The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-13
PAGE .

Towle was brutally straight to the
point, Mr.. Patch was as smooth an in
triguer as ever connected himself with
secrets by way Of keyholes and tran
sens. 1t is a Beacon Hill tradition
that for years Towle on final-payment
Cay would have the members of the
Massachusetts legislature march
through his private Offices one at a
time, and, handing each of them their
loot, would proclaim: well, you're
settled with in full, aren't you? That
represents your vote on and on
-" Then he would loudly identify
the bill and the particulars of the
service, while behind a partition with
stenographer would be Mr.. Patch,
who after the notes had been written
out would witness the accuracy of the
stenographer's report. When the leg
islature assembled again, old mem
bers, the same story goes, would be
requested to call on Towle to renew
acquaintanceship. Then he would al
low them to look over his memoranda
'just to keep 'em from being too
proud" as he gently phrased it.
Subordinate to Towle and Patch was
a long line of eminently respectable
lawyers known all over the common
wealth as Whitneys attorneys"
These men participated at nomina-
tons, Grated at elections, and took
care of the finer preliminary details.
The first line of attack was composed
OF practical politicians of various
grades-ex-senators or representatives
and local bosses, who were known as
"Whitney's right-hand men," Below
these were the ordinary lobbyists, the
detectives, and runners, who kept
tabs" on every move and deed, day
and night of the members of the legis-
lature. This was the Whitney ma
chine, and it worked together with
that fine solidity and evenness which
can only be attained with lots OF prac-
tice and much success. In comparison
with this competent organization, an
average "Tammany gang" a Chicago
combine or "St. Louis syndicate"
would look like broken-down snow
plough in August.
Headquarters for Whitney's Massa-
chusetts pipe line were opened at
Young's Hotel, parlors 8, 10 and II,
rooms 6, T. 8, second story front. Par
Tors 8 and 10 were the general recep-
tion room, while IL was for the COM
mander himself and the holding OF
important "touchy" interviews. The
rooms 4. 5, 6, 7, were used for edu-
catiOna1 purposes. In the morning the
place was deserted, but at noon the
parlors began to fill up with the differ
ent members Of the machine" and
their friends, trustworthy members Of
the legislature. A little later an Ella
borate luncheon would be served, the
Supernumeraries eating in one room,
Towle and his chiefs and the legisla-
tors in the other. There the gossip Of
the morning session was exchanged
and the work laid out for the after
noon legislative and committee SEES
sions. Another interval of silence and
peace until at $3.50 the real business
Of the day began. Mr.. Patch was gen
orally on the ground first, carrying
the books in which the bribery records
were kept, for be it remembered that
the efficiency of the Whitney machine
was largely due to the thoroughly sys-
tematic manner in which the opera
tons were conducted. Nothing was
left to chance or to any ones mem
Ory. In turn, the subordinates pre-
sented careful reports of the days
transactions and at $50 Mr.. Towle
would go over these documents "siz-
ing up" the actual results for submits
sion later to the chief himself. Be-
tween 1880 and $3.50 the machine"
dined; the remains of the feast having
been removed, the doors were locked
and the books brought out.
If an outsider could possibly have
obtained the entry to the headquarters
Of the Whitney Massachusetts pipe,
line, say at o'clock any evening dur
ing the session, he might easily have
imagined himself at the Madison
Square Garden or at Tattersall's on
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