The St. Louis Republic., 1903-04-26
LOBBYING IN THE MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY;
INFLUENCE OF EVIL AND HOW ENCOURAGED BY PUBLIC.
BY A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE.

The people themselves more or less responsible
for great deal the corruption and boodling in
municipal and State assemblies. Actual experience
as Il member of the Forty second General Assembly
has taught that this is true. Professional lobby
lists. rule never run after members. ON the con
irary the lawmakers generally make the preliminary
nvertures the lobby element.
My own constituents the hardest class "f
people / had contend with one of the largest
taxpayers in my district came to see me two days
after the election and asked tranSporta
tion for him to remote section of the State.
This gentleman is OF the ardent believers in
the Doodle crusade. When the Municipal Assembly
doodle scandals uncovered this gentleman made
himself conspicuous in my end of the city by his
advocacy of extreme punishment for the boo
dlers. He wanted every OF them crucified. Poll
lies figure with him. He maintained that
Democratic boodlers bad Republican
grafters and all should be treated alike.
Remembering all these facts. could not under
stand how he had the TO come and request me
10 obligae myself corporation for free ranspOrra
tion to accommodate him.
Don't you know said l. that I will have 10
~ Colonel Phelps for this transportation. and SUP
pose it is hardly necessary for inform you that
II seek favOrs of the Colonel he will certainly de
mand his pound of flesh in return from me when
take my seat jefferson City,"
GOOD CITIZEN DRAWS
DISTINCTION FOR LEGISLATOR
We'll. presume that's right the lacOnic
ply Of my friend. hut they all do il and don't
why you should make yourself exception TO the
general rule. l worked for you election day and
you ought the compliment. Ii isn't asking
for much anyway. 1 don't consider it grating. No
body does. Phelps isn't going ask you to vote for
against any particular bills that the railroads
interested in simply because you got few hundred
miles of transportation from him
This individual is pointed out in his
locality citizen for the rising generation 10 pat
tern after. He has forgiven for refusing
get him this transportation. No doubt he does not
think it wrong perjure himself when it
making a sworn statement of his pefsonal
There thousands like him, who self
sacrificing citizens concerned in the welfare Of the
general public only, until their own pOcketboOks
affected.
My experience : a legislator valuable To
in many ways During the closing days of the ses-
sion the president of the largest corporations
in st. Louis asked friend of mine if was ION the
level Just think of il. Questioning the integrity OF
who had lived ell his life in ST Louis and at the
time engaged in the supposed highly honorable
task Of making laws for his fellow-citizens.
WEAKNESS OF HONEST VOTE
WHEN PITTED AGAINST LOBBY.
My friend replied that he thought | honest
man. The result that the corporation executive
commissioned my friend to his influence toward
securing my support for two bills that were expected
greatly benefit ST Louis. if they enacted
into laws. \ strong lobby was fighting the two bills
in question. My single vote and weak influence
counted for naught ia their behalf.
When | returned from the capital met the cor
porationst and he congraguated me for what had
ionc. I'VE might have passed those bills" said he
but ia order do it would have necessitated
resoring the tactics and methods Of the opposition
HVl,f afford ~ 10
This was fine talk The corporatiOnst could
resort TO lobby methods for measures affecting tIn
interests of St Louis but IT was different when the