The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-12

While 1 was vet a contractor and
entirely unacquainted with that insect
known as graft" I got the contract
for a sewer mile and a half long. 1t
was given to me because it was known
that was the only man in the city
who had ever had five Dago workmen
blown to bits by dynamite and kept
the rest of the gang going without the
loss of a second of time. Contractors
who were suffering from disappoint-
n.ent and jealousy started the story
that had brfbed two Aldermen in or
der to secure the contract. The fact
that both aldermen bought race horses
and brick houses soon after seemed
to clinch the argument. The fact that
the sewer caved in in a dozen places
and it was found that loan instead
of sand had been mixed with marble
dust instead of cement, seemed to
clinch it some more. Knowing that
nay be followed to the cemetery with
In three days by a procession of one
hundred and forty hacks, leaving a
widow behind to collect the rents on
twenty-nine houses. which the public
cannot understand how 1 acquired, I
wish to state that I never paid a cent
for that contract and it was the Dago
workmen who mixed up the poor ma
terials in order to bring shame to the
cheek of O'Toole. Let the willow tree,
which represents answering integrity,
wave above my last resting place.
A kindly act that did for my friend
city ticket has been turned against me
by my enemies. 1 was on the board of
elections, and knowing just how many
hundred voters there were in that pre-
cinct and how they wanted to vote,
put in that many tickets to save them
the trouble of coming to the polls and
going through a lot of red tape pro-
ceedings- 1t was done with the best
Intentions, and was appreciated by the
majority, but there were some few
cranks who made a kick and tried to
raise a scandal. 1t has been charged
That 1 was given a thousand dollars
with which to elect Mr.. Burns. who
went to Europe or an automobile. tour
after serving one year, but men who
who know me and know how far can
throw p hammer and hit Dago work
ing on cellar excavation and trying
to loaf on me will not believe it. 1
simply wanted to see honesty prevail.
Let the band that leads my funeral
procession play sad tunes.
1t wasn't my idea, that of being
nominated for congress in my district.
One day as was drinking a glass of
beer in a saloon, put at the same time
giving the saloonist to understand that
L was receiving no part of the graft he
was paying the police captain OF that
precinct, delegation comes in and
the spokesman saws:
"O'Toole, It's asking Won TO nm for
Congress in this district that We are
before you We want to send some
body to Washington that Will reform
that body Give US leave to nominate
you and YOU will be elected by an
overwhelming majority. From an over
the country people are crying out for
the election of stainless men,
But I'm no statesman" saws 7
"And why in the dovil shor1ld Won
be a statesman to go to congress-
Does It take statesman to 90 What
the railroads, the packers a, 4 the
canal commissioners want donn9-
There's government coal and timber
lands in the west that are CRYING for
an honest congressman TO come along
and put them in his pocket. There's
new territory to be thrown open to the
public, and the congressman who
stands In with the land entry office ia
going to ride in forty red autono-
biles."
But I'm no CRATER" says I, as
gets on my dignity.
IT'S not grating. Grating stops at
the legislature. When yoI, get beyond
that you are simply lending your be-
n.gn influence as a member of con-
gress to build up the bulwarks of in
tegrity. If you are caught at 1t it takes
years ana years to convict you and
send you to prison as martyr. If you