The L'Anse sentinel., 1905-07-22

OF their candidate almost three ycer'
before tho legislature wcuid fncet whscs
would elect the senator. This was Ne
cause the state senators are elected To-
fonr year terms and halfcf the fnenlbef,
Of the state senate ARE elected every tces
wears The railread canspaisncrs thes
started out flrst 10 nominate men Tor ths
senate who would Nc favorable 70 thei'
candidate for United States sena,cr fws
years later
No mention was made OF Inc rrilrcads
cspa,5ate: the word went down The line
to nut IN men who would DO the right
tbinc for the railroad comreny. The
csndida.e however, got busy and ~rss
sent by his compauy 20 all rsrts oi the
state. cstensib,yon railroad business,
bu, really 10 ge, acquainted with the po-
ljf,csl lessers. Newer before had THAI
road been so libsrsl with passes Any
man who had a line on any member ei
4 the legislature got pass for The ASKING
I, was this generosity withon; any re-
quest for legislative favors which made
the boys suspect that gum shoe cam
raicn senator WAS on. and long before
the members OF the general assembly
which was TO elect senator had been
nominated il was known that the rail-
road attorney was a candidate for Unit
ed States senator.
Now this is what that man had to do
to get the seat in the senate he and his
people were after. He first had to have
majority, on joint ballot, In the gen.
eral assembly OF members OF his politi-
cal party, otherwise he could not be
elected. Having party majority he
then had to get majority OF the men,
bers Of that party In caucus In order, TO
get the nomination. To get this caucus
majority he had to begin at the very bot
tom; he had to go to the county conven-
tions to get delegates favorable to him
sent TO the legislative district conven-
tions. He then had to get the district
conventions to nominate, for members OF
the legislature, men who would vote for
him in caucus. He attended in person
as many of these conventions as he
could. and where he could not the rail-
road sent men in his interests.
The company had along its lines local
attorneys who handled the lega! busl-
ness of the railroad in their sections OF
the state Every local attorney was
politician. was one of them, that Is
how | get mixed up in the campaign
| With others | was "called in" TO the
company's headquarters and given
certain portion of the state to handle
for the company's candidate. 1t was
my Office to round up every township
county and district convention could
for "our man" There were nearly 5O
OF us. and we worked hard; we had to-
wasstold that my expense account
would be paid without question.
We were unable 10 get instructions
for our fellow in as many district con
ventions as we wanted, for the United
States senator, whose seat we were after
was a pretty live proposition and knew
how to promise the same federal job tc
dozen men in way to make each be
lieve that he had that job landed. Bu
here is where our man had the edge or
him; our candidate had barrel. ltwa!
: not his property. but he had the use o.
It, and was told to knock in the head i
necessary, and he knocked it in.
He had established headquarters IL
the city, and there score OF active
shrewd. knowing politicians were a
: work The nominating conventions hat
:, all met and nominated, and from tha
, headquarters went the word that ever,
: candidate of our party for the leGisla
: ture who needed campaign funds coul'
be supplied. was in the inside room
: one day when candidate for the stat
: senate came in In a cool, businesslik
. way which was refreshing, he was aske
= how much money he required to ''cinch
: election. He was modest. He put tn
. figures only up to $500. He then wa
: asked If he would pledge himself to yot
in caucus for our candidate. He sal
ne would. Then he would have no oil
:. lection to signing pledge to that ei
feet. He signed and before the Ink {
: his signature was dry he was hande
:. three crisp $lO0 bills.
= Now that bribc was veiled by the sui
!, terfuge that the money was part OF
10 campaign fund contributed by enthus
;, astic men who wanted their party
=. win the election. AS a matter OF fact u
a, money was paid for that mans vote
. the railroad company. who wanted the
"A candidate for United States senator
90 be elected. From this headquarters all
10 were sent speakers into close distric
and the legislative candidates In SUI
districts knew that their help can
from the railroads candidate. In shol
general campaign for the election
', members to the general assembly W
~ ably and effectively conducted by o
y candidate. and the newest novice in po
80 "a tics could easily figure that the expens
~ were something enormous.
Our man was elected without troub
=, for before the party caucus was held
~ opponents withdrew. They could 7
,n fight the barrel which was never emp
-, no matter how often its contents W.
,ev scoopcd out.
ok
nal have sketched out this campaign
show the ramifications and complexit
.utr ubicb oh N ra ri ari1o a ra mnaiVn for