Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-11-29
LAwsoN,s LATEST ATTACK.

LAWSoN's LATEST ATTACK.
Those scoffers who during the first
few months of Thomas Lawson's story
OF "Frenzied Finance" said it was
rather weak and watery, can now be
heard taking it all back and declaring
that Mr.. Lawson's account of high fl.
nanciering makes Ida NJ Tarbell's EEK.
position" of the methods of the Stand
ard OIL company look like about "thir-
ty cents" Mr.. Lawson's latest chap.
ter, in which he accuses the members
OF the Massachusetts legislature, two
or three prominent eastern life insur-
ance men and some other we'll known
people who have been considered the
most honest of business men, has set
the whole country on edge, or at least
that part of it which has enough inter
est in public affairs to consider such
matters as "Frenzied Finance"
Mr.. Lawson's newest article is cas-.
lily the most sensational His charges
against trust magnates have become
SO old that they were about losing
their force but new interest was
aroused in his series of stories by the
|cnapCer which says:
THE Massachusetts legislature is
bought and sold as are sausaees and
fish at the market and wharves. That
the largest, wealthiest, and most prom.
1nent corporations in New England,
whose affairs are conducted by our
most representative citizens, habit,1-
ally corrupt the Massachusetts legisla.
ture, and the man of wealth among
them who would enter protest against
the fn1quity would be looked upon as
a class anarchist will go further
and say that If in New England a man
OF the type of Folk,of Missouri, can be
found who will give over six months
to turning up the legislative and Bos.
ton municipal sod OF the past ten
years, who does not expose to the
world condition Of rottenness more
rotten than was ever before exhibited
in any community OF the civilized
world, 1t will be because he has been
suffocated by the stencil of what he
exhumes"
Inc question naturally arises, Will
boston answer the charge and will
massachusetts come out of her shell
OF self consideration and deign to
make a reply to the open charges Mr.
Lawson hurls through the medium of
popularity read MAGAZINE Z?
Mr.. Lawson is a rich man His for
tune IS not equal to that of Rookie
ieller or Vanderbilt but he has
enough to keep up appearances as in
dicated by his recent expenditure Of
$4,OOO,0o0 for home in the very state
whose lawmakers he accuses of awful
dishonesty and infinite rottenness.
Just what his object can be in LAYING
bare the grating In which he admits
he took part cannot be determined
by an innocent bystander," but it is
evident that he is not doing it for the
money there is in 1t. Some say he de-
slres simply to bring himself into the
public gaze but it is hardly probable
that he desires any more notice than
his deal in copper gave him not long
since. Can it be conscience that has
led him to make the disclosures? That
is hard to answer because he does not
say SO and no one can hear conscience
except the owner of the little silent
voice.
No matter what the cause however
Mr.. Lawson's charges, if they are OF
the kind that can be proved with facts,
put Massachusetts in a bad way.
Missouri is as nothing with her little
grating as compared with the
schemes that were practiced. accord
Ing to Lawson, in order to pass the
Bay State Gas franchise. 1t is shock
Ing for us to learn that Massachu-
sets. the state that witnessed the
landing of the Pilgrims, the state that
boasts of proud intellectual Boston. is
guilty Of having had legislature
which could. as Mr.. Lawson says. be
bought like sausages and mackerel.
Mr.. Lawson this month tells of the
work that was necessary to get the
Bay State Gas Co.. document through
he Massachusetts, legislature in 1896.
He declares that H. M. Whitney.
brother of the late w. G. Whitney and
J. Edward Addicks were at the head
If the deal that George Towle was
chief of counsel and that Mr.. Patch
vas assistant in the general shady
work.
With the franchise once voted the
Bay State Gas Co.. would have a mon
poly of the state, and by its terms,
sas was never to be cheaper than 81.
The members of the legislature from
ime to time were "seen," Mr.. Lawson
avs. Headquarters were maintained
It YoSng's hotel, parlors 9, 10 and II,
ooms, s. Z, and 8, second story front.
oarlors 9 and 10 were the general re-
'eption room. while II was for the
commander himself and the holding