Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-06-16
ATTEMPTED BRIBERY.
Sensational Outcome OF the Bucket
shop Cases i'll the Massachusetts
House of Representatives.

and citing the laws as to privilege and
immunity, the committee finds that
there is no evidence to show that any
member OF the House of Representa-
tives has accepted Il bride. The report
further says:
The wholesale charges that many
members have been bribeG. made in the
public prints are not substantiated by
any evidence whatsoever. and those.
who have given to them such wide
publicity have either failed to appear
before your committee, or have declar-
ed before your committee that
they knew Of no evidence which
upon their oaths they could
give. showing corruption in the
Legislature. Long continued eff
forts to secure the attendance of one
of the individuals who have uttered
many statements regarding legislation
are described in Il report of the SER
geant-at-arms, appended hereto.
NO condemnation that the public
cor express is too severe for men whose
Irresponsible statements are given
such wide publicity, with no proof to
cubstantiatc tho statements, and no
. law to punish those who utter them.
This investigation has revealed the
fact that certain newspapers and GER
tain persons have made definite
charges to tho effect that q large NUM-
bcr Of legislators and in some Instances
that 20 or some other definite number
of legislators have been bribcd. The
/ testimony of the reporters, editors and
managers of such newspapers, and the
- 4 -,,o,
with al the evidence before the COM
mittec, revealed the fact thai they
had no evidence that Il member Of the
Legislature had accepted bride. The
sole foundation Of these Wholesale
charges of bribery rested on the state
/ ment publicly made by two OF three
| members of the house. that they had
! been, in substance. offered money by a
I certain other member of the House. to
! influence their vot" on a certain meas
| ure which offer had been rejected by
them. The positive statements Of such
papers ana Of such persons implied ;hat
! the had IzuoWlcd-" lhat members Of
+ the Legislature" lad been hrh"d
( whereas the GVidrnc" before your COM
! El;ttcc revealed the fact that they had
/ Il" such kn"wlrdgc.
7 at appeared further that many of
4 the statements that have DerE .tuh-
listed affecting the character ~ Tho
Legislature were written at the offices
I of the newspapers publishing thrin. and
! were, based almost entirety upon rumpr
Tie sworn testimony Of the rripr:.s"n-
trtiveS of the same newspapers :,t thu
4 state iIuues. showed that th"E VITO. by
! close acquaintance with affairs il the
4 Legislature should he cTurrt"I t.
( kno" % %uch matters had II" reason t
believe that such charges were true.
"1'ht conditions affecting This partic-
! uld,' affair demand more than passing
notice. Tho freedom of the pres il ono
If Tho fundamental principles upnr
vhicn our government is founded. r.
cncr"uch upon il. is 10 cnJnng"r I'll,
" holr fabric If car liberty. .ul free.
dom Of Tho press is not liccns2 for the
press to plumber the character uf Leg
iSla:ncs or of individual member.
thereof. Under an apparent assumption
that such Il license does exist. there i:
appearing at the State House a kind o
newspaper influence that SeriouSi,
threatens future legislation in thi:
state. Unchecked in its freedom o.
misrepresentation. it stands as q men
ace to good government. Abundant evi
dence has been set forth in the hear
ing before your committee to show tn,
need on restraint upon this perniciou
misuse of the newspapers proper func
tiCn.
your committee sincerely regret:
that it must call attention to the con
Trajectory character of the statement
by a certain member of the House. I'll
evidence contains conflicting state
ments by Representative Swig. o
such q character that they should no
be passed over without some recogni
ton by the body of which he is a mem
Der. Your committee believes that Rep
resentative Swig deserves the censur
of the House of Representatives.
"Your committee finds that Frank ]
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