The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-27
LEGISLATIVE GRAFTING.
Ed Howe Discusses the Various
Branches of the Business.

A%t-S4&4l GGa
The following article on legislative
grating IS by Ed Howe in the Atchison
Globe:
one of the most profitable industries
Of Topeka during the legislature is
grating. The mission of a lobbyist
was to promote or defeat legislation.
The mission of the CRATER is to do
both. He first locates the plumber. and
then goes after it. To illustrate:
CRATER wants to make a fee. His first
move is to ascertain what industries or
enterprises viii stand a grab. He then
draws a bill attacking that particular
line of business. His next move is to
unload a story on the newspapers, set
ting forth that a great evil has been
stalking abroad for years, and that
people are complaining of it. He
keeps this up until the legislature
meets, and then. over a bottle OF beer,
takes a member of the legislature into
his confidence. Then he finds a, lawyer
friend to handle the judiciary com
mittee. His duty is to tell the commit
tee that the bill is clearly constitutional.
The next move is for either the CRATER
or the lawyer to get some sort of
line on the object Of attack, and the
whole scheme of the graft is unloaded.
This opens the way to negotiations, and
the CRATER is employed to defeat his
own graft. The bill is introduced by
the member, and is referred, of course,
to the judiciary committee Here the
lawyer steps in to advise the commit
tee, and to see that the bill is recon-
rnended for passage Step by step the
scheme grows until a great bundle OF
money has been put up. This done,
there is a fight, of course, and the bill
barely misses passage It is such a
close call that the grafters services are
gratefully recognized, and his O. X. on
the payroll is responded to in good
hard money
The original CRATER operated in To-
peka in 1895 He was a we'll known
racehorse man and stock breeder, but
H. faC
Kansas City stockyards had been bled
by members of the legislature, and
this man saw chance to make himself
useful. He drew the bill. and got his
lawyer friend to perform his part.
Then he went to Kansas City, and told
Morse what was going on. For
thousand dollars he said he would Kill
the bill. Morse already had made ar
rangements to head off legislation, but
he never before had been up against 1t
so early in the session. The CRATER put
up a story that appalled, the stockyaTds
man, and he readily gave down. HaV-
ing cot his money. and divided with his
lawyer friend, the CRATER let the bill
take it's course, and the stockyards
company had to put up more money TO
kill it. In 1899 the same man, by using
an attorney for the Pullman company,
worked a graft on that lay and dis
tributcd a few passes. During the ses-
sion. one day while discussing his va
rious gratis around the legislature with
A few friends he boosted that he had
that day bought some senators with
Pullman transportation. Among others
he said he had touched" Governor
Iewelling who was senator. the
story reached dwellings ears, and
thereafter the CRATER confined his WORK
to the house. The CRATER broke his own
neck
Another source Of revenue for the |
CRATER is the book bill. This was reg
ular thing until in 1897, when, to the sur
prise of the grafters. the thing passed, |
and is now a law. More than tnat, II = |
A good law It not only cheapenS DOCKS, |
btl- it fastens them for five years, and a /
pupil may move from Marshall county |
to SedgWick, and go right along ana 90 /
business with the same old BOOKS BeIofe
that books were sold at three prices. and |
changed every year, and no two counties /
had the same books When the Dill pass
ed it was believed that the end of The /
book CRATER had come, but 10, and be- |
hold, he now hobs up saying the books /
are not goodi Gyp Wood OF Topeka
has a scheme to keep the law in the /
statute book. He says it Is an awful /
good law. but it ought to be amended |
Just a little. He wants the books Inn
proved in character. In addition he |
wants a eulogy of the flag" in the |
school history. and for few dollars ne
Now, Mr.. Wood don't want to throw /
these books clear out without trial or
jury. His scheme is to do the fair
thing He proposes that once a year the
school superintendents shall take vote
ON it, and pass up their recommended
lions to the state superintendent, Who
espouses Woods scheme. See the Niger
in the woodpile? How easy it would be
to fix the superintendent The price
would come out of the poor deveils who
have to buy books.
Four years ago Wichita had a scheme
for the state to buy Garfield college, and
convert it into a normal school, but the
grafters got into it, but although in the
appropriation there was $40. 900 for boo
die. it was not enough to go round, and
the bill failed. The owner of the proper
ty came all the way from Boston TO
the scheme. He had bottled
cocktails, whisky raw and champagne
by the great gross, and in a big grip he
had bales of greenbacks. Did the boys"
get all this stuff? What are the grafters
in business for?
The only man who ever beat the graft
ers is Bale Waggener. The cigarette
bill was up, and Bale was po', dreffel
POI He was doing it all for love of A.
g. Cochran, whose boy got a little sal
airy out of the cigarette business OF
course, when Bale put it that way. the
grafters laid down, ana the bill failed
The power of the pass.
Another great graft is to get up a bill |
fees and salaries. 1t goes like
wil6fire until the county officers send a