The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1915-04-02
''SLUSH' FUND IS
IN FOR A PROBE
Railroad Question Stirs Up Members
OF Legislature Who Stand
An investigation.
PASS BILL OVER VETO
Legislature Approves Odeti Measure
on Same Day That Governor Sends
in His Veto-To Fix Date
for Adjournment.
Nv nOlIGl AS n MARTIN


Tor adjournment.
BY DOUGLAS D. MARTIN.
Lansing, Mich.-Special.--It is axi(
matte with newspaper correspond
ents who have covered sessions o
the legislature for several years tina
no session ever passes without call
ing for a probe of some kind or other
Personal scandals have rather gon'
out of style among the legislators
There. hass been nothings that even ap
| preached scandal for years now
but there Is always something which
needs investigating, and this time II
appears to be conduct OF Michigan
railroad commissioner and charges Of
a "slush" fund which has been spen,
| by the railroads in their endeavor tC
obtain an increase in rates.
The big blow-off came when Rep
resentatives Symonds and Wiley in
troduced> in the house a resolution
calling on Commissioner Charles s.
Cunningham to explain why he had
issued statement which had been
used by the railroads in their pub
licity campaign 1t was presented
with hot statements from both rep
resentatives, who charged Mr.. Cum
bingham with being a traitor to the
state and with being in the position
of Judge who decided case before
it had reached him.
1t was also announced that q de-
mand would be made upon Gov. Fer
ris that he discharge Mr. Cunning
ham and fill his place on the COM
mission with new official.
The proceedings were then enliv-
ened by G.. l.. Glasgow, member of
the commission and personal enemy
Of Mr.. Cunningham, who gave out
statement that If he had been guilty
diately resign from Office
Mr.. Cunningham hurried to Lam
sing and was closeted with the gov
ernor. He called in the advertising
writer from the Lansing paper which
carried his statement, who cleared
the railroad commissioner of the
charge that he had given the state
ment with the knowledge that it was
to be used as advertising matter.
The facts, as laid before the gov
ernor, were that Mr.. Cunningham,
while lunching at the Downey hotel
in this city, had expressed his views
on the railroad question to a news
paper man. This led to the calling
of another newspaper man from the
advertising staff of the Lansing
paper. Seeming chance to make
good copy which the railroads would
buy, he took the story, offered it to
the railroads and sold it in the shape
Of a page advertisement
Mr. Cunningham did not deny the
authorship of the statement The
facts as set forth, he said, were sub
correct. He was not mis-
quoted, and except for the fact that !
ais interview was used as advertis-
ng without his knowledge, he had
40 complaint to make
The same advertising writer that !
had approached Mr.. Cunningham told
he governor that he has also secured
statement from G. l.. Glasgow con-
'erning the Pere Marquette in which
Mr. Glasgow said that the road need
"a the assistance This Mr.. Glasgow
leatedly denied, offering to give $500
| word for proof that he had ever
made such a statement.
1t was discovered, however, that
dr. Glasgow, Acknowledgement Grant
Fellows and Representative Wiley
Ield conference before the resolu-
ion denouncing Mr.. Cunningham
vas sent to the house. Mr.. Fellows
vrote one resolution which was not
trong enough to suit Mr.. Wiley, who
hereupon drafted another and
tronger one. Mr. Glasgow is
harged with having given his moral
upport to the effort to discredit his
olleague on the commission and this
act has brought him into disfavor
nth Gov. Ferris, who declares that
e will probe to the bottom the state
lent that Mr.. Glasgow also gave out
statement.
Gov Ferris fatty refused to dis
barge Mr.. Cunningham. by thund-
r." he exclaimed, 81 will not become
character assassin simply because
ne or two men in Michigan demand
. | shall expect full investigation
this affair, not only of Mr.. Cum
ingham, but of Mr.. Glasgow as we'll"
Probe Committee Named.
In compliance with a joint resolu-
on Speaker Smith of the house and
ieut.-Gov. Dickinson of the senate
licked committee from each house !
, take up the work Of sitting the /
1arges.
Senator Alton T. Roberts offered
lie resolution in the senate and was
losen as chairman of the committee,
1T handed the honor over to Senator
urtha. The members named were
enators Roberts, Damon, Murtha,
lanck and Woodwork, and Repre-
ntatives Evans, Martin, Kooyers I
Id Moore
The representatives who had start q
the racket, Messrs. Wiley and Sy- I
onds, objected to the resolution
hen it peared in the house and U
led to load it down with amend
ents which would have killed the 7
ODE. The house voted them down. I
'wever, and passed the resolution.
Investleate "sIush" Fund. {
Both gentlemen then arose and de- $
AIRED that the statements in a Grand h
lpids paper crediting them with de-
airing that "slush" fund wac bo- !,