84 State Legislation 



for example. This was an incident that occurred 

 at the time of the faction-fight in the Republican 

 ranks over the return of Mr. Conkling to the United 

 States Senate after his resignation from that body. 

 Bradley, an Assemblyman, accused Sessions, a State 

 Senator, of attempting to bribe him. The affair 

 dragged on for an indefinite time; no one was able 

 actually to determine whether it was a case of black- 

 mail on the one hand, or of bribery on the other ; the 

 vast majority of people recollected the names of 

 both parties, but totally forgot which it was that 

 was supposed to have bribed the other, and regarded 

 both with equal disfavor; and the upshot has been 

 that the case is now merely remembered as illustrat- 

 ing one of the most unsavory phases of the once- 

 famous Half -breed- Stalwart fight. 



DIFFICULTIES OF PREVENTING AND PUNISHING 

 CORRUPTION 



FROM the causes indicated, it is almost impossible 

 to actually convict a legislator of bribe-taking; but 

 at the same time, the character of a legislator, if 

 bad, soon becomes a matter of common notoriety, 

 and no dishonest legislator can long keep his repu- 

 tation good with honest men. If the constituents 

 wish to know the character of their member, they 

 can easily find it out, and no member will be dis- 

 honest if he thinks his constituents are looking at 

 him; he presumes upon their ignorance or indif- 

 ference. I do not see how bribe-taking among leg- 

 islators can be stopped until the public conscience 



