New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-20
BUYING A LEGISLATURE.
Thomas ". Larson Describes the
Process in Massachusetts.

Of Senators ano Representatives In MASSACHUSETTS,
sn securing the passage Of charter for ne" gas
company in 1856. In part he says;
At this period knew nothing whatever Of t,,f the
orkngs or me mfe pegS 81 al the stock end
81 ooqnoraIe transactions AID ! had not troubled
myself about franchises or how they were obtained
f n pToduct Il with Eth which we dealt on
ke In general way knew R0aahfe sYors for his
Brookline company through br!bing oiI1c.Sls haa
sngs In connection with H. NJ Whitney's West
Ind railway franchise obtained from the Massac
c..usetts Legislature amid an accompaniment vi
Tnuch PUBLIC scandal but. being WITHOUT personal d
were done. and, innocently enough. I asked WHIT
How is it possible for you to get this valuable
charter from the legislature. psrtcu'Srly Win "a
such strong and honest man as Roger Wolcott IN
the Governors chair when Addcks has been try
ing continuously for four or five years regardleSs
OF expense, 70 secure an ordinary one under which
he can combine our gas companies?s ,or vvr,tnev
eoEge LOWS fa ms naTf is no affSr of yours Mr.
whitney viii absolutely guarantee to deliver al
Governor in getting them. he will also guarantee
DO that toe. You can call all that done the min
i tested The Scheme in all its phases and found
meg s ~ to s so Snags with Whtpey in the
suitsof legislative game in which he was 10 bear
and Towe said It was to cost them, TO get II $780,
s G to BUSINESS done 5Geksf he ss'f
90 not set up for SAINT a6- no Rrom the ord
nary American citizen who does business 1 or w fI
nan VINO %1eS n te Is bound 10 be accused Of
egotisn however he deals with himself especially
END fair deaiins in bis relations with his friends
ef6 our e BR6c n w Weg did n1 not appeal to
me. am neither plumi1g nor grooming myself but
vas nv du+T 10 care for The Interests Of great
VS. ~ G nbicf ,nsf not he endangered bT NV
scruples. and was willing to be advised by my
among my most conservative barking business and
newspaper corrections and put hypothetieal cues
Ell instances the replies were the same and the
fegiglstrTfs for 70 anyWsT, but to be 'xed'? All
VINO dd business with legislatures fixed them. and
stated that / considered bribing legislature a
lm d2 our T rs f9 ie nd a o0T rey
as they al seemed to think, ThereIpon was was
Haven and Boston and Maine railroad friends the
organizers Of trust companies and many other rep
who had had occasion deal with the State began
would taIk frankly 10 me- ana qscSEeTea
most lniquitons conoItlon eiSea IN I bebI
and sold sausages or fish are in the markets but
votes Many Of the prominent lawyers of the State
were trafckers in legislation and earned large fees
Of new ones, AGENTS Of corporations nominated
LDt aaIo pe 80 ei! go
end promises TO do business" The legislature
GERS were chosen because OF their subservtence 10
certain corporation leaders, committees were rugged
being done. Above all. learned that the chance
from the legislature Of his state, unless he had
mercy to put up for It was about as n good eS
crown at TIfauy's by explaining that he wanted it.
sn l ii and Very much as r
fany's would take the hobos-as a Joke first then
Right. here desire 10 say 70 my readers, and
PEOPLE who. imagining any strong statement
sTong RTejIoce ana @' a Iaf w ~
ter. when had full opportunity to study at close
f1is tA ne & 1870 ~ I'll be i'm nIessonS rad
received az this time were absolutely confirmed
The e' legislature is bought and sold
ss are sagsages and flsh at the markets ana
prominent corporations in New England, whose af-
aens hsbuay Corrupt t the Massachusetts Legs
5S apd Pfoeg e 90 the n9ny Wond be
looked class Anarchist I vii! further
81 Folk Of Missouri can be found VINO vii give
over six months TO turning up the legislative and
does not expose to the world condition of rotten
because be has been suffocated by the stencil Of
what he exhuInes.
The Whitney machine for the manufacture and
:noul6ng Of legislation was complex but efficient
y achieved its wonders in broad daylight Consid-
s5hihg fact is that no cutlery to speak of was ever
than Tammany and made fewer excuses FOR what
IL era bbed. But its chief engineer a leading
sf snS az OF a sTea al
Boston social and civic dictions are shields behind
Corrupting legislature is not something man
q
ever bod the operations. the convenaaces must be
observed When really large designs are enter
e6on ' end hPs hsd his aTer Se at Wor
csrfsj7f5g their feeilngs So certain percentaee
,of votes are signed and sealed in advance, ready
for delivery at the time. But there is al
ways crowd of new men, who must be taken care
cf on the spot and these must be approached with
honor which interfere with both their own and the
I'll these CONTINGENCIES. TO take care Of captured
votes and TO shape legislative proceedings along
safe lines require the services OF almost an army
At the head Of whitney's forces was his lawyer
George II Towle, big Of brain. ponderous of frame
end with the strength of OK. A man Of terrific
8otRns aroused him to such frenzy as to have to
DO with legislator who unnecessarily haggied
over the price OF his vote or Influence On euch
occasions when a lieutenant had reported that
Senator This or Represe.ntatye That t W2u L, not
come into camp, ToTle, with an oath! would simply
say: Take ne TO him and IN have his vote IN Ten
IN hts district tomorrow"
Second in command was Mr.. Patch, Towle's sec
way. Where Towle was sruta!ly straight TO the
connected himself with secrets by way OF key
holes and transoms II IS Beacon Hill tradition
have t tSe ebers OF te
march through his private offices one at time.
claim: well you're settled with in fun aren't
Then e ~oad io3dIy identfg the 6i h' a1d
the particulars OF the service, while behind par
Who. after the notes had been written out would
Witness the accuracy Of the stenograPher,s report
bers, TIE story goes. would be requested 10
cali on TowIe to renew mountaineering. Then he
70 keep EN- from being too proud as he gently
subordinate to TOwls and Patch was a long line
q eT9lnenTy TsspeStaeie aWgeTT kaown all over
These men participated at nominations GRATED at
@ Ts hs sf ne Of q attack Wa comPoscd
practical politicians Of various gradesex Senators
,nown as ~, ne sn RsIow
NOV and