The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-06
STLOUIS' ROTTENESS
CONDITION OF AFFAIRS EXPOSED
BY GRAND JURY.
THAN TAMMANY RULE.
MUNICIPAL LEGISLATION SOLD IN
THE MARKET.

for Ten Years-MunicipaI Legisln-
tors Devoid of Moral Character
and Even of Ordinary InteIIi-
Made Thousands and One OhlciaI,
Who Had Sold Himself to One Side
for @75,OOO, Accepted $1OO,O0O
From the Opposition.
st. Louis, April 5.--Most sensational
charges are made by the grand jury
which has been investigating bribery
and official corruption in the Munich
pal Assembly in it's final report to-day
to Judge O'Neil Ryan in the Criminal
Court. The following indictments
were also returned to-day:
Bribery, Robert N. Snyder; attempt
ed bribery, Edward Butler and John
H. Becker; perjury. George Kebush.
The report declares that the people
of st. Louis have but a vague concep-
ton of the extent to which corrup-
ton and venality have for the past
ten years existed among the sworn
officers and public servants. 1t finds
the true condition. of affairs almost too
appalling for belief. A tribute is paid
to Joseph K. Folk, the circuit attor-
ney, under whose leadership the in
vestigation is being made.
The report says:
"a far reaching and systematic
scheme of corruption has been carried
on for years by members of the munich
pal assembly. These members form
what are called combines" for the es-
pecial purpose of holding up prospec-
tive legislation until their demands in
the way of money consideration are
complied with. Instead of discharging
the duties of the Office for the public
good and in accordance with their
oath, they become organized gangs for
plumber, using their offices to enrich
themselves at the peoples expense.
Our investigation, covering more Or
less period of ten years, shows that
with few exceptions no ordinance has
been passed, wherein valuable privi-
leges or franchises are granted, until
those interested in the passage there
of have paid the Legislators the money
demanded for action in the particular
case. No municipal corporation has
ever had its most valuable franchises
so recklessly and scandalously dis
posed of for a consideration which
found it's way, not to the city treasury,
but into the itching palms of the pub
lie pilferers.
THE persons against whom indict-
ments for bribe-giving and bribe-tak
ing have been returned are but a
small percentage of those whom in
quiry convinces us deserve to wear
the garb of convicts.
A Nice Lot of Delegates.
1--WE have had before us many Of
those UhO "a hdan n nd Of fhnce
who are now members of the House of
Delegates. We regret to report that
we found a number of these utterly il
literate and lacking in ordinary intelli-
gence, unable to give a better reason
for favoring or opposing a measure
than a desire to act with the majority.
In some no trace of mentality or mo-
rality could be found; in others a low
order of training appeared, united with
base cunning, groveling instincts and
sordid desires. Unqualified to respond
to the ordinary demands of life, they
are utterly incapable of compromising
the significance of an ordinance, and
are incapacitated both by nature and
by training, to be the makers of laws.
The choosing Of such men to be legisla-
tors makes a travesty of justice, sets
a premium on incompetency and delib-
erately poisons the very source of law.
agent, approach the legislative repre-
sentative of powerful combinations or
corporations competing for valuable
franchises, demand and receive of
them sums of money ranging from 500
to $4,000 for their individual votes
and influence.
Boosted of Their Profits.
From the evidence before us, it ap-
pears that an official of the city gov
eminent boosted of the fact that he
had made $4,000 a year out of his Of
fetal position, which paid a legitimate
salary of but $500 a year Another Of
fetal, according to evidence before us,
agreed with one interest to do an Of
fetal act for $4,000, and afterward
from the opposing interests accepted
the sum of 100000 for doing the
very opposite of what he agreed to do
for $4,000. One legislator received in
cash at his own residence the sum of
$4,000 for his vote on a pending
measure. This was retained by him
for few days, then returned in the
hope of receiving a larger sum. The
measure was enacted and the member,
after much delay, was finally COM
PEELED to accept $1,000 in full for his
vote on the franchise bill. In many
other cases 1T was shown that men,
bers of the assembly, who prior to
their election were wholly without
means, upon induction into Office were
soon in aff1uent circumstances and in
dependent positions financially, and
this, too, Notwithstanding the fact that
the salary of such official was only SIS
per month.
A Franchise Bought Outright.
Convincing documentary evidence
was unearthed, proving that the sum
of S145,000 was placed in escrow in a
bank in this city, to be paid to the
members of the municipal assembly of
ST. Louis upon the passage of a valu-
able franchise ordinance. This ordi-
nance failed, and a second bill was in
troduced, upon the passage of which
the sum of about $250,000 was distrib-
uted among those members. After the
massage of this ordinance the fran
chise was sold for $1,250,000. The city
realized nothing whatever for this
franchise. In these matters the statute
of limitations was bar to the find
ing Of indictments against nearly all
of the guilty parties.
In a recent attempt of a street rail-
way company to secure a franchise an
agreement was made between the
legislative agent of the company and
the representatives of the combines in
both branches of the municipal assem-
hlv by the terms of which $4,000 was
to be paid to certain members Of the
House of Delegates, and $50, 900 to GER
tain members Of the council. in con-
sidera ton Of such members voting for
49, yronosed measure The amounts |