The San Francisco call., 1909-09-27
Judge Ben B. Lindsey Says That the Prosecutors Defeat
Would Be Disaster to the Country

attorney. I'VE were opposed in the
suit says Lindsey. "by Charles j.
Hughes Jr., the ablest corporation law
yer in the state; and was puzzled to
find the officers of the gas company and
crowd of prominent businessmen in
court when the case was argued on
motion to dismiss it. The Judge re-
fused the motion. and for so doine-as
he afterward told me himself-he was
cut In his club by the men whose
presence in the court had puzzled me
After a three weeks trial the
jury stood IL 20 1 in our favor and
the case had to be begun all over
again.
There was another trial with the
same result. Then. according to Lind
sey. "One evening, when he were sit
ting In our Office A. M. Stew
enson-'Big Steve'-po1itician and at
torney for the Denver city tramwav
company, came shouldering in 10 see
u.s. He talked of the case. "sAin't
you getting about tired of it?' he said.
We got IL to 1 each time I said"
yet
Uh-huh- You will, ehg He laughed
amusedly. One man stood out against
you each time, wasn't there? WefN
there always will be. You amt going
to get a verdict in this case. You can't.
Now Il am friend of you boys. amt
L! Wen. my advice to you is you bet
ter settle that case. Get something for
your work. Don't be a pair of fools.
Settle it.
asked.
He winked fat eye. Juryll hang
every time. I'm here to tell you So
Better settle it,
Then Lindsey and his partner saw
what they were facing. They decided
that to circumvent the corruption of
Jur1es there should be a law in Colo
rado so that a three-fourths verdfct
could be returned 1t was decided that
Gardner" the partner. should run
Tor state senator, and introduce reform
bills which they considered needed to
make the Colorado law fairer to poor
1itigants
Gardner" secured a nomination from
the silver republican" boss of that
day. George Graham. He was elected
having, IN the meantime. said nothing
about his proposed reform measures
When Boss Graham heard OF them he
was seriously alarmed. The three
rourths verdict bill. Graham said. was
distasteful to the Denver city tram
way company and the boss promfsed
$4,000 worth OF litigation a year for
drawn or not pressed. The young n,s,,
could not be moved. The vicissftudes
or the bill on it's passages of the SEN
ate and its almost fatal experiences I'M
the lower house are interesting and ex
citing reading. Another bill was intro
oucea oy Gardner' to tax large for
eign insurance companies. we were
indirectly offered a bribe Of A. 500 10
drop IT.. says Lindsey. Lindsey was
onered $1,000 to speak against ths
measure Later the man who ofsered
the $1,000 said, 81 got the whole tbine
nIted up for $3.50 Watch Cannon"
Wilbur F. Cannon. according ~ I.i,d-
sey, made some motion concerntn~ f6s
Oil and 1t was killed Cannon Is now
pure food commissioner in Colorado.
Iramway BIZ Smith was speaker
OF the house. and he is accused bv
LINDSEY OF having used chfcanerv to
try to kill the three fourths vard;oss
bill Lindsey heard him over ths teIs-
pnone iamenting the chances of the
Dill 10 pass to William G. Evans Of the
tramway company, and roughly nlan-
ming q means OF defeating the meas
ure- clerk of the house-D. ~ T,tcr
ason-ls accused OF having tried to steal
the OIL. put IL was finally passed only
later to be declared unconsfft,1ttons1
Dy the supreme court, which prevfousrv
mad passed on the same bill. while n
was IN the legislature. and had de-
eiared that 1t was founded on good law
anu on Two earlier decisions OF the
same court.
Then the republican machine ~rea-
soned With Gardner" Lfndsey's part
ner Boss" Graham went, To min
Elections Lindsey reiterates. ~cost
money; the money had to come from,
those who were able to Subscribe A.
and the republican machine could no.
AFFORD TO offend such liberal subscrih-
ers as Mr.. Evans of the tranwax
company Mr.. Cheeseman of the wafar
company, Mr. Field of the teIepbone
company, the insurance magnates ara
the rest of the powers / do nor
know that the ultimatum was e~-
pressed even so delicately as this. hnt
u was an ultimatum. and the more
Gardner thought of it and talked no
me about 1t the more disheartenel he
became. He had one more term 70
serve IN the senate-and then what
why. then, simply extinction--the end
OF ms political career. 1t was as use
less TO appeal from the boss TO the
wi, sention as to turn from a man to
ask aid OF his shadow.
The latter part of the art,cla teus
nov the machine and the corporation
innuences, by argument and by throw
ing bits of legal business. which were
paid for with sinister generositv- won
uaruner from his ideals. The part
nersnip was dissolved.
1uose Lindsey will continue with
ms artlcles from month to month. ex
posins the corruption of Denver poll
TICS and corporations should he
speak In this city during the Henev
campaign his address would add tre
Inenoousiy to the interest of the elcr-