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


not walt for the junket to begin. He
had railroad passes and started out to
Investigate the penitentiaries, asylums.
normal schools reform schools and other
state institutions himself. All such
places have steam boilers.
Every state institution has It's scan
dal. and its head Is always sensitive to
criticism from one who comes clothed
I with authority. The general salesman
OF the boiler compound concern, who
didn't know the first thing about boilers,
but did know human nature, simply in
timated to the wardens and superintend-
ents that he was out looking for trouble
and when he asked, as a personal favor,
that they would try his unexcelled
boiler compound, they declared II didn't
require trial: It was Just what their
head engineers had demanded for years.
He made good money selling boiler COM
pound at outrageous prices to the state
that year.
Probably the best paying honest
graft" scheme worked by any member
took the form OF securing glowing tes-
timonials for widely advertised patent
medicine. This member, using his pow
er and influence, induced" number OF
prominent state officials, not only to
write ardent words testifying to the
wonderful curative powers of the med
icine, but to permit the medicine COM
pany to embeliish the advertisement
with their portraits. The lawmaker who
carried the testimonial ''side line" re-
ceiyed all the way from $25 to $50 for
each testimonial. OF course he~could
not have secured single letter had he
not been an influential member-of the
legislature.
II must not be understood that the
member OF the legislature always takes
the initiative In making "side line" con-
nections. Often the first approach is
made by the business man. There was
an experience had In which one OF the
great life insurance companies had the
audacity to make me proposition, after
| had been elected speaker in which the
company's agent broadly hinted that
could employ the threat to use the power
concern. My experience is interesting
in that 1t serves to illustrate the methods
employed by large corporations to get
some kind of a grip on the legislature.
Some weeks before the general assem-
bly, convened the daily papers mentioned
my name In connection with the speak
| ership. A few days later received a
| Iattar from, IN attorDau of tho Ifa N
surance company, requesting me to rep
resent the company In little case which
came up in our county seat. did SO,
and in the course of the following month
got check for my services Next
received letter from the same attor-
ney, asking me to call upon him In re-
lation to similar suits In my district.
l reached his office at noon and he sug-
gested that we take lunch together and
there talk over the suits. We had q
good lunch and long talk, and not once
did the subject of the legislature come
up. Apparently he did not even know
had been reelected a member.
One Of the first kilograms of congrat
ulation l received after being elected
speaker was from this attorney. Soor
after a representative of the compan,
called upon me and, assuming the atti
tude Of one who was talking with the
legal representative of his company, he
apparently, gave me some of the inside
history Of the great corporation. Their
came the proposal. The company want
ed me to use my influence as speaker tC
get business for 1t among the member.
OF the legislature. AS compensation
was to receive fat commission on al
business that might grow out of tn,
scheme. The agent, under the impress
sion that was willing, went so far as
to say:
you see, you are In good position tC
induce the members to take out policies
In our company. Just word from you
will be enough, and where little pres
sure is needed you can tap them with
your gavel, and they are smart enough
to take that hint"
At first was inclined to warm up un
der the collar when the agent unmasked
his batteries and got down to business;
then felt amused and gave him plenty
VI iOPts IhC tOiu hlC, OlutT
that his company had had several speak
ers In other states with them, and that
each had made several thousands of dol.
lars honestly" and he laid special en-
phasis on the word honestly"
We had with us, at this session, q
chemist who represented district in
the largest city of the state. From the
beginning he talked food adulteration
and, as he was chemist, what he had to
say was heard with respect He insist
ed that 1t was the duty Of the state to take
the lead In campaign against impure
food stun. He fitted up laboratory
near the state house and put In most OF
his time analyzing the food stun sold
to the state institutions. He invited the
members to visit his laboratory. and
there exhibited analyzed samples OF bak.
Ing powder. coffees. mustard, flour, jams
and other articles of food which he had
, secured from wardens and superintend.
ents of the penal and charitable insti-
tutions. He showed his analyses which
, | discloged adt1ltern tinus prd sv,.r,.~sts>.