The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-03-15
Dan Deans Story Of
the 9th Legislature

The Legislators ara servants OF the
tax payers We hired them and theY
promised 90 do their duty for ua
They knew what the pay was guiug
To be- they knew the office hours
and they knew Just how much mon
vy 90 ring mp en- the public till
They wore not hirsd by the North
ern Pacific railroad nor by j. J.
tull. nor by the numbering interests
And they had NO moral rirnt 50
mulch our cash drawer FOR the bene=
III Of the lat PURSES Of corporations.
II YOU were clerk iu "A grocery
store aud man came IN 10 YOU aud
said. that's a mighty fine stock Of
Gags your boss has got on the shelf
there Now cant YOU get some Of
them for mo for nuthing7 rhvrv'u "A
dollar IN a. for YOU II YOU will
What Noald your reply be-
This comparison IL not far fetch
ed
A corporation makes a similar
proposition to "A group 81 legislators.
n SAYS ''Yuur boss 1.-THE statel
owns n fine lot 81 oyster lands. now
you frame up law by which we can
get them for practically nothing.
and We viii give you 40 much
And that il fair example Of
legislative corruption.
Now Tor another view
let ua suppose that you are about
20 enlist iu the United States army
Uncle sam contracts with YOU Ia
pay You a certain sum of money aud
In return you promise 90 do your
duty and 60 obey orders.
You arr sent 90 the front and In
stead q fighting with your com
fadea you sneak over 90 the enemy
under cover Of night and fire Into
the ranks Of your oSn men.
A man who does this ls a traitor
And Nhaf Is the man who enliats
In public life who pledges himself
to flEht In the ranks Of honesty aud
for his constituents the man who
when safely seated in the halls ~
the legislature joins the ranks of the
enemy. votes against the very pFlu=
ciplea he has sworn 70 uphold
lie Il also a traitor.
And 50 many % these political
Arnolta are there IN this state
legislature that u Herma
ALMOST 4 CRIME
% hoist the dear old American flAg
above The capitol dome-a flag that
stands for a government by the peo=
pie. and for the people. and not for
political towards and blackleEa
wonder II this article viii do any
good
/ wonder n II will leave memory
In the minds 81 some men long
enough for them 20 say I ~lll.
when they have a chance "a again
elect 4 representative In their dis
trict.
Probably not.
The American pcopie are an easy
going lot. Politics with them b
hardly a secondary consideration
They rtse up on their hind legs and
YELL LIKE ABORlGtNH.S
when they read Of The tYfannlrai
rule OF the ear. and they fuss and
fume when somebody steps on 4
fringe of our nations coat tails
which happens 10 lap over on the
other aide of The Pacific.
But
They read With calm uneoucern.
and only momentAry Interest of the
great Industrial combinations tat
are greesilly absorbing the very VT
ais OF our commercial common
wealth a. told so truthfullY and
wildly By the greatest 81 all expose
writerz-ThomAa W LAWSON.
The remarkable stories Of politl-
cal graft as d BY Lincoln } stcf-
fins. are pronounced blame good
reading and then forgotten. as
quickly as h popular novel
Let the harmless plekpocket
fitch from them a single dime and
they shout murder But their
public servants can sandbaK them
into lnaenslbility and take the shirts
from of their backs without even a
whisper % protest