The Washington herald., 1913-05-25
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

responsible for the introduction of the
hill suffered such an extraordinary
change OF heart that when the bill
came up-being pushed by Jealous radl-
Gals who really were hOnest-the intro
ducers actually voted against It.
number of US who had been very doubt
ful about the principle of the bill voted
for il simply because We were con-
WINGED that money was being used to
stop il. and we hated to seem to side
with the CorruptiOnists. Then there
came wave of popular feeling in its
favor: the bill was reintroduced at the
next session, the railways very wisely
decided that they would simply fight IL
on its merits. and the entire black
horse cavalry contingent. together with
all the former friends of the measure,
voted against it. Some Of us who, in
our anger at the methods formerly re-
sorted to for killing the bill, had voted
for it the previous year. with much
Understanding. again voted for it. as
] now think unwisely. and the bill was
vetoed by the then Governor, Grover
Cleveland. ! believe the veto was
proper, and those who felt as l did
supported the veto, for although it was
entirely right that the fare should be
reduced to cents. which was soon
afterward done. the method was I'M
wise and would have set a mIschievous
precedent.
An incident of an opposite kind oc-
CURED in connection with great rail-
way corporation which wished to in
crease its terminal facilities in one of
our great cities The representatives
of the railway brought the bill TO me
and asked me to look into il, saying
that they were well aware that it was
the kind of bill that lent itself to black
mail, and that they wished to get IT
through on its merits. and invited the
most careful examination. looked
carefully into it. found that the munich
nal authorities and the property owners
whose property was to be taken favored
it, and also found that il was an abso-
lutte necessity from the standpoint OF
the city no less than from the stand
point of the railway So ! said would
take charge of it if I had guarantees
that no money should be used and moth
ing improper done in order to push it.
This was agreed TO. l was then acting
as chairman Of the committee before
which the bill went.
Crooked Politics.
A very brief experience proved what
! had already been practically sure OF,
that there was a secret combination of
the majority of the committee on a
crooked basis. On one pretext or another
held the bill up, refusing to report 1t
either favorably or unfavorably. There
were one or two members of the COM
mittee who were pretty rough characters,
and when ] decided to force matters
was not sure that we would not have
trouble. There was a broken chair in the
room, and / got a leg of it loose and
put il down beside me where it was not
visible, but where 1 might get at it in
a hurry IL necessary. l moved that the
bill be reported favorably. This was
voted down without debate by the Com
hine" some of whom kept wooden
stoIidity of look. while others leered at
me with sneering insolence. / then moved
that it be reported unfavorably, and
again the motion was voted down by the
same majority and in the same fashion.
/ then put the bill in my pocket AMI
announced that / would report 1t any,
how This almost precipitated a riot,
especially when / explained. in answer
to statements that my conduct would
be exposed on the floor of the Legislature,
that in that case / should give the Leg
islature the reasons why suspected that
the men holding up all report Of the bill
were holding 1t up for purposes Of black
mail The riot did not come of; partly,
! think, because the opportune produc-