena to appear
,efore the grand jury.
Not only did the prosecuting attorney en-
1eavor to indict the parties alleged to have
been concerned in the transaction but he
g confident that he has secured the testi-
nony of witnesses whom he has on record
III tab