The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-24

One source of revenue has sprung
from the fact that often there come
to congress men of wealth who have
little else to commend them One OF
| these men-and he did not come from
| the backwoods, but from very close
to Broadway and Forty-second street
was so gullible that he paid good
round sum to inscriptions men ne
met to buy the influence and good
will of certain Washington news
papers. Needless to say, the news
papers did not know that their friend
ship was being sold on the streets OF
Washington, and if they exhibited any
goodwill toward this particular man.
it was by saying nothing about him.
Another-and in this one members
of congress figure as wells to Sc
cure the introduction of some resolu-
ton or bill proposing drastic actions
or laws OF some kind. Then the alarm
is sounded, and money often rolls into
the Golfers of the originator of the
scheme, who organizes a society to
fend off the awful threat contained
in the piece of proposed legislation.
1t can be assumed that the congress
man is innocent of duphclty in this
matter. Memberships in the society
are 9old, probably at dollar apiece.
There is another case of a consid-
cradle amount of money being made
out of a diplomatic appointm emit
WShen this occurred this particular
diplomatic post was going begging
N
a general impression that because of
conditions existing then, no one could
acQuit himself with much credit and
glory in the position
Sure Thing Gambling.
In this situation, the man who ulti-
mately made money out of the deal
suggested to the wife of a certain
wealthy man that he seek the APP
pointment Then the manipulator
gave careful directions how to pro-
coed. Dinners must be given, with a
carefully selected guest list. No men
ton must be made of the vacant post
in the diplomatic corps. All of this
was done. In the meantime, this
maniplator, who really did have GER
tain standing and influence here, had
ascerta1ned beyond doubt that the
post would go to anyone who SO mucn
as intimated that he would accept IT.
Naturally, the dinners meant moth
ing. That was just to make the thing
look hard, and as if influences were
at work under the surface to obtain
the Job. At the proper time the ap-
pointment was made. By prior ar
rangem ent-not with the man ap-
pointed, but with his wife-the manip-
ulator of this thing was paid sum
rumored to be no less than $26 900.
All OF these things-most of them
at any rate-are quite within the law.
No criminal statute is fractured by
the operations. 1t is just Slick
work.
There is the instance Of a certain
event that was to occur in a Latin
American country in which the Amer
lean government has been forced to
take a sort of elder-brotherly interest
Disorders were feared. It was felt
that only the United States could
guard against this. One faction of the
politicians in this country had a pri-
vate representative in Washington.
He sought out an obscure but sup
posedly influential man to help him.
This man did have q wide acquaint-
ly that the American government had
made up its mind months before to
take the desired action. This man
had to make the job look hard, of
and made-daily reports of fam
cied developments to the representa-
tive of the Latin-American country.
In the fullness of time, the thing for
which he had been engaged naturally
and he collected his fee
that is, he got half of it, Some hitch |
developed, and it was his frenzied eff
forts to get the rest that brought the |
transaction to the attention of a few
people at least.
There is a well remembered case of |
L newspaper man in Washington who |
abused the condolences and privileges |
which all of them enjoy. Naturally, a |
great many newspaper men in Wash |
ngton often are the posseSsors of in
be OF great value to certain corpora |
tons il they could learn it in advance |
Of general publication. A congress |
sional investigation brought out this /
mans connections. He was drawing |
down, in retaining fees from big cor !
porations, "a sum in the neighborhood !
Of $4,000 a year. an excellent income |
Tor any. newspaper man.
Publicity Ruined His Job.
Naturally, throwing the light of
publicity on this mans efforts made /
him of no further use TO these COR
porations, at least in the same ca
1acity, and the newspaper with which I
lie had been connected soon let him go.
But in the meantime he had accumu- /
ated a nice little nest egg, enough to /
permit him to start a perfectly honest
business in which he is reported to be
Icing nicely.
To return to Latin-America, the in +
,ident related a. few paragraphs above
vas trifling compared to the clean
ip'' made by another man in Washing
on in much the same way A certain
me of the American republics was
Lnxiously awaiting formal and favor
rble action by the state department
IN an important matter concerning
hat republic. Quite by chance. this
nan learned that the state depart
nent had fully made up its mind to
his course but that action would not
'e immediate Accordingly, this man
Tot IN touch with the president OF the
republic thru the
roper channels, and made a deal
With that government whereby he
would get a considerable sum OF mon
UT was said to-be 500, 0o0-for in
luencing the American administra- +
ion to take the desired action Then
his man sat tight, sending occasional
to give the impression OF i
loinE something and waited until this
arge plum dropped into his lap. which L
/ did in a few weeks after the ar
angement was completed.
Another trick which has been turn
d from time to time in Washington
5 done by outsiders. men whose
James are high in the business and fl
Iancial nrnr-ld- That an rnlmr.Airn.r % L..