Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-07-14

Their Own Companies-Gambling
Debt Paid with Proceeds-Buying
Votes with Public Jobs.
BY AN EX-SPEAKER OF A STATE
LEGISLATURE
Copyright, 1905, by Joseph B. Bowles)
When it comes to boodling it is not
always a member of the legislature who
makes the first advances There are
citizens, and respectable ones at that,
who seem to have an abiding conviction
that no bill can be put through a gen
eral assembly without the use of
money. And there have been instances
where bills were in fair way to pass
without even a suggestion of corrupt
practices and yet those outsiders who
were interested in the measures DELHI
erately and unnecessarily paid money
for affirmative votes.
Naturally if money is offered 1t is
taken; no one need wonder at that; but
the shame of it is that in some cases
the needless crime was committed by
men who stood high in social and bust
ness affairs. | have in mind an in
stance where a bill affecting a great
public enterprise when introduced had
no opposition in either house or SEN
ate. The character of the public works,
its importance and urgent needs ap-
pealed to the citizenship of the legis-
lators and it was On the books to send
the measure to the governor for his
signature without a negative vote.
The public works was under the SUI
pervision and control of board of
commissioners elected for the purpose.
This board was a taxing body and it
was necessary, in order to carry the en-
terprise to a successful completion, to
give the board authority to slightly
raise its proportion of the tax rate.
The bill was introduced in the house,
| reported out of committee and, having
passed the house, was sent to the SEN
ate. The board of commissioners had a
man on the ground watching the bills
| progress and this man reported that it
was not necessary for him to remain
at the state capital any longer and sug-
gested he be called home. This was
approved and he left the scene of law
making. By this time the bill was on
| its second reading in the senate. The
commissions agent had scarcely left
town when three of the commissioners
appeared on the floor of the senate, and
| before they had been there an hour the
word was passed around among the
elect that the members of the board had
brought down money with them.
At once tactics antagonistic to
the bill were in evidence. A
score of objections were voiced.
The measure suddenly stopped and
then was sent back to committee.
| This unexpected change of conditions
mystified the genuine friends of the
measure and they telegraphed the
boards agent to come to the capital at
once. He gathered the three commits
sioners in hotel room, made them ad-
nit they had come with the intention
of buying votes and then he, with much
profanity, demanded they leave the city
on the next train and take their Doodle
back with them. He told them unless
they did this he would make a public
statement of the whole affair and go to
the grand jury with it afterwards.
Having sent them home, he set about
the task of removing temptation from
the Legislators who, when they learned
there was nothing in it for them, -
called the bill out of committee and
passed it.
Now this is what had happened. The
crooked members of the board of COM
missioners saw an opportunity of max
ing little easy money. They called
in the contractors on the work and told
them the bill could not be put through
the general assembly without the use OF
little oil and advised the contractors
to pass the hat AS it was big money
In their pockets if the bill passed, fol
more taXes-made larger funds the con-
| VI dSlOlo maui up d pOOl anu JuIHeu Tie
proceeds over to the three commission.
ers who came to the state capital. Had
1t not been for the fact that the con.
tractors were on intimate terms with
many members of the legislature the
three commissioners would not have
been compelled to appear on the fooi
of the senate with ready money il
their pockets. 1t was their plan to give
but a small portion of the cash con
tributed by the contractors to the legis
lators, keep the rest and make the con.
tractors believe that all the money hat
gone into the pockets of the boodlins
holdup men in the legislature AS il
was they had to return the money ant
could only even up by putting in bill
for expenses incurred in appearing be
fore the senate committee in behalf O
the tax BILL" which the treasurer O
the board allowed and paid
The legislative agent of one of tn
great railroad companies got drunk on,
: night, and when he came to, the mex
, day, found that professional gambler
who ran faro game in the capital city