The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-01-18
Downfall o. a Reforme1


nome 10 = town IN the interi0r OF he
state with the burden OF the universe
heavy on his shoulders. Ills graduating
Grafton. on which he had received many
hearty compliments, was on the subject
of Corruption IN Politics" He got
back TO Prescott Just before the nom
nations were made for the legislature.
Mr.. Jones felt that be was called to
take an active part III practical politics
He was anxious to demonstrate that ne
was more than q theoretical reformer.
In addition to his other qualifications as
I a statesman, Mr.. Jones had deem and
/ oeli-like bass voice and a most profound
/ and serious EXPRESSION Of cOuntenauce
One Of the two parties IN Prescott has
such a poor chance OF electng its candi-
! date for the state senate that the nonlf-
I nation went begging In a humorous
! moment the party managers gave Il to
/ Claudius Brutus Jones. Mr.. Jones made
a high-class and entirely serious canvass
Tor the place, and. owing 10 a factienal
/ quarrel in the opposing ranks, he was
I elected Up TO that time Claudius had
/ oeen a decent young fellow, whose chief
! fault was that he took himself too SER
iously. After he had been elected, how
( ever. he became almost impossible He
/ prepared a blll-a reform bill. in regard
/ 10 the provisions of which he consulted
/ the leaders of all the different reform
/ movements in the county So far as
/ their recommendations did not directly
/ conflict he incorporated them all in his
Dill which mentally. az least he al
{ ways spelled in capital letters
! On the way down TO Springfield ne
showed the Bill TO all the members he
met on the train. He did more. He
read the Bill to all who would listen and
1 ne followed those who refused to listen
from the smoking to the dining car and
7 then back to their berths. Early in his
political career Claudius Bruts demon
strated that he was persistent
After the session began Senator Jones
became more and more wrapped up in
MS Bill The Bill was calculated 20
stop forever and at once all kinds of cor
ruptiOn in political life. from the pack
ing OF preliminary caucuses to the nav
ing Of bribes for the passage of street
! railway and other semi-public franchises.
It provided penalties for man who
spent more than 50 in election expenses
and opened wide the doors of the ueni-
/ tertiary to all who traded votes or
attempted to lobby law through the
legislature. Tt was tremendous Bill
Senator Jones introduced his Bill short
~ after the senate had been called to
order. He made q speech on the subject
which has passed down into the history
of the state legislature. He got his voice
TO working Ike q firebeu and the old
members looked across the aisles at each
other and smiled while the 'b0ys" from
Chicago raped on the floor and applaud
ed hercely whenever the senator stopped
to catch his breath. After the BIZ had
beeen referred to a committee. Senator
Jones became suddenly as timid as a
rabbit He was afraid to vote on either
side Of any question for fear of injuring
the chances Of the PfII
In the course of a few weeks. Senator
Jones and his Bill came TO be a stand
ing Joke In order TO add TO the huno-
of the situation the committee 10 which
it had been referred reported it for pas
sage, and it was put on Its second read
ing. Meanwhile the Bill. with it won
derful measures of reform, had been no.
ticed in the newspapers all over the
country. Some of them had seriously
indorsed it.. other had brutally made fun
Of it; more had treated 1t in a semi-hu-
mOrous vein; all had mentioned the name
of Senator Claudius Brutus Jones as its
father It was natural that Senator
Jones should feel the effects Of all this
publicity. He carefully saved all the
clippings and carried them around I'm
the same pocket with the Bill He fol-
lowed the members Of the legislature to
their rooms. He ran them down on tn
street He even chased them into the
bar rooms at the hotels. When they
could find no further chance of escape
and turned at bav he buttonholed them
His plea was pathetic
Now Brown" he would say you
don't know what this means to me This
bill has been indorsed by the PAPERS all
over the United States Tt is the most
important measure before the legislature
or which can possibly be Introduced tt
viii put our public service on a higher
plane Tt means everything to me, Brown
the passage Of that bill"
Brown would usually promise to vote
for the bill when it came up for third
reading, resting secure in the conscious
ness that it would never get that far
Before the session was many weei--old
Senator C1audiUs BrUtus Jones was nut
made life miserable for every member Of
the legislature What had started as a
joke had begun to be a bore.
One day two party leaders in the zen
ate stood talking together IN the hotel
lobby One OF them. who may he called
Robinson was at the head Of the party
which had a majority IN the senate He
known as che gann" and was supposed (
70 have chs hand-out' for ANYTHING val
uable IN sight. The man with whom
ne was talking was che leader Of the or
position. For purposes of Identification
ne may be called Edwards HIS repu-
tGti0n was as spotless as that OF his
companion was soile1 Both men were
good fellows To these two appeared .
Senator Jones. poking his bulging fore /
head into the midst OF their confidential
conversation.
Gentlemen" said Senator Jones IN /.
his deepest bass voice. ST would Ike -
arrange p conference with you Look .
at these editorial Endorsements Ny .
Bill"
Robinson winked at Edwards and the /
latter hastened to interrupt
"AIl right. Jones" he said wei cor.-
fer with You O. any time you Wish- WCli f
get all TIE bows together and give won .
fair chance 70 Iav the matter before .
them. What do you say 70 touight ia .
the bil'isrd room If the hotel here2"
Senator Jones was tickled 70 death ~ .
the idea. He accepted on the spot and .
snent The rest ~ tho day getting a
speech ready for fhe occasion
B0riuson and Edwards e0t about thir-
rs members of the legislature foEethe-
10 meet Senator Jones They SIT about
che Billiard room and Suppressed Smiles
whole Jones delivered his grafton Then
Robinson. the s1otiess ard pnre. got ND
"Senator Jones" ~ said. we aH an
urecfate the tremendous importance o.
th1t hf1 ~ Yours IKE svm0str5za wit-
YOU deeply ii vour efforts 70 re g rass-
I'd Rut We feel fhar ve omght - 81
frank with YOU In order 10 get thee
Tfl advanced 10 thir5 reading & wI
5e necessary ~ z1anE 2 Htfis money
Senator Jones was On h5s feet In nir-
ute f0ok ~ horror IN his fare.
What Go YOU mean sir
ar mean sad Robinson Whle re list
en'nE membsrs 688 thsir hest to look SOL