The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-04
THE SHAME OF ST. LOUIS Former Speaker Makes
 Confession. BRIBERY AS A BUSINESS Nothing Done Unless Money ' Was obtained.
 --s----- At Times Members of House ef Dele gates Took as Little as s for
 Th.ir vete. CT
 Eranchises.

hAtN NcAb CtECutt attorney W0ul0 pc A1A right" and promises if they would re- main firm, he would secure for them either continuances until the new cir- cult attorney took office or pardons af- forwards. He declares that this man said the new circuit attorney for which officers arc to be made by the Demo- crats today would be his man."
 Kelly declares he refused this ofEer and that he makes this confession to satisfy the bangs of an accusing con- science. to obey the requests of his wife. and to do what he can to make atonement to the public and prevent other young men following the path which he declares has led him to ruin.
 In the course of his confession. Kel- ly details story of a city llghtinG deal and poodle fund of S47.500 divid- ed between the nineteen members of the combine at Julius Lehmann's birth day party.
 He declares that prominent poiiti- elan gave the poodle fund and that he took it to Lehmann's house and that he there divided 1t.
 In the course of his confession form CT Speaker Kelly said:
 "I know from my knowledge ana from the statements made to me by those In the inside that bribery has beer, going on in the municipality Ss- seulbly in St. Louis for the past twen- ty-iive years. Hardly & bill passed that body in the last quarter os 2 cen- tury unless 1t was paid for. We did not fear exposure and puniehment, for the reason we believed no one would darc to do It. Tn case of attacka we know most Of the politicians and men tor the large nnancseFn of st. Louis would be with us. A former prosecU- lsor showed sonae si@ne Of starting af- \ r ut. btst he WIZ bipHea c1fs
 USaidn't Get Foik.
 "whcn the present prosecutor tGir- cult Attorrey Folk ia meant herel com- menced his war on us. we tried to iu- tirnidate him by threats of assassina- ton, and when this had no effect, we laid ali sorts of traps for him without success. Then some decided the best plan would be to start a newspaper and libel him so fiercely as to draw his fire, by taking up his lime in libel prose- cutions, or if he did not, his influence would be weakened and destroyed. Although we could find nothing after a thorough search, to make attack on. Iibeis were deliberately made up for Che purpose and affection public sentiment. This plan was participated in not only by members of the House of Delegates under indictment for boodiing. but by prominent financiers of St. Louis who feared exposure and by those who gave us the money"
 Of the combine Kelly had this to says
 we never thought of passing a bill out of which any money could be ob- tained. unless we were paid for our votes. We sat about 1t in a business like way and had combination meetings at stated times and fixed the bribe cases which we were to receive by our votes, by a majority vote of the com bine. Then we would select one of the combine in whose honesty we had con- fdence to go and get the money.
 These agents would rarely ever be- try us. Tn one or two instances they conhscatsd part of the money but as a general rule they were honest with us Among ourselves, understand, we had a high code of morals and 1t was con sidered extremely dishonest for a mem Der of the combine to accept bribe money without dividing 1t among his fellows"
 we had fixed scale of prices for various bills. according to the value of the franchises or privileges given. We hardly ever received less than sf ,0O0 for the combined vote. We considered 1t beneath our dignity to take less than I. we got as low as $50 each for our vote g and some Of the boys took s5 each but were ashamed of it. because the price was SO small.
 "our combination was not along party lines: both Democrats and Re- publlcans belonged to 1t. My 6xperl- ence has been that boodlers line up ac- cording to their own interests and not under party standards.
 sV..a q e aa.L Louis, both the Democratic and Re- publican parties usually nominate men to go to the House of Delegates for the money they can make out of It. Each party man votes for his own fellow and either one that gets in serves those who rob the city of franchises. I be- lieve this hos been tolerated in St Louis because so many of the largS corporations O. the city are mixed up in boodliEg one way or another. The heads of these corporations used to think 1t lspa trouble to buy what they wanted than to elect honest men to the House of Delegates.
 There are many other things I can and will toll later on, but this will do now. This in brief in nay story and the confession oS my infamy.l I be- lieve. though, that If the people of St {. Louis allow this man Ga prominent pol- itician Is named) to go on and control both political parties and put his men in ofice. the public will be just as guilty as I am today. Such Is his hold on the community. though, 1t seems helpless.
 If I knew anything l could do that have not done to arouse the people Of this city and the people of this State to the necessity of putting a stop to corruption I would gladly do it.
 T am now suffering the penalty for my crimes. am degraded and disgraced. do not want to preach, but do want to sound the alarm to the people as one would to a friend whose house is on fre. A few weeks ago this man tole us we could either get contIn- uance until a yew circuit att eTney was elected: that his man would be put in and our case would be dismissed, or we could plead guilty and stay iB