Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-11-25
Miseellansuas gsadins.
BUYING A LEGISLATURE.
Thomas w. Lawson Describes the Pro.
cess In Massachusetts.

Thonas w. Lawson Describes the Pro.
cess In Massachusetts.
In the December instalment Of Thos.
w. Lawson's "Frenzied Finance" In
"Everybody's Magazine" he takes up
the wholesale buying and selling of
senator's and representatives In Mas
sachusetts in securing the passage Of
a charter for a new gas company In
1885, In part he says:
At this period knew nothing what
ever Of the workings or the wire pull
ings Of state legislatures. My busi-
ness life had been engaged at the stock
end Of corporate transactions, and /
had not troubled myself about fran
chises or how they were obtained, be-
ing content to play my part with the
manufactured product with which we
dealt on the market. In general way
I knew political corruption existed.
That Rogers had obtained favors for
his Brookline company through brib-
ing officials I had good grounds to
believe: l had read of strange doings
in connection with H. M. Whitney's
West End railway franchise obtained
from the Massachusetts, legislature
amid an accompaniment Of much pub
lie scandal, but, being without person.
al experience, had no clear concep-
ton Of how things were done, and, in
nocently enough, asked Whitney be-
fore we parted:
How is it possible for you to get
this valuable charter from the legis-
lature, particularly with such strong
and honest man as Roger Wolcott In
the governors chair, when Addfcks
has been trying continuously for four
or five years, regardless Of expense, to
secure an ordinary one under which
he can combine our gas companies"
George Towle (his counseD answer
ed for whitney:
Lawson, that part Is no affair Of
yours. Mr.. Whitney will absolutely
guarantee to deliver those goods, and,
II it is necessary to override the gov
ernor in getting them, he will also guar
antee to do that too. You can call
all that done the minute we sign the
papers,"
| I tested the scheme in all It's phases
and found only one weak spot in 1t.
We. the Boston company, were to "go
snags" with Whitney in the results OF
a legislative game in which he was to
bear the expense Of getting charter,
and as Whitney and Towle said 1t was
to cost them, to get 1t, $250,o00 or
$500, 1000, It looked as If there would be
some nasty business done at the state
house. .
I do not set up for a saint, nor to
possessing exclusive virtues which dis
tinguish me from the ordinary Ameri-
can citizen who does business for gain.
A man who writes the history Of af-
fairs in which he bore leading part
Is bound to be accused of egotism
however he deal with himself, espec-
tally II he admits strong prejudice
in favor. Of honesty and fair dealing in
his relations with his friends and the
public. In reiterating that the bribery
end Of our "hitch-up" with Whitney
did not appeal to me. I am neither
pluming nor crowning myself, but
merely stating a fact. But this was
an emergency could not meet as a
mere personal concern. It was my
duty to care for the interests Of
great property which must not be en-
dangered by my scruples, and l was
friends in the matter. So I went round
among my most conservative banking,
business and newspaper connections
and put hypothetical questions to
them bearing on my difficulty. In
nearly all instances the replies were
the same. and the subject seemed to
be regarded as a joke-what were leg
islatures for, anyway, but to be FIX
ed"? All who did business with legis-
latures fixed" them, and Whitney
was certainly the star "fixer." II
frankly stated that considered brib-
ing legislature as low down crime
and that I did not believe 1t was done
in our straitlaced old common
wealth as freely as they all seemed to
think. Thereupon was sarcastically
referred to my Bell Telephone, New
Haven and Boston and Maine railroad
| friends, the organizers Of trust COM
panies and many other representative
pillars Of social and business society
who had had occasion to deal with the
state. l began at once a round OF in
| vestigation among men who would
talk frankly to me and discovered that
a most iniquitous condition existed.
Massa chusetts senators and represen-
tatives were not only bought and sold
as sausages or fish are in the mar
kets, but there existed a regular quo
tation schedule for their votes. Many
of the prominent lawyers Of the state
were trafficking in legislation, and
earned large fees engineering the re-
peal Of old laws and the passage Of
new ones. Agents Of corporations
nominated candidates for office, and
paid the expenses Of their election In
return for votes for a favorite meas
ure and promises to do business"
The legislature was organized on the
same basis; its executive officers were
chosen because Of their subservience
to certain corporation leaders; COM
mittees were rugged to do given
thing and prevent other things from
being done. Above all, learned that
the chance of a citizen of Massachu-
sets obtaining a charter from the
| legislature of his state unless he had
money to put up for 1t, was about as
good as a hobo's securing a diamond
and ruby studded crown at Tiffany's
by explaining that he wanted 1t. In
fact, the citizens request would be
regarded by senators and representa-
tives very much as Tiffany's would
take the hobos-as a joke first, then
an an impertinence.
Right here desire to say to my
readers, and especially to all those
hypocritical and ignorant people who,
| ,r,,o 1,nino opv strono statement eY-