The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1911-08-10
Writer Also Asserts That Wine and
Women Were Used to Influence
Law Makers.
TELLS OF POKER GAME DODGE
Insists Persons Who Wished Meas.
ures Put Through Arranged to
Lose So Much.


and blackmail charges of more dar
ing character than contained in an.
of his previous thrusts, are aimed a
the evil Influences behind the re
cent Minnesota legislature, b,
Lynn Haines in a contribution to tn
current number of the Minnesot;
edition of THE American 1ssue,' al
anti-saloon publication.
j. Anderson of Alexandria, mem
Der of the last session of the legisla
ture, is the person whom Mr.. Haine
says met a tragic death at the hand
of the system" and. of this cas-
Mr.. Haines says:
Tells of Anderson's Downfall.
At the last session a tragic
thing resulted from this weapon
of drink. 1t is a sad story, but
every citizen in the state should
know it. One of the staunchest
insurgents was j. J. Anderson,
Of Alexandria. He was an ex-
cellent legislator, with the deep
est convictions and most patri-
otto purposes. Clean, courage
Gus and immovably opposed to
special privilege in every form,
he took his stand with the pro-
gressives and remained there to
the end. Earlier in his life
there was period when he used
intoxicants freely; but he con-
quered the old habit and for
years before coming to the leg
islature had been master of his
appetite.
Knew His Weakness.
The brewery members knew
of this weakness (they always
possess each mans history from
childhood up), and for honest
John Anderson the session be-
came more than battle between
special interests and the people.
The enemies Of good government
wanted to control his conduct
and with diabOlical subtlety they
1abored to revive the old love Of
liquor Think of this mans
STRUGGLED! The idea of drink,
drink, drink, was kept constant
ly before him for weeks. Final
ly the persistence of his perse-
cutors prevailed. They induced
him merely to taste. That
was enough, for the flood gates
of appetite gave way completely
to the pushing, piled up, torrent
of dozens of daily temptations
and he fell before it. For week
he drank, drank, drank, and soon
after adjournment, he died. The
system" had added murder to
it's crimes.
Cites Another Possible Plan.
Under the heading of ''Blackmail
the Haines story has this to say:
"Wine and women have enable
the cabinet to control many a men
Der. In times past, when all othe
influences had failed, good men hay
been led into paths of intemperant
and while intoxicated directed int
the red light district Followin
the ':orders' were rarely disobeyed
Taking up the subject of bribery
Mr.. Haines declares that technics
violation was avoided under the cloa
of poker games. Of this he says:
About Poker Games.
81 believe that the buying an
selling of votes for SO much cold cas-
has been reduced to the minimum
but there are many indirect ways I
accomplishing the same results. o.
ton schemes are sometimes used,
are also other methods too subtle fl
comprehension and SO clever as
place both briber and bribee beyon
the reach of the law. Poker has bee
a favorite means of bribery and du
ing recent sessions there were thrt
different Legislative games patr'
nized regularly by members.
worked like this: If the represent,
tive of some special interest or SON
"held-up'' institution desired to g,
into the good graces of a certai