The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-06-09
SOUNDING TALE
| OF BRIBERY TOLD
T BY A LEGISLATOR
|armers on Grand Jury Listen
Open Mouthed Beckemey-
er's Story Of General
Grating.

SprinSlleiuf liz, JUNE o.--INSpleSclld-
70 H. J. C. Beckemeyer, poor country
wyer, has told the Sangamon county
and Jury all he knew about Illinois
No 600 Jackpot" The lines which he
,ened to the astounded farmer jury
III. in the end, it is believed, lead to
. implication of three-fourths of the
ate's lawmakers. That means over
men. Beckemeyer is one Of the DEM
rats who has confessed to accepting
bride of $1,000 to vote for William
primer, a standpat republican. for
nited States senator.
No such story has ever been mar
ted in a grand jury room. The jury
farmers-men who had dug their
oney out of the soil by the sweat
ON their brows-heard of q huge
nd gathered for decades to corrupt
e legislature and buy the legislature
,ot. baggage and soul. The fund was
nservatively estimated at 100000 on
average, varying with the needs and
nergencies of each session. Some ses-
ons probably 1t ran as high as
900.
gave way to aston
hment when it was made plain that
It even majority of those who got
share knew the source Of the fund.
Legislators Voted BiindIy.
Where the fund came from, when the
stom started, who rugged and hand
a it, Beckemeyer did not know posi-
1ely. That was for the few men in
e inside. Political pawns like Becke-
ever were not let in on the secret.
lev voted as they knew others did.
re dummies. They knew that the
nd was there, that they would get
cir share. The herd sat in the legis-
ture and played a game of follow
e leader" They were like the sheep
at followed the be.lwether of the
ck, knowing by instinct and expert
ce that thev would be provided for
hen supper time came.
Under the rules of the House the
ssibility of such a condition was
own to be much easier than might be
agined. The Cannon rules Of con-
ess are free and easy as compared to
Q iron clamp Of the rules which bind
e state general assembly. There was
legislation that could not be killed
der one blow of the speakers gavel
lie chairman Of the committee ruled.
E could keep q bill in the committee
report it out as he saw fit. He ruled
the nod Of the head.
The chairman evaded, sidestepped
d promised until the last hours of
e session and the moments for the
lughter of undesirable" bills. It
Is for the herd to know the commit
, chairman had reported the bill and
at no hostile gavel was raised against
That was the signal.
The committee chairmanships-a
at amounted to anything--were held
the inside ring. They ruled and
ne questioned their right. The game
follow the leader" has gone on
rough all the years.
opposition Always Was squeIehed.
real man broke into
e legislature. IIe fought bravely,
rdly knowing what he fought. But
e blows did not make much impress
IN on the system. Influences at
me and elsewhere would be brought
bear on the belligerent. Usually he
II not he could do little harm, he was
a small pitiful minority. Then he
Is marked for slaughter at the next
'ction, and invariably was slaught-
ID.
The Jackpot" the young country
yyer told, became to be regarded al
e knew about 1t, talked about it, yes
d TESTED about it.. The Jackpot" was
ne-honored-older than the proud
med state capitol. :,
Beckemeyer said with a sad smile:
am student of law and economy"
was dressed in a cheap blue suit,
overcoat was old and wrinkled. He
yer had a practice of more than
600 a year. He was thin and the
es of trouble were deep. His lips
embed as he told the story. He had
en- an easy victim from the first. The
sy line Of talk led up to his being in
Jackpot" when bosses, looking for
tool, nominated and elected the likely
ung, inoffensive lawyer.
PitifuI Story of Jackpot"
he got his meager bit from the
inches which growed with spoils so
tie. Then he said: II have no lawyer
cause have no money to pay for
prosperous looking Daw-
a, political boss and lawyer for the
stem, did not stand by his side. His
npanion was policeman. William
lraine, who had hunted thieves in
icago.
3eckemeyer had no plant. He was
lshed and wiling to make his sad
ickpot" went on in the Jury room,
cry member of the panel hanging on
cry word. Beckemeyer in an attempt
make an excuse said that the law
lkers hardly looked at the Jackpot"
&c as bribery.
The conscience silencer had done its
Tx through the months and years.
me probably felt no more compunc-
n than the scholar that marched up
the desk to receive merit marks for
od behavior. The lawmakers were
ling to accept the Jackpot" split
a testimonial Of regard and esteem
IN mysterious admiring friends--a
timonial for duty well done to the
rty, to the party organization.
Men in Control Got Thousands.
During the session the members of
Organization" spent the time in
'ousing and enjoying life as they
yer had on the farm and In the
lntry stores. They were there but
NC oiu tiiey ldu uul d lew muir
DAY at that. The leaders, though,
pc sober and steadily on the job.
he men in controi or Illinois got
'irs at Springfield, the men of north
Illinois got theirs at Chicago. The
n OF southern Illinois got their bit
st. Louis. One year the Chicago dis
button was In an Office In the Chi
80 opera house block. The Briggs
use In later years seems to have
IN popular rendezvous.
after adjournment came a flash over
wire which all understood. There
s drinking and feasting. Between
lnds of cocktails there would be
sterious wink. The man beckoneo
would step to one side and into the
n room IL it was in a hotel room,