thing. One might as well expect to gather grapes from thorns and figs from thistles. This condition of affairs prevails in every large city, in every state and in the national legislative hall of this-country.

Here then we have one more factor at work, and the result will be to hasten the Revolution. It is true the people might get together and in one or

two elections

But it is too

place their own representatives in power. much to hope this will be done before the great disaster comes, because Plutocracy is careful to see that the people are always divided on some side issue, and if they can keep them divided they can keep themselves in power.

But the public is getting indignant and restless. Those thoroughly awake are arousing others. The alarm is spreading. The public, while long suffering and unnecessarily slow to take action against any wrong, is also unnecessarily severe when it does begin to act. Already the strain is telling. Something will have to give way. Is your ear to the ground? Do you hear the snapping, and rumbling, as the foundations of this Republic are being undermined?

But the clash between the people and Plutocracy: This will be reserved for future consideration.

CHAPTER V.

CORRUPTION, BRIBERY AND PERJURY.

Crimes of Public Servants; Their Brazen Effrontery and Contempt of All Oaths and Obligations.

.. We have all listened to the honeyed promises of candidates before election, and been deceived again and again. by their pledges. Our representatives are paragons of virtue and honor before election; but after, such are few and far between.

Upon the strength of their promises we place them in office; first one kind, then another. They are all alike. But we don't learn. When in office the people are usually forgotten, and only selfish interests promoted. Very often the erstwhile virtuous politician does worse than promote his selfish interests. He becomes corrupt and criminal, ready to accept bribes and sell legislation with as little compunction as though it were a commodity for that very purpose. Yes, and many cases have been known, where politicians have gone into politics with that avowed purpose in view, spending ten times as much as their years' salary to secure the office, knowing that more than that sum can be made back by the sale of their influence and votes.

In Toledo, recently, the grand jury disclosed a frightful state of affairs. City and railroad officials were found guilty of corruption and bribery. The City Attorney, the Assistant Street Commissioner, the Secretary of the Board of Revision and others were indicted.

Not many years since similar disclosures were made in Detroit, Mich.

Gov. Hazen S. Pingree addressed the Nineteenth Century Club, of New York, on the subject "Ten Years of Municipal Progress." Among other things he said:

"Detroit was long ruled by the politicians until at length the leaders grew reckless. Streets were given away to car companies, to gas companies and other corporations. You could not drive without paying toll. The city was half-lighted and at exorbitant rates. What little paving there was cost twice as much as it was worth. The paving ring was powerful. Sewers built had no outlet. There were long tracks of unoccupied land in the middle of the city held by men for speculation. The cars drawn by horses were unhealthy and uncomfortable. Parks were given away for buildings.

"In eight years all this has been remedied, and today Detroit is one of the most beautiful cities of the United States.

"I was elected by the most influential people of the city. Directly after I was elected I discovered that the railroads were paying less than their lawful taxes. I said so, and the railroad support was lost to me. I found the

gas companies charging exorbitant rates and I said so, thus losing their support. I found bankers speculating with the city funds. I denounced them, and they said I was unsafe. I attacked the surface railroads, and they called me an anarchist. I was four times elected Mayor. I lost a lot of old friends, but I was elected by a larger majority each time. It is something to be proud of when the influential classes turn their backs on me and the common people stand by me. I have come to lean on the common people. They are the real foundation of good government."

Chicago, New York, Philadelphia-all the large cities have had similar experiences.

The following editorial appeared in the St. Joseph News:

THE INEVITABLE RESULT.

(Editorial in St. Joseph News, Feb. 17, 1902.)

"In the course of a libel suit in the courts of Pennsylvania last week a legislative reporter, called as a witness of the unlawful practices charged against the prosecutor, gave some evidence that ought to prove startling enough to call a halt on the methods of political bosses everywhere. The following statement on the witness stand is quoted:

"Many times marked roll calls were handed to me before roll call was made and often I recorded the names of members as voting who I knew at the time were not pres

ent. I knew it was not right, but I could not help it. I had to do as I was told or get out.'

"Can any more daring abuse of the power of the boss be conceived than this? The official reporter testifies under oath, that not once or twice, but 'many times,' the roll call of the state legislature was a mere formality. The measure determined upon by the boss was declared passed by the speaker selected by the boss, and the names of men who had not even been consulted as to their sentiments were recorded as voting for the biggest steals ever engineered through any state legislature. It was in this way that the ripper bill was passed. It was by this same method that the street railway franchise bills giving away franchises worth millions of dollars, in return for the two millions advanced by the boss's adherents to secure his last election to the Legislature, were passed. There was no pretense at public decency, not even any pretense at allowing to the legislators a voice in the matter. They were merely regarded as so many pawns in the game whose names were to be recorded as voting for the selected measures, no matter whether they were present or absent.

"Perhaps in no other state has political corruption reached this low level of unblushing fraud. And yet this is but one step beyond the practices that are common in Missouri and many other states. Moreover just such a state of affairs is, the inevitable result of allowing bosses. to control the votes of legislators. In Missouri the cor