The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-01
THE BRIBERY CASES IN ST. LOUIS
$50. .a,,.or., +,,nce al11,ded to the

we have several times alluded to the
bribery cases in St Louis The persons
accused are now on trial. and the tes-
ti1nony which has come out is enough
to disgust, not to say alarm. all good
citizens ia all parts Of the country.
Charles II. Turner. president Of the su-.
burban road, vas on the stand several
led Philip Stock to promote the passage
of street railway franchise extension
and that Stock said It would be neces-.
;sary to raise sl35.ooo to pay the expenses
s iof the passage of the bill. When asked
what he understood this money to be
needed for, Turner admitted that it was
/ To be expended on the municipal as
\ .sembiy Ibid you know" asked Judge
Ryan, that this money (s75.ooo of the
nmounD was to be used in paying for
votes from members Of the House OF
i Deiegates to pass the bili?' Turner'S
reply was: ."rhat was what under
stood" Turner proceeded to say that
Stock received no compensation and that
q The other directors OF the Suburban road
/ signed the bribery notes without know
ing what they were for.
These statements are taken from the
St Louis Globe-Democrat Republican
newspaper, and this editorial comment
is added:
Turner admits that he committed
= ssenitrntiary offensc and 4 gross act
against the honest administration OF
soubiic affairs. The bribery fund is in the
hands of the law and has been exhibit
ed in court. Turner confesses TO what
could not be denied and has personally
! arranged to escape punishment by giving
States evidence. Stock also is TO get
out by the same loopholc- Are all the
other bribers 10 elude the law by some
other method? The whole. inception of
! this infamous crime rests with capitalists
i CAPABLE of descending to the bribery of
: public officials to obtain franchises for
private gain Cannot Justice in St
Louis be made to reach any OF these
9 criminals? Are all the bribers to be let
z out and only those who accepted or
agreed to accept the brides become fuSl-
tives or go. to the penitenuarE! Inc
people of ST. Louis await the answer TO
these questions with profound concern
rrhev want to know il the rich scoun-
dtels who engage in schemes of bribery
arc to operate here with impunlty, ana,
< when caught, go on the witness stand
with immunity for themselves ana az
front public decency with fairy tales
about how they We're tempted ana Sc
duced by men who were seeking pIipes
The bribe-taker deserves the full penalty
~ tne law but is not the like punish
,nent of the bribe-Siver necessary to the
nroner and satisfactory attainment of the.
ends Of justice?
These are pertinent questions and the
answer to- them will be awaited with in
terest by law-abiding citizens in all
narts of the country. We have already
said in commenting on these same
abuses in st. Louis that, in our opinion,
the briber- Ever lisa greater scoundrei ana
: deserving of greater punishment than inc
tribe-taker 1t sometimes happens that
= 4b,, bribotaler does not quite understand
what he is doing, does not quite UNDER
I stand the enormity of his crime becau
brbes are often given in such a sly ana
,,1ausible manner The pills which these
doctors administer are generally sugar
x,oaied. But there is no such preteAt
80, ,ho b,ibc-riyer He always knows
!, what he is about He always under
: stands that he is buying up an o1liclal
for so much cash down or for other ma
terial consideration. his crime is COM
,,,itted with malice aforethought, with
Man and elaboration and with a perfect
s,,,se-sta nding of the end in view. He
; ,,ses his money to debauch public ser
yants and to defraud the public
III is, this sort of work that has had
,npc,, IN do with creating popular pre-
8 ,ui,;ce against corporations. Tor our
mari we do not fear corporations so long
as the people are represented in their
Il legislative bodies and in other public Oh
: aces by men who are honest and cour-
: areous and incorruptible. But If the
corporations are permitted to take a
4 aan,, in. legislation and by bribery or
otherwise to secure the enactment OF
Z laws for their benefit, the corporations
,ri,l indeed become dangerous power
Sin this land and popular interest VILE
suffer accordingly.
~, ..t,he Times Is not in the habit OF ex-
argera1ion. We have not gone into
mysteries on this subject of trusts and
combines The Times is no alarmist,
= -
but we say with elaboration that there
is a great danger just here which must
be guarded by the voters of this coun-
Il Try. First OF all. the voters must exert
themselves to put honest men into Of
Zee; then We must .Teat every dishonest
official, every such man who betrays his
g sacred trust, as a traitor and punish him
SO severely as to make him n public
example.
But that'i is not al. We mus. deal
: with The bribc-siver in the same way.
We must let him understand that no
srifiing in this sacred matter will be toll
/ Grated by the American people. If ap-
pretended VIC should try him before
coart of justice and condemn him to a
long term In the ocnitentiary. Such a
man IS a menace to society and good
government, and the richer he is and
ih> more pk,vnrful he is and the moro