New-York tribune., 1905-06-18

ten times as much So the legislator represents
first his employer and second his district JUST
SO far as IL is necessary to do for re-eIectloh-
On the outskirts cf this organized system -
the legislator who takes fees that is, VINO
manages TO combine his legal profession with his
political prestige. He, too, represents corpora
tions in the legislature but he is carried on
their pay rolls under the designation OF 'cOun-
sell A corporation desiring important Dill
to be introduced in the proper fashion tnds IL
most convenient TO have its legal representative,
OF them a Senator. He may or may not
perform other services Usually ne ge doeS ,J liot
This phase represents the delicate border Iald
between the Legitimate" and the sra1.
method. The lawyer is the despair of his col
leagues in legislative halls. To them his Ie-
tainer'' is pure graft" but somehow the world
In general is able make distinctions the
legal position is regarded as the saIest l1s
in existence and a complete list Of the legis-
lators who accept fees would be one OF Ihe
most startling commentaries upon the modern
system that could be made.
Finally there remains to be discussed one
more phase, the most open, the most generally
understood and the most long enduring In
every session there are bills that public agita-
tion and press denunciation combine to drive
either the friends or the opponents or out INTO
the onen'' Such bills were the Niagara
grab and the gas bills of the last session. Then
the little dissnlulatiCns, the conscience salts
flying salyes, the pleasant fctions and time
excuses are laid aside Then money
talks" At such time the little "grafters," the
men who work under cover for small gains are
driven back TO the ranks Of the honest; "the
pikers. eS they are dencmtnated do not dare
to stand out. But similarly the price of votes
increases. Thousands and tens OF thousands
become the price of one vote. A competency for
life to rural members is not irfrequently the
price of vote, as it against gas last year
and against the franchise tax in a former ses-
sion
At such time the whole legislative chamber
takes on the appearance of a country auction.
Stenographers hear frantic offers. Clerks carry
imploring messages. Party obligation sinks
before the consuming passions of avarice and
cupid1ty. Even the members who have no
share in the selling are conscious of what is
going on. On the memorable ''CIas Thursday
of last session there was not a messenger boy
IN the Capitol who did not know secrets that
would have contributed to the information OF a
grand jury. But legislators honest or corrupt
are not ce1sorious. It doesn't pay for they
have bills TO pass also.
In such a final hour the little things are
waved aside. Votes are no longer had for
drinks and poker debts. for railroad rebates
carriage or railroad passes. Even a legal re-
talner has no place here. But such days come
only once in the average life of Senator in Al
bany. For the rest, for the scores of little cor
poration bills. benefits. projections and per-
Gu1sltes which every legislature lavishly be-
Slows, the lobbyist has easy methods, not dis
turbing to conscience not violating outwardIv
existing conventions. But his main source OF
strength lies in the New-York City legislator
who sells out on offer and the rural LEGISLATOR
VINO represents his own constituents honestly
that he may frequently return to help pIunder
that of some other This does not apply to all
In fact, is not made a statement of numbers
or percentages-but the size of the fraction is
concededly large.