Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-27
RAILROAD LoBBIEs IN ACTION.
sample Instance of smooth work ns
Practiced in Missouri.


Governor Folks Speech at Philadelphia.
Let me tell you how the railroad lobbyist
operates There was senator who went
to the state legislature from st. Louis
imbued with honest and sincere desire OF
serving his constituents honestly and we'll.
He kissed his wife goodby and said to her:
Now, Mary, 1 am going to make a name
for myself; and am going to be an honor
to you and the children and to my con-
stituents. He went up to Jefferson City,
and among the first bills to be introduced
was a bill requiring fiagman to be put
at every railroad crossing in the state; an
impossible bill; no fairminded man would
vote for that; but the bill had been intro
duced by the railroad lobbyist himself; and
you will find that so-the pinch" bills, as
they are called against railroads, or such
bills. against the insurance companies in
most instances are introduced at the re-
quest of the lobbyist for the railroad or
the insurance lobbyist himself He wants
the credit of defeating those bills and
earning his money,
Well, this bill was introduced; and the
railroad lobbyist walked up to this senator
next day and said to him. How are
you going to vote on this bill?" The sen
ator said: II am going to vote against
that" and the lobbyist said, well, / am
glad to hear 1t. That means 500 for YOU"
and he turned on his heels and walked
away. The senator said he was stunned
didn't know what to make of It: 1t was
so unexpected. He thought he would hunt
up the lobbyist and denounce him-thought
he would get on the floor OF the senate
and tell OF II and denounce the lobbyist
there; but he thought: mo one heard II
II have no witness; he viii deny it and
that viii look like I am complaining be-
cause I didn't get the money. / guess
had better not say anything at all; and
maybe he was joking. anyway" The bill
came up, the senator voted against the
bill according to the dictates of his con-
science, and that afternoon. he met the
lobbyist The lobbyist went up 20 him and
showed two 800 bills in his vest pocket
then turned and hurried away The senA-
tor called to him and said: "stopl ] don't
want your money: take II backT' The lob
byist kept on and the senator hunted for
him all that evening and could not md
him.
Again the senator thought: 81 viii go
on the floor of the senate; l will hold up
the money and will denounce him" But
he thought: These men are in the habit
of receiving $1,000. 5000 and $500 for
their votes. and they will laugh at me
about holding up a paltry $500. and they
will claim that am disappointed. just be-
cause / did not get more, and trying 10
force him TO pay more" So he deliberated
that way until the days went by and Il
was too late for him TO do anything at all.
One day the lobbyist appeared upon the
scene and said to the senators II want you
to vote such and such a way on such and
such bill, and you remember that 500.
don't your" The senator said not a word,
but went and voted as the lobbyist told
( him TO vote ever after that for twelve
years that the senator remained I'm the
senate; he received from that lobbyist
from 500 to $1,000 session 70 vote as the
lobbyist told him 70 vote, and not as the
interests OF his constituents demanded.
That is typical story OF the seduction OF
the legislator.
II you force your railroads, your insur-
ance companies. your great corporations "a
keep their professional lobbyists away
from your state capitols you will do more
than anything else 70 suppress corruption
at those places