The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-01
REVELATIONS BY
An EK-NAY0R
FIRST YELLED ATTEMPT AT
BRIBERY.
Blunt oR@ of $4,000 for Veto Of
an ordinance-The Briber's Agile
Retreat-Bold Attempt to Secure
Public Works, Contracts Corruptly
a Real Temptation.

and those who want you not to do
something. That is the way | grouped
them when | was mayor l do not
know how many times was sap-
preached" during my term Of office nor
do / know how many fishing expedi-
tons We're sent to find out ii l would
bite Undoubtedly many attempts were
made to ascertain my views on mat
tiers Of direct interest to those who
would be willing to pay well if only
would look at the matter from their
point Of view.
Several tlmes-more than | like to
recall-indiscreet persons broadly init
mated that there would be something
in it for me" if / would allow this or
that ordinance or measure to go
through" The first time | realized that
I was being offered a bride, although
the offer was yelled by words OF amb1g-
nous meaning, / almost was frightened.
yne man who had it in his mind to
offer me money or its equivalent for
my signature approving the ordinance
we had under discussion was an IN
conspicuous lawyer | think now ne
was as much frightened as | was, for
before / had recovered my poise he
made clumsy excuse for leaving the
office. and I never saw him again.
Perhaps it was the shock of the sur
prise that startled me- | was not ex-
pecting anything Of the kind, and when
he, after exhausting his arguments,
spread out his hands and with smile
which probably he thought was partlc-
ularly significant, said: of course. we
do not want you to inconvenience your
self, but you may find it worth your
while to take day off, come out and
look the ground over. Anyhow, you
won't lose anything by it, the accent
he placed on the word lose" gave me
the key and found myself tongue-tied
for the instant. Then he suddenly left
and the incident was closed.
AS l grew more accustomed to my
work I grew hardened to these indirect
tests Of my official integrity. at times
felt like kicking the wou1d-be bribers
out of my Office, but my better judg-
ment prevailed. Sometimes | laughed
at them-their seheming was SO trans
parent. It might be asked: Why
didn't you expose them 2,
There was nothing to expose. Not
one OF them made me direct offer.
could not prove material fact against
any of them. / could but testify that
I believed they were trying to bride me
weak evidence, which wouldn't stand
in court / did consult the corporation
counsel and asked his advice, which
was, either have the man thrown out
OF the Office On general principles or
tell him to get out .
One day the man came in who had
the courage to use plain, straight Eng
lish He offered to give me $4,000 in
cash if would veto a certain ordi-
nance He looked me straight in the
eye and repeated his offer. We were
alone in a small room off my Office.
None but myself heard him when he
made the business proposition. |
opened the door and asked my secre-
tary to step in When he came said
to the man: please repeat what you
have just said to me"
Without the least evidence of embar-
rassment he said. II would not give
yo1 $4,000 for that property-Whieh
is easily worth $4,000. 00o-if you sign
ply destroys it,
"You offered me $4,000 if l would
veto the BILL answered. Didn't
youe''
rs that the way you look at it," he
said. why, Mr.. Mayor, If wanted to
offer bride to kill the ordinance
wouldn't offer yoa a paltry $4,000; I'd
make 1t $4,000. It would be worth it. NJ
Then he said: "Good morning"
After thinking the matter over I
concluded / had clear case against
him, for / could swear he made me the
offer, and when charged with it before
my secretary he had not denied it. |
sent Cor the corporation counsel and
related the occurrence to him.
You might have him indicted by the
grand jury" was his opinion, but you
haven't the corroborative evidence
needed to convict him. A man who at
tempts to bride will commit perjury,
and he would swear he did not try to
bride you and had no idea of doing it,
and there you are. =
Now, this man who boldly proposed
that / should sell him a veto and the
other man who was afraid to do more
than hint that he would pay for my
approving signature Were bung1ers.
Their work was too rough. They did
not possess the nice touch of the adroit
bribers. Yet each Of them played the
self-sames game. Each was careful that
no witness was in hearing. But they
nut me on my guard and fer some time
i permitted no man to speak to me
unless my private secretary was near
enough to hear what was said.
One day, however, I was approached
from an unguarded quarter. A fierce
competition between two sets of public
contractors was making life interest
ing for me at the time Each side was
trying to drive the other out of bust
ness, and l was brought into the con-
test, for the developments indicated
that soon | would have TO make a rul-
ing which would make one faction the
victor. Just before it became neces-
sary for me to assume judicial author
lily the head of one of the city depart
ments come into my otfice-nothing I'M
usual. Tor he was a daily visitor After
few words he walked toward the in