The L'Anse sentinel., 1905-07-01

Misunderstanding Testimonials Tor
Patent Medicines-A ''Pure Food"
Campaign That Failed.
BY AN Ex-SPEAKER OF A STATE
LEGISLATURE.
copyright, 1906. by Joseph b. Bowles.)
Like some travelling men. many MEM
bers of state legislature carry side
lines. The enterprising lawmaker who
knows the ropes can make fair salary
outside of the stipend given by the state
for cobbling old and manufacturing new
laws.
have In mind certain thrifty legis-
lator who was paid goodly sum OF
money by each of number OF concerns
.whlch might or might not be affected
by the work of the general assembly.
This member was a sort of reporting
agent; he kept his private employers
posted on pending legislation. Never
bill or resolution was introduced which
might, even In remote degree. touch
the interests of one or all of his prin7
cipals but he promptly sounded the
warning. Sometimes this warning was
sent by telegraph, but ordinarily II was
embodied in the nightly reports which
he pounded out on his typewriter.
Now this member made no attempt to
conceal his side line: he was perfectly
open in the matter, and, so far as anyone
knew. he never attempted to influence
single vote one way or the other. On
the contrary, he once voted for meas
ure which plainly was antagonistic to
the interests OF one of the members OF
his syndicate. He said he was paid for
reporting and not for voting.
Just before general assembly meets
almost every corporation or organiza-
tion which Is open to attack from the
state house receives visits from MEM
bers of the legislature. The members
arefafter side lines; some of them want
to augment their state salary by honest
graft" that Is, by merely acting as re-
porters of legislation. while others ask
to be employed, on salary. to handle"
legislation. To handle" legislation, ac-
cording to their Interpretation of the
phrase, is to use every means. honest and
dishonest, to pass or defeat bills.
An officer of life insurance company
told me one time that the selling system
used by some makers Of shoes who ad-
vertise, "No middle man, but direct from
the manufacturer to the consumer" was
adopted to noticeable degree by mem
bers Of the legislature but few years
ago. Prior to its advent the lobbyist-the
middleman--was the individual with
whom the interested" parties did busi-
ness. He added:
Some of the shrewd men in the legis-
lature figured It out that certain cor
porations would find 1t cheaper to do
business direct with the members of the
general assembly and finding 1t cheaper
would be easier to approach afterwards.
One of them called on our people and
with startling frankness said he would
undertake, for certain salary, to han
die any legislation affecting us, the sal
airy to be paid after the session closed.
He said there was nothing wrong In
his proposition provided the company
would at once appoint him special
agent I afterward met him on the
street. The session Of the general as
sembly was about to close and he gave
me his business card, on which was
plainly printed the name of my COM
pany. with special agent after his
name. need only add that we were not
troubled by any hold-ups or sand bag
ging bills that session--our special agent
had earned his salary"
One of the influential members of the
committee on appropriations had we'll
known brand OF typewriters as his side
line. His method of making sale was
simplicity itself. He called on the sew
eral state officials, departmental and in
stitutlonal heads, told them he was in
terested in this particular make Of type
writer and said he was glad to learn that
they were much dissatisfied with the
writing machines they had in their
Offices. He then detailed the virtues and
admirable qualities of his typewriter and
suggested the advisability of their Civ
ing his machine trial. II any demurred
he changed the topic of conversation to
an analysis of the appropriation bill,
then In committee, and the summing up
was always In favor of reduction of the
appropriation asked by the demurrer.
The objecting official at once saw the
point and made 1t evident that he would
be most happy to give his friends type
writer chance Before the close of the
session that member Of the appropria.
tions committee had placed his type
writer's In most OF the state departments
and institutions and his commissions
must have swelled his pocketbook to q
healthy plumpness.
One OF my colleagues made an homes,
living, before he was elected as q bar.
keeper. He was genial fellow and his
skillful compounding OF mixed drinks
made him deservedly popular. When he
appeared at the capital city he handed
out cards which indicated that he was
. general salesman for q wonderful
boiler compound, warranted to keep any
boiler. using any kind of water. clean
as o whistle. He asked to be put on
but one committee; the committee
named to visit the penal and charitable
Institutions of the state. Such are
known Al "iunketin9" commffteea Ifs