Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-04-06
SELL THEIR VOTES FOR FABULOUS PRICES
Many Ignorant and Illiterate Men Are
City Legislators,
CHANGE IN METHOD OF ELECTION URGED
Grand Jury Returns q ScRthinE Re-
port of the Reign of Corruption
and Indicts Number of
Prominent Parties.


and official corruption in the municipal as
semby, in it's final report to Judge O'Neill
Ryan, in the criminal court at noon today.
The report declares that the people OF st.
Louis have but a vague conception Of the
extent to which corruption and venality
have for the last ten years existed among
their sworn officers and public servants.
1t finds the true condition of affairs almost
too appalling for belief. tribute is paid
to Joseph w. Folk, the circuit attorney
under whose leadership the investigation Is
being made. In part the report reads as
follows:
"A reaching and systematic plan OF
corruption has been carried on for years
by members of the municipal assembly.
These men formed what are called com
bines' for the special purpose Of holding
prospective legislation until their demands
in the way of money consideration are
complied with. Instead of discharging the
duties OF office for the public good, and
in accordance with their oath, they be-
come organized gangs for plunder, using
their office to enrich themselves at ;he
peoples expense. Our investigation, COW
ering more or less fully a period of ten
years. shows that with few exceptions no
ordinance has been passed wherein valu
able privileges or franchises are granted
until those interested in the passage there
OF have paid the legislators the money de-
manded for action In the particular case.
No municipal corporation has ever had its
most valuable franchises so recklessly and
scandalously disposed of for a considera-
tion, which found its way, not to the city
treasury. but into the itching palms OF the
public pilferers.
"The persons against whom indictments
for bribe- giving have been returned are
but a small percentage Of those whom
inquiry convinces us deserve to wear the
garb Of convicts."
Few of Those Indicted.
These indictments, already made public.
were returned by the grand jury today:
Bribery, Robert N. Snyder; attempted
bribery, Edward Butler. John II. Becker;
perjury, George ]. Kobusch.
The report continues
I'VE have had before us many OF those
who have been and most Of those who are
now, members of the house of delegates.
We regret to report that we found a num-
her of these utterly illiterate and lacking
in ordinary intelligence, unable to give a
| better reason for favoring or opposing a
measure than a desire to act with the ma
| jorty. In some no trace of mentality or
morality could be found; in others a low
| order of training appeared, united with
base cunning and sordid desires. I'm
| qualified to respond to the ordinary re-
quirement of life those are utterly in
| capable OF comprehending 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 legislators makes a travesty Of JUS
tice, sets a premium on incompetency and
/ deliberately poisons the very source OF
| law.
These men, through their corrupt
agent, approach the legislative representa-
tives of powerful companies or corpora
tions competing for valuable franchises. de-
mand and receive Of them sums of money
ranging from 500 to 100000 for their in
dividual votes and influence.
! Fertile with Opportunities.
"From the evidence before US 1t appears
that an Official of the city government
boasted OF the fact that he had made $685..
900 a year out of his official position
which paid a legitimate salary Of but s30C
a year. Another ofhcial. according to evi.
dence before us, agreed with one interest Il
do an oficial act for S2500O and afterwarC
from the opposing interests accepted the
sum OF $780, 900 for doing the very opposite
OF that which he had agreed to do for s25,
900. One legislator received in cash at hi'
own residence the sum OF $50, 900 for hii
vote on a pending measure. This was re
tained by him for a few days. then returned
in the hope OF receiving larger sum. Tn,
measure was enacted and the member, afte
g delay, was finally compelled to accep
IS, 900 in full for his vote on the franchis,
bill. In many other cases it was showI
that members Of the assembly who prior t
their election were wholly without means
upon induction into once were soon In anu
ent circumstances and independent hnsn
ciaIly, and this, too. Notwithstanding tn
fact that the salary Of such oficial wa
only $3.50 per month.
Fabulous Price for Votes.
Convincing documentary evidence wa
unearthed proving that the sum OF sl45,
900 was placed in escrow in a bank in thi
city to be paid to the members of tn
municipal assembly Of ST. Louis upon IN
passage oI a valuable franchise ordinance
This ordinance failed, and a second bill wa
introduced. upon the passage OF which tn
sum Of about $3.50, 900 was Distribute
among those members. After the passag
OF this ordinance the franchise was sold 10
AZ
ever for this franchise. In these matter
the statute OF limitation was a bar TO tb
finding OF indictments against nearly all Q
the guilty parties.
The more recent attempt of a stree
railway company TO secure franchise ha
been conspicuously brought to public no
tIce through proceedings in the crimins
courts. In this case an agreement wa
made between the legislative agent OF th
| company and the representatives OF IN
combines in both branches of the municips
assembly by the terms Of which $4,000 wa
TO be paid to certain members OF the hous
OF delegates and $4,000 10 certain mem
bers Of the council In consideration Of sue
members voting for the proposed measur'
Methods of Procedure.
: THE hrst named amount was deposited
! cash in a safe deposit box with q trust CON