Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-06-21

If congress should pass law compell-
ing the railroad companies to publish
the names of pass getters and users an
unbelievable number OF our best peo-
pie would be plunged into deepest
gloom, for of course the publicity would
end grating by proxy
There is no doubt that the legislative
conscience is dulled by the giving of
railroad and sleeping-car passes and
telegraph and express franks. The IA
yors bestowed on lawmakers by public
service corporations cause them to
lean" towards those who give the IA
yors. The commonwealth would be bet
ter served if it were made illegal for
public officials of every kind to accept
special favors in the way of passes and
franks. And, strange as it may seem,
members of legislatures would welcome
such law if they were allowed actual
mileage twice a week between their
homes and the state capital
A law making illegal the issuance of
passes to or on behalf of assemblymen
would relieve the legislator from the
incessant demands for free railroad
transportation made by his constitu-
ents. And any man who has served in
general assembly will tell you that his
hardest task is to write letters to rail-
road companies for passes for his peo-
pie.
1t is the popular idea that the cor
porations" are the only interests which
seek to influence legislation illegally
But blackmail, l take it, is as unlawful
as bribery, and every session of legis-
lature sees farmers, labor unions and
business mems associations endeavor-
ing to pass or kill legislation by the
use of blackmail; the blackmail of
threats. The members of these great
classes have no passes to give away
and no money to distribute, but they
have votes and organization. They de-
mand compliance with their wishes
| next election for the member who does
not vote their way.
Perhaps no body of citizens are so I'M
reasonable in their demands on the
legislature as the farmers. The honest
tiller of the soil apparently does not
care how much his bill may injure the
state as a whole; it will help HIM or his
community, and he minces no words in
telling his member of the legislature
that if he does not vote for it he need
not expect to be reelected. There is a
constant warfare between the labor
unions and retail business men over the
| matter of the amount of exemption in
garnishee suits, and each class threat
ems political humiliation to any mem
Der who does not vote right" That is
why almost every law which relates to
suits for collection of debts is a com
promise satisfactory to no one.
Now politicians can stand almost any
thing but defeat. Threats have more in
fiuence with them than money brides.
| The skilled manipula tors of the public
service corporations know that and on
| one occasion. when l was speaker,
adroitly used the weapon of fear to
kill bill which could not have been
| defeated with money.
An amendment to the revenue law
came out of house committee 1t was
designed to compel railroad, street car
| and telegraph companies to pay more
taxes. The railroad lobbyists scented
| danger and sent hurried word to their
| principals. AT once the customary
| methods were put into effect to block
the bills passage. but public sentiment
in favor of it was strong and it looked
as if it would go through.
| Some trifing error in phraseology
| sent the bill back to the committee
and when it reappeared few words had
| been inserted, apparently with the de-
sign of making it stronger The adGi-
ton had been made by a member of
the committee at the instigation of a
railroad attorney
| The seemingly trivial change, how
ever, made the application of the bill
more general than the original meas
ure. Where before it had affected only
the big corporations, it now reached
every one. But no one seemed to notice
the difference and the railroad attor-
neys at the capitol, who were acting for
all the public service corporations. per-
mitted the bill to pass one house. Then
| they got busy"
The country press, fed by the corpora
tons. showed how this once popular
measure hit the farmer, and letters by
the thousands poured into the state
house from angry agriculturists. The
| presidents and secretaries of business
| mems and manufacturers associations
received letters, inclosing copies of the
bill, which directed their attention 10
! the fact that if it became a law their
taxes would be larger. The associa-
| tons were called together at once; dele
cations were rushed to the capitol. and
in few days the members of the legis-
lature were listening not to arguments
| hlt To Wrathf1I fhrootc