Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-24
Aids Resigns as Temporary
President Of New York Senate.
ohsysd als Orders In Regard to
Bridge Company Legislation.

ney, Martin w. Littleton, was an out
burst of denunciation and accusation
which If proved will lay one of the
most important industries in the state
oren to prosecution for both conspiracy
to defraud and legislative corruption.
In striking the bridge companies Lit
Teton hit Senator Benn Conger, who,
with his brothers once stood high in
the councils of the bridge building
combine and still it Is said, retains an
interest in that business.
Just before the close of the session
the resignation of Senator Aids as
temporary president of the Senate was
read by the clerk and was ordered
spread upon the minutes. Aids re-
tires, he says. to relieve his Reputll-
can associates of the embarrassment
of judging their leader and ir order
that during the present inquiry he may
have an advantage over his accuser OF
account of his position. If Mr., Little
ton carries oft his promises he will
prove:
First--That Congers charges and
their support by Hiram G.. Moe are I'm
truths.
Second--That Aids activity in suD-
pressing legislation hostile to tho
bridge companies was due to the order
of United States Senator Platt, the Re
publican state leader
Thirtl-That Conger's statements ar
unworthy Of belief and the testimon!
OF many of his witnesses is quite as
urtrustworthy because they represent
ed corrupt corporations, which in Lit
,irfI 70 a
"fave laid trail of slime over five
states.
Littleton's opening address occupied
the whole two hours of the morning
session, and tine afternoon was d"vot-
ed to the examination of the clerk
the Assembly internal affairs commit
tee of 1901 in an effort to prove that
Conger in that year deliberately jug
gled with certain proposed highwa!
legislation until it came out of tn
committee in a form, that suited thu
bridge interests. This clerk, Hiram F
Porter Of Malone. N. Y, testified thai
Assemblyman George w. Doughty
chairman of the committee, directe'
him in Doughty's absence to take his
orders from Conger. Conger, said Por-
ter, brought him. what purported to be
a committee roll call on an amendment
to the Stevens bill desired by the
bridge companies and Porter said he
entered it in his record as the actor
of the committee. Denunciation of the
bridge companies occupied the create
portion of Mr.. Littleton's opening
speech. His charges are doubly impor-
tant because some of them allege UNI
lawful acts as late as 1905, which
brings them within the statute of linn
itations and suggests criminal prose
cution similar to that which some o
the companies, as Mr.. Littleton point
ed out. underwent in Massachusetts.
Tho basis of Littleton's argument
was the Cleveland agreement" under
which he alleged Is bridge concerns
consrired in 1901 to rob towns in New
York, Pennsylvania. Maryland. West
Virginia. Kentucky. Ohio. Indiana and
Michigan by means of collusive bid
ding. The immense mass of evidence
the defence is said to have collected
against these companies was present
ed when Littleton read from his pri-
vate memorandum statistics regard
ing bridge contracts in a number of
claret were obtained by the combina-
ton under this agreement.
Lttleton charged that under the
head Of engineering the bridge compa-
MES set down what it cost to bride the
local authorities and declared that
the bribery of town officers was a reg
ular custom of the bridge companies:
but by charging so per cent. profit they
had enough to divide among the bid
ders for the contract. 1t was after a
catalogue of such charges as these
that Littleton exclaimed:
II submit that instead of their (he
bridge companies) being honest indus
tries of this state. they are spreading |
slime upon every member of the Legis- |
laturc. living and dead. They have
come here with hypocritical pretense
OF industry and honesty. but there
was never in the history of the devel-
opment of the country a more con-
temptible or more perfect organization
Tor robbery and larceny than these |
gentlemen have the unblushing effront
ery to present to this committee to-
day"
Then he asked the Senate if it was !
plausible that his client ''for the price |
or thousand dollars surrendered hon
or prospects and opportunity. and |
placed himself forever in the hands of |
the hest organized gang of hooters this |
state ever knew. and never again de-
manded or received single dollar |
from anybody. but continued uncom-
promisingly opposed to the (bridge)
legislation" Aids attorney went even
further and charged the bridge inter-
ests with deliberate conspiracy
against the defendant. He declared that
Aids had lived ''beyond reproach, be-
yond impeachment and above attack
until the bridge companies, enraged.
driven. bounded, discovered and ex-
Guided from the state at last, in a Sc
secret and confidential combination en-.
deavored to strike him in the back ana
through the aid of popular clamor
hoped that they would strike him down
from his place in the Senate"