The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-01

/ DIS 10 Wi1GEtfCi 1t WOuid JlCdSIa 1OA.
and began talking Of the political situa-
ton He said the managing committee
was in bad way financially and that
systematic efforts should be made to
| build up fund for the approaching
campaign. | agreed with him and we
discussed the matter for some minutes.
Then, naming the very contractor who
was sitting in my Office, he said:
He is anxious to do something for
the party, and he wants to contribute,
through you, $4,000 to the campaign
fund.-
We'll, why doesn't he send tito the
treasurer of the committee?' I queried,
raising myself up on my elbow
Tile would rather give it to you, and
then you can turn it into the treas
ury."
AS write these words there comes
back to me again the nervous tremor
which passed through me when l
grasped the full import Of what my
lieutenant was saying. I recollect
wildly how I waited a few seconds IN
til muscular tension had stopped the
involuntary trembling. My brain must
have worked rapidly, for before / spoke
my mental eye took in the whole mis-
cradle scheme. The contractor in my
office was leader of one of the groups
striving to secure a monopoly of the
cityss public works contracts My lieu
tenant, who was one Of my trusted Off
cial intimates, had much to do with
letting these contracts, and he had been
taken into the conspiracy to secure my
influence in behalf of the faction rep
resented by my friend in the other
room. Apparently the city official who
sat near me did not notice any indica-
tons Of my mental agitation, for he
quietly smoked his cigar, waitingform
| to continue the conversation. Having
recovered myself, said:
Forty thousand dollars is a large
sum Of money for one man to donate
/ to a campaign committee But I don't
think the committee would refuse it,
you'd better tell him to take it to the
| treasurer"
But you don't understand" he
urged, leaning forward and speaking
more earnestly. HE wants to give
this to you, for your campaign fund,
to help US renominate and reflect you.
He is one Of our best friends He is"
Now stop right there, I exclaimed,
springing to my feet. Don't go any
further with that kind of palayer Why
/ don't YOU come straight out with the
truth and tell me you have been sent
here to bride me with $4,000 to give
those fellows free rein in the public
works Department. Now we'll not talk
about this any more, but you know
what you've got to do, and you sit right
down, here and now, and do it. !" And
in my excitement / almost dragged
him to a desk and held him by the
shoulder until he had written me a let
ter asking me to accept his resigna-
ton. Not another word was spoken. I
took his place at the desk and wrote
| him a letter regretfully accepting the
resignation. I felt like coward when
I wrote 1T is with sincere regret that
I accept your resignation, etc. Yet
now I am glad l penned my reply as l
/ did, for he had been warm friend
and, up to that instant, a loyal one.
Some years before became mayor I
had purchased several acres of land in
| the outskirts of the city with the view
Of subdividing it when the growth of
| the city warranted my doing SO. But
the city didn't grow in that direction.
and I had this large tract of land on
my hands when elected mayor. A COM
pany had been formed to build street
railway out toward that piece of land
governing the city, and the ordinance
granting the franchise introduced in
the board of aldermen in the early part
of my administration was s'hung up''
in the committee on franchises for
some months. When | examined the
map of the proposed route of the street
! railway I saw the line ran Lalf a mile
east Of my property.
One day word was brought to me
| that some of the leaders OF the CLIQUE
of corrupt aldermen were about to take
the ordinance out Of the pigeonhole
and put it through
Now, this ordinance was properly
drawn. It provided for adequate COM
pensation to the city for the franchise
rights, and in all respects, came under
the head of good ordinances" The
territory which the company proposed
to provide with transportation facili-
ties was in urgent need of street rail-
way. service. The corporation had in i
men of good repute and high financial
standing. Had the ordinance been
passed on its merits, / would have ap-
proved it, but when I learned that the
gang was going to put it through
smelled Doodle and at once decided
that a good measure passed by bad
means was a bad measure and thought
lessly expressed byseIf in that wise. A
few days after the president and di-
rector of the company called on me.
They urged me to aid them III getting
the ordinance out of the committee,
and the president said:
we have changed the route a lit
tie. as you can see by this map"
The wide red-inked line which
marked the proposed route told me
/ that the change brought the street rail
| way not only to my land, but around
and back of the tract, giving my non
productive real estate the promise Of a
] trolley line on two Of its sides.
The presidents stubby finger traced