The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-06-24

$1,000
and who will commit no act of VOL
flied by the kindly treatment to viii
every one but the railroad company
and not worth much to it. The COM
pany was willing to come down" a
bit, but the total Doodle, when divided
between the members in the deal, gave
each only $50. One of the members
had scruples against taking cold cash;
he was a trader. He owned an an
Gent white horse, which, he said, he
would sell for $50. The agent of the
company at once drew up a bill of
sale, paid the $50 and took the mem
berss receipt, of course, with the i'm
piled understanding on both sides that
the venerable equestrian relic should
remain on the members farm.
But the legislator, after receiving the
money. demanded more, and being re-
fused made some trouble for the agent
which that worthy noted in his little
red vest poeketbook. The bill passed,
the member with the white horse
eventually voting for it. Some weeks
after the. session had ended he was
surprised to receive a letter. from the
railroad lobbyist directing him to ship
the horse to certain town some hun
dreds Of miles distant, to prepay the
freight charges and send a man along
with the animal to care for it in trans
it. There was nothing to do but carry
out the order, for the railroad man
was undisputed owner of the horse and
the bill of sale called for its delivery
The steed was shipped and when the
member struck balance between the
cost and selling prices he found he
was just one dollar and quarter to
the good, figuring the animal as worth
$25.
p =
Once in awhile the bitter gets bitten,
as was the case during the excitement
preceding a joint caucus to nominate
a United States senator. Several can
didates, most of them wealthy men,
kept the legislators in ferment for
some weeks. Every senator and rep
resentative was checked off again and
again by the respective aspirants for
the office, but a small group refused
to be counted for any man. It was evil
dent they were on the market.
One of them had musical daughter
at his home in a minor city and the
handy-man of one of the candidates
suggested to his principal that it
would be a clever thing to send to this
daughter a piano, the instrument to
arrive on her birthday, nearly at hand
The candidate Immediately sent his
manager to buy a handsome piano
and ship It to the daughter. He wrote
letter, wishing her many happy returns
and begging her to accept the piano as an
earnest of his ardent hope that she
would become such a famous musician
as would bring credit to her state. 1t
was planned to send this letter at
tached to the keyboard Of the piano.
The salesman who took the order
for the instrument happened to be an
enthusiastic partisan of an opposing
candidate and before boxing the piano
for shipment acquainted his friend
with the plot. The letter, which was
unsealed, was read, and another one
inserted, signed by the piano giver's
opponent. This letter, addressed to
the members daughter, was simply a
testimonial Of the beauty, worth and
high quality of the instrument
The piano reached it's destination on
the daughters birthday. The girls
f;Lther at once detected the purpose
aad when he read the testimonial.
signed by a leading candidate for
United States senator, he came to the
that that gentleman had
presented the musical instrument to
his daughter. When he returned to the
state capitol he met the handy man
of the candidate who had bought the
piano The man said: II understand
your daughter got handsome present
on her birthday"
The member grinned, Winked and re-
torted: Its all right and passed on.
The handy man Immediately reported
to his principal and the member was
marked 4tall right"
But in the joint caucus the member
voted for the other man, who was
nominated on the first ballot, and I
when the piano giVer, calling him
aside, accused him of double dealing, !!
he drew from his pocket the testimon-
ial signed by the other fellow and /
the loser saw he had been caught in
his own trap.
One OF the best men ever sent to a
state legislature, a well-to-do farmer
Of my state, was bought, body, boots
md breeches, by a certain candidate
Tor United States senator and did not
Know it for some gears after He was /
honesty personified. This trait was SO
we'll known that no one ever thought
If approaching him with bribe. The t
senatorial candidate particularly want
ed his vote and influence for several
other members would follow the farm
sr's lead.
This rural member was much inter
ested in a new church in his section
t had a debt of several hundred dol
ars hanging over it. The senatorial
candidate learned Of this and laid his
wires to capture the farmer. Meeting