the boss and the machine-第15章

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hundred　and　twenty…two　voters；　according　to　the　register；　lived
at　another　house；　including　nine　agents；　nine　machinists；　nine
gentlemen；　nine　waiters；　nine　salesmen；　four　barbers；　four
bakers；　fourteen　clerks；　three　laborers；　two　bartenders；　a
milkman；　an　optician；　a　piano…mover；　a　window…cleaner；　a　nurse；
and　so　on。

On　the　day　before　the　election　the　Municipal　League　sent
registered　letters　to　all　the　registered　voters　of　certain
precincts。　Sixty…three　per　cent　were　returned；　marked　by　the
postman；　〃not　at；〃　〃deceased；〃　〃removed；〃　〃not　known。〃　Of
forty…four　letters　addressed　to　names　registered　from　one
four…story　house；　eighteen　were　returned。　From　another　house；
supposed　to　be　sheltering　forty…eight　voters；　forty…one　were
returned；　from　another；　to　which　sixty…two　were　sent；　sixty…one
came　back。　The　league　reported　that　〃two　hundred　and　fifty…two
votes　were　returned　in　a　division　that　had　less　than　one　hundred
legal　voters　within　its　boundaries。〃　Repeating　and　ballot…box
stuffing　were　common。　Election　officers　would　place　fifty　or　more
ballots　in　the　box　before　the　polls　opened　or　would　hand　out　a
handful　of　ballots　to　the　recognized　repeaters。　The　high…water
mark　of　boss　rule　was　reached　under　Mayor　Ashbridge；
〃Stars…and…Stripes　Sam；〃　who　had　been　elected　in　1899。　The
moderation　of　Martin；　who　had　succeeded　McManes　as　boss；　was　cast
aside；　the　mayor　was　himself　a　member　of　the　Ring。　When　Ashbridge
retired；　the　Municipal　League　reported：　〃The　four　years　of　the
Ashbridge　administration　have　passed　into　history　leaving　behind
them　a　scar　on　the　fame　and　reputation　of　our　city　which　will　be
a　long　time　healing。　Never　before；　and　let　us　hope　never　again；
will　there　be　such　brazen　defiance　of　public　opinion；　such
flagrant　disregard　of　public　interest；　such　abuse　of　power　and
responsibility　for　private　ends。〃

Since　that　time　the　fortunes　of　the　Philadelphia　Ring　have
fluctuated。　Its　hold　upon　the　city；　however；　is　not　broken；　but
is　still　strong　enough　to　justify　Owen　Wister's　observation：　〃Not
a　Dickens；　only　a　Zola；　would　have　the　face　（and　the　stomach）　to
tell　the　whole　truth　about　Philadelphia。〃

St。　Louis　was　one　of　the　first　cities　of　America　to　possess　the
much…coveted　home　rule。　The　Missouri　State　Constitution　of　1875
granted　the　city　the　power　to　frame　its　own　charter；　under
certain　limitations。　The　new　charter　provided　for　a　mayor　elected
for　four　years　with　the　power　of　appointing　certain　heads　of
departments；　others；　however；　were　to　be　elected　directly　by　the
people。　It　provided　for　a　Municipal　Assembly　composed　of　two
houses：　the　Council；　with　thirteen　members；　elected　at　large　for
four　years；　and　the　House　of　Delegates；　with　twenty…eight
members；　one　from　each　ward；　elected　for　two　years。　These　two
houses　were　given　coordinate　powers；　one　was　presumed　to　be　a
check　on　the　other。　The　Assembly　fixed　the　tax　rate；　granted
franchises；　and　passed　upon　all　public　improvements。　The　Police
Department　was；　however；　under　the　control　of　the　mayor　and　four
commissioners；　the　latter　appointed　by　the　Governor。　The　city　was
usually　Republican　by　about　8000　majority；　the　State　was　safely
Democratic。　The　city；　until　a　few　years　ago；　had　few　tenements
and　a　small　floating　population。

Outwardly；　all　seemed　well　with　the　city　until　1901；　when　the
inside　workings　of　its　government　were　revealed　to　the　public
gaze　through　the　vengeance　of　a　disappointed　franchise…seeker。
The　Suburban　Railway　Company　sought　an　extension　of　its
franchises。　It　had　approached　the　man　known　as　the　dispenser　of
such　favors；　but；　thinking　his　price　（145；000）　too　high；　had
sought　to　deal　directly　with　the　Municipal　Assembly。　The　price
agreed　upon　for　the　House　of　Delegates　was　75；000；　for　the
Council；　60；000。　These　sums　were　placed　in　safety　vaults
controlled　by　a　dual　lock。　The　representative　of　the　Company　held
one　of　the　keys；　the　representative　of　the　Assembly；　the　other；
so　that　neither　party　could　take　the　money　without　the　presence
of　both。　The　Assembly　duly　granted　the　franchises；　but　property
owners　along　the　line　of　the　proposed　extension　secured　an
injunction；　which　delayed　the　proceedings　until　the　term　of　the
venal　House　of　Delegates　had　expired。　The　Assemblymen；　having
delivered　the　goods；　demanded　their　pay。　The　Company；　held　up　by
the　courts；　refused。　Mutterings　of　the　disappointed　conspirators
reached　the　ear　of　an　enterprising　newspaper　reporter。　Thereby
the　Circuit　Attorney；　Joseph　W。　Folk；　struck　the　trail　of　the
gang。　Both　the　president　of　the　railway　company　and　the　〃agent〃
of　the　rogues　of　the　Assembly　turned　state's　evidence；　the
safe…deposit　boxes　were　opened；　disclosing　the　packages
containing　one　hundred　and　thirty…five　1000　bills。

This　exposure　led　to　othersthe　〃Central　Traction　Conspiracy；〃
the　〃Lighting　Deal；〃　the　〃Garbage　Deal。〃　In　the　cleaning…up
process；　thirty…nine　persons　were　indicted；　twenty…four　for
bribery　and　fifteen　for　perjury。

The　evidence　which　Folk　presented　in　the　prosecution　of　these
scoundrels　merely　confirmed　what　had　long　been　an　unsavory　rumor：
that　franchises　and　contracts　were　bought　and　sold　like
merchandise；　that　the　buyers　were　men　of　eminence　in　the　city's
business　affairs；　and　that　the　sellers　were　the　people's
representatives　in　the　Assembly。　The　Grand　Jury　reported：　〃Our
investigation；　covering　more　or　less　fully　a　period　of　ten　years
shows　that；　with　few　exceptions；　no　ordinance　has　been　passed
wherein　valuable　privileges　or　franchises　are　granted　until　those
interested　have　paid　the　legislators　the　money　demanded　for
action　in　the　particular　case　。　。　。　。　So　long　has　this　practice
existed　that　such　members　have　come　to　regard　the　receipt　of
money　for　action　on　pending　measures　as　a　legitimate　perquisite
of　a　legislator。〃

These　legislators；　it　appeared　from　the　testimony；　had　formed　a
water…tight　ring　or　〃combine〃　in　1899；　for　the　purpose　of
systematizing　this　traffic。　A　regular　scale　of　prices　was
adopted：　so　much　for　an　excavation；　so　much　per　foot　for　a
railway　switch；　so　much　for　a　street　pavement；　so　much　for　a
grain　elevator。　Edward　R。　Butler　was　the　master　under　whose
commands　for　many　years　this　trafficking　was　reduced　to
systematic　perfection。　He　had　come　to　St。　Louis　when　a　young　man；
had　opened　a　blacksmith　shop；　had　built　up　a　good　trade　in
horseshoeing；　and　also　a　pliant　political　following　in　his　ward。
His　attempt　to　defeat　the　home　rule　charter　in　1876　had　given　him
wider　prominence；　and　he　soon　became　the　boss　of　the　Democratic
machine。　His　energy；　shrewdness；　liberality；　and　capacity　for
friendship　gave　him　sway　over　both　Republican　and　Democratic
votes　in　certain　portions　of　the　city。　A　prominent　St。　Louis
attorney　says　that　for　over　twenty　years　〃he　named　candidates　on
both　tickets；　fixed；　collected；　and　disbursed　campaign
assessments；　determined　the　results　in　elections；　and　in　fine；
practically　controlled　the　public　affairs　of　St。　Louis。〃　He　was
the　agent　usually　sought　by　franchise…seekers；　and　he　said　that
had　the　Suburban　Company　dealt　with　him　instead　of　with　the
members　of　the　Assembly；　they　might　have　avoided　exposure。　He　was
indicted　four　times　in　the　upheaval；　twice　for　attempting　to
bribe　the　Board　of　Health　in　the　garbage　dealhe　was　a
stockholder　in　the　company　seeking　the　contractand　twice　for
bribery　in　the　lighting　contract。

Cincinnati　inherited　from　the　Civil　War　the　domestic　excitements
and　political　antagonisms　of　a　border　city。　Its　large　German
population　gave　it　a　conservative　political　demeanor；　slow　to
accept　changes；　loyal　to　the　Republican　party　as　it　was　to　the
Union。　This　reduced　partizan　opposition　to　a　docile　minority；
willing　to　dicker　for　public　spoils　with　the　intrenched　majority。

George　B。　Cox　was　for　thirty　years　the　boss　of　this　city。　Events
had　prepared　the　way　for　him。　Following　closely　upon　the　war；　Tom
Campbell；　a　crafty　criminal　lawyer；　was　the　local　leader　of　the
Republicans；　and　John　R。　McLean；　owner　of　the　Cincinnati
Enquirer；　a　very　rich　man；　of　the　Democrats。　These　two　men　were
cronies：　they　bartered　the　votes　of　their　followers。　For　some
years　crime　ran　its　repulsive　course：　brawlers；　thieves；