The independent., 1905-08-17


is a CRATER until he is caught. He
can't help it. A big deal came be-
fore the board. The county was asked
to sell piece Of property. l was IN
favor of selling it, but not at the
figure named. ! wanted to be honest
and said so. I was told that there
was something in it for the boys II
the deal went through at that price.
The suggestion of something in 1t was
repugnant to me and / resolved TO
have nothing to do with 1t. The
next day two outside men, not the
would-be purchasers, came to me and
made a definite proposition to pay
several hundred dollars if would vote
for the sale at the price named. AZ
that moment my blessed wife was
suffering at home, threatened with
the loss of one of her limbs unless
she went to the hospital for an ex-
pensive operation. Ny little daughter
sat holding the noble woman's leg
by the hour for the want of better at
tention. The operation could be paid
for by the sum offered me, which L
did not have. After struggle with
my better self, / accepted the bribe.
| did not see how anybody could ever
learn of the one deal.
Lied To His Wife
II worried over it, and lied to
my wife, telling her I had secured
an advance of $500 on mythical deal.
She went to the hospital and her
limb and life were saved. Now this
exposure and shame is killing her.
feel at times that | am going crazy,
and sometimes wish / was. | can't
sleep at night. / can't work by day,
the thing is getting the best of me.
l was made cheap CRATER right
away. The ring knew I couldn't de-
nounce them. Tey gave me $50 and
traded my vote Off Their system
was to get man on big deal, and
then trade off his vote every time they
wanted to put dirty deal through.
was bought and sold like dog.
II had honest impulses after that,
but it was impossible to stand out.
You can't protest that a deal is
crooked when they have it over your
head that you have yourself been a
crook
System Cuts Prices
Il was told that the men of the
head of the system had cut prices.
/ received probably less than 81 900
in bribes all told in little dabs. 1
passed up couple of deals. There
were fellows on the board who got
more than did, but they we're die
tated by higher outsiders in the sys-
TEN, just as the leaders of the ring
dictated to me. The system is to
blame. l can name fifteen or twenty
prominent and respected business
| firms who are part of the system
which makes it business to keep the
county board corrupt. That system
has it's regularly appointed and duly
authorized agent to take care of the
new members as they come in, just
as they got me. They get a man
as soon as they can. They doni
mind paying $500 or even 81 900 tt
get man the first time, but he never
gets big money after that. He is ther
in their power, and they keep him {
cheap CRATER.
NOW l am a ruined man. / ex
pect I will go to prison. But I coult
stand that if my wife and children di'
not have to suffer.
J, His Children Suffer
, "My children feel 1t and cry over i
almost every day until their littl
eyes and faces are red and swoller
Their lives are ruined too. Wheneye
they go they are Stunned by othe
. children and have it thrown at theI
that their father is CRATER. Th
other night at supper my little bo
came in with a bloody nose. Hi