Itwasacovetedposition。Ididnotmakeanyefforttogeton，and，asfarasIknow，wasputtheremerelybecauseitwasfelttobeinaccordancewiththefitnessofthings。
Averyshortexperienceshowedmethat，astheLegislaturewasthenconstituted，theso-calledpartycontestshadnointerestwhateverforme。TherewasnorealpartydivisiononmostofthethingsthatwereofconcerninStatepolitics，bothRepublicansandDemocratsbeingforandagainstthem。Myfriendshipsweremade，notwithregardtopartylines，butbecauseIfound，andmyfriendsfound，thatwehadthesameconvictionsonquestionsofprincipleandquestionsofpolicy。TheonlydifferencewasthattherewasalargerproportionofthesemenamongtheRepublicansthanamongtheDemocrats，andthatitwaseasierformeattheoutsettoscrapeacquaintance，amongthemenwhofeltasIdid，withtheRepublicans。Theywereforthemostpartfromthecountrydistricts。
MyclosestfriendforthethreeyearsIwastherewasBillyO’Neill，fromtheAdirondacks。Hekeptasmallcrossroadsstore。Hewasayoungman，althoughafewyearsolderthanIwas，and，likemyself，hadwonhispositionwithoutregardtothemachine。HehadthoughthewouldliketobeAssemblyman，sohehadtakenhisbuggyandhaddrivenaroundFranklinCountyvisitingeverybody，hadupsetthelocalring，andcametotheLegislatureashisownmaster。ThereissurelysomethinginAmericantraditionsthatdoestendtowardrealdemocracyinspiteofourfaultsandshortcomings。Inmostothercountriestwomenofasdifferentantecedents，ancestry，andsurroundingsasBillyO’NeillandIwouldhavehadfarmoredifficultyincomingtogether。I
camefromthebiggestcityinAmericaandfromthewealthiestwardofthatcity，andhefromabackwoodscountywherehekeptastoreatacrossroads。Inalltheunimportantthingsweseemedfarapart。Butinalltheimportantthingswewereclosetogether。Welookedatallquestionsfromsubstantiallythesameview-point，andwestoodshouldertoshoulderineverylegislativefightduringthosethreeyears。Heabhorreddemagogyjustasheabhorredcorruption。Hehadthoughtmuchonpoliticalproblems；headmiredAlexanderHamiltonasmuchasIdid，beingastrongbelieverinapowerfulNationalgovernment；andwebothofusdifferedfromAlexanderHamiltoninbeingstoutadherentsofAbrahamLincoln’sviewswherevertherightsofthepeoplewereconcerned。Anymanwhohasmetwithsuccess，ifhewillbefrankwithhimself，mustadmitthattherehasbeenabigelementoffortuneinthesuccess。Fortunefavoredme，whereasherhandwasheavyagainstBillyO’Neill。Allhislifehehadtostrivehardtowringhisbreadfromharshsurroundingsandareluctantfate；
iffatehadbeenbutalittlekinder，Ibelievehewouldhavehadagreatpoliticalcareer；andhewouldhavedonegoodserviceforthecountryinanypositioninwhichhemighthavebeenput。
TherewereotherRepublicans，likeIsaacHuntandJonasvanDuzerandWalterHoweandHenrySprague，whowereamongmyclosefriendsandallies；andagiganticone-eyedveteranoftheCivilWar，agallantGeneral，CurtisfromSt。LawrenceCounty；andacapitalfellow，whomafterwards，whenGovernor，Iputonthebench，Kruse，fromCattaraugusCounty。KrusewasaGermanbybirth；asfarasIknow，theonlyGermanfromCattaraugusCountyatthattime；and，besidesbeingaGerman，hewasalsoaProhibitionist。AmongtheDemocratswereHamdenRobbandThomasNewbold，andTomWelchofNiagara，whodidagreatserviceingettingtheStatetosetasideNiagaraFallsPark——afteradiscouragingexperiencewiththefirstGovernorbeforewhomwebroughtthebill，wholistenedwithausterepatiencetoourargumentsinfavoroftheStateestablishingapark，andthenconclusivelyansweredusbythequestion，“But，gentlemen，whyshouldwespendthepeople’smoneywhenjustasmuchwaterwillrunovertheFallswithoutaparkaswithit？”ThentherewereacoupleofmembersfromNewYorkandBrooklyn，MikeCostelloandPeteKelly。
MikeCostellohadbeenelectedasaTammanyman。Hewasasfearlessashewashonest。HecamefromIreland，andhadacceptedtheTammanyFourthofJulyorationsasindicatingtherealattitudeofthatorganizationtowardstherightsofthepeople。AmonthortwoinAlbanyconvertedhimtoaprofounddistrustofappliedTammanymethods。HeandIworkedhandinhandwithequalindifferencetoourlocalmachines。Hismachineleaderswarnedhimfairlythattheywouldthrowhimoutatthenextelection，whichtheydid；buthepossessedaseasoned-hickorytoughnessofabilitytocontendwithadversecircumstances，andkepthisheadwellabovewater。Abettercitizendoesnotexist；andourfriendshiphasneverfaltered。
PeterKelly’sfatewasatragedy。Hewasabright，well-educatedyoungfellow，anardentbelieverinHenryGeorge。AtthebeginningheandI
failedtounderstandeachotherortogetontogether，forourtheoriesofgovernmentwereradicallyopposed。Afteracoupleofmonthsspentinactivecontestswithmenwhosetheorieshadnothingwhatevertodowiththeirpractices，KellyandIfoundinourturnthatitreallydidnotmakemuchdifferencewhatourabstracttheorieswereonquestionsthatwerenotbeforetheLegislature，inviewofthefactthatontheactualmattersbeforetheLegislature，themostimportantofwhichinvolvedquestionsofelementarymorality，wewereheartilyatone。Webegantovotetogetherandacttogether，andbytheendofthesessionfoundthatinallpracticalmattersthatwereupforactionwethoughttogether。Indeed，eachofuswasbeginningtochangehistheories，sothatevenintheorywewerecomingclosertogether。Hewasardentandgenerous；hewasayounglawyer，withawifeandchildren，whoseambitionhadtemptedhimintopolitics，andwhohadbeenbefriendedbythelocalbossesunderthebeliefthattheycouldcountuponhimforanythingtheyreallywished。Unfortunately，whattheyreallywishedwasoftencorrupt。Kellydefiedthem，foughtthebattlesofthepeoplewithardorandgoodfaith，andwhenthebossesrefusedhimarenomination，heappealedfromthemtothepeople。Whenwebothcameupforreelection，Iwoneasilyinmydistrict，wherecircumstancesconspiredtofavorme；andKelly，withexactlythesamerecordthatIhad，exceptthatitwasmorecreditablebecausehetookhisstandagainstgreaterodds，wasbeateninhisdistrict。Defeattomewouldhavemeantmerelychagrin；toKellyitmeantterriblematerialdisaster。Hehadnomoney。Likeeveryrigidlyhonestman，hehadfoundthatgoingintopoliticswasexpensiveandthathissalaryasAssemblymandidnotcoverthefinancialoutgo。Hehadlosthispracticeandhehadincurredtheillwillofthepowerful，sothatitwasimpossibleatthemomenttopickuphispracticeagain；andtheworryanddisappointmentaffectedhimsomuchthatshortlyafterelectionhewasstruckdownbysickness。JustbeforeChristmassomeofuswereinformedthatKellywasinsuchfinancialstraitsthatheandhisfamilywouldbeputoutintothestreetbeforeNewYear。ThiswaspreventedbytheactionofsomeofhisfriendswhohadservedwithhimintheLegislature，andherecovered，atleasttoadegree，andtookupthepracticeofhisprofession。Buthewasabrokenman。IntheLegislatureinwhichheservedoneofhisfellow-DemocratsfromBrooklynwastheSpeaker——
AlfredC。Chapin，theleaderandtheforemostrepresentativeofthereformDemocracy，whomKellyzealouslysupported。AfewyearslaterChapin，averyableman，waselectedMayorofBrooklynonareformDemocraticticket。ShortlyafterhiselectionIwasaskedtospeakatameetinginaBrooklynclubatwhichvariousprominentcitizens，includingtheMayor，werepresent。Ispokeoncivicdecency，andtowardthecloseofmyspeechIsketchedKelly’scareerformyaudience，toldthemhowhehadstoodupfortherightsofthepeopleofBrooklyn，andhowthepeoplehadfailedtostandupforhim，andthewayhehadbeenpunished，preciselybecausehehadbeenagoodcitizenwhoactedasagoodcitizenshouldact。IendedbysayingthatthereformDemocracyhadnowcomeintopower，thatMr。ChapinwasMayor，andthatIveryearnestlyhopedrecognitionwouldatlastbegiventoKellyforthefighthehadwagedatsuchbittercosttohimself。Mywordscreatedsomeimpression，andMayorChapinatoncesaidthathewouldtakecareofKellyandseethatjusticewasdonehim。Iwenthomethateveningmuchpleased。Inthemorning，atbreakfast，IreceivedabriefnotefromChapininthesewords：“ItwasninelasteveningwhenyoufinishedspeakingofwhatKellyhaddone，andwhenIsaidthatIwouldtakecareofhim。AttenlastnightKellydied。”HehadbeendyingwhileIwasmakingmyspeech，andheneverknewthatatlasttherewastobeatardyrecognitionofwhathehaddone，atardyjustificationforthesacrificeshehadmade。Themanhadfought，atheavycosttohimselfandwithentiredisinterestedness，forpopularrights；butnorecognitionforwhathehaddonehadcometohimfromthepeople，whoseinteresthehadsomanfullyupheld。
Wherethereisnochanceofstatisticalormathematicalmeasurement，itisveryhardtotelljustthedegreetowhichconditionschangefromoneperiodtoanother。Thisispeculiarlyhardtodowhenwedealwithsuchamatterascorruption。PersonallyIaminclinedtothinkthatinpubliclifeweareonthewholealittlebetterandnotalittleworsethanwewerethirtyyearsago，whenIwasservingintheNewYorkLegislature。IthinktheconditionsarealittlebetterinNational，inState，andinmunicipalpolitics。Doubtlesstherearepointsinwhichtheyareworse，andthereisanenormousamountthatneedsreformation。Butitdoesseemtomeasif，onthewhole，thingshadslightlyimproved。
WhenIwentintopolitics，NewYorkCitywasunderthecontrolofTammany，whichwasfromtimetotimeopposedbysomeother——andevanescent——cityDemocraticorganization。Theup-countryDemocratshadnotyetfallenunderTammanysway，andwereonthepointofdevelopingabigcountrypoliticalbossintheshapeofDavidB。Hill。TheRepublicanpartywassplitintotheStalwartandHalf-Breedfactions。
Accordinglyneitherpartyhadonedominantboss，oronedominantmachine，eachbeingcontrolledbyjarringandwarringbossesandmachines。ThecorruptionwasnotwhatithadbeeninthedaysofTweed，whenoutsideindividualscontrolledthelegislatorslikepuppets。Norwasthereanysuchcentralizationofthebosssystemasoccurredlater。Manyofthememberswereunderthecontroloflocalbossesorlocalmachines。Butthecorruptworkwasusuallydonethroughthemembersdirectly。
OfcourseIneverhadanythinginthenatureoflegalproofofcorruption，andthefiguresIamabouttogivearemerelyapproximate。
Butthreeyears’experienceconvincedme，inthefirstplace，thattherewereagreatmanythoroughlycorruptmenintheLegislature，perhapsathirdofthewholenumber；and，inthenextplace，thatthehonestmenoutnumberedthecorruptmen，andthat，ifitwereeverpossibletogetanissueofrightandwrongputvividlyandunmistakablybeforetheminawaythatwouldarresttheirattentionandthatwouldarresttheattentionoftheirconstituents，wecouldcountonthetriumphoftheright。Thetroublewasthatinmostcasestheissuewasconfused。Toreadsomekindsofliteratureonewouldcometotheconclusionthattheonlycorruptioninlegislativecircleswasintheformofbriberybycorporations，andthatthelinewassharpbetweenthehonestmanwhowasalwaysvotingagainstcorporationsandthedishonestmanwhowasalwaysbribedtovoteforthem。Myexperiencewasthedirectcontraryofthis。Foreveryonebillintroducednotpassedcorruptlytofavoracorporation，therewereatleasttenintroducednotpassed，andinthiscasenotintendedtobepassedtoblackmailcorporations。Themajorityofthecorruptmemberswouldbefoundvotingfortheblackmailingbillsiftheywerenotpaid，andwouldalsobefoundvotingintheinterestsofthecorporationiftheywerepaid。Theblackmailing，or，astheywerealwayscalled，the“strike“bills，couldthemselvesberoughlydividedintotwocategories：billswhichitwouldhavebeenpropertopass，andthosethatitwouldnothavebeenpropertopass。Someofthebillsaimedatcorporationswereutterlywildandimproper；andoftheseaproportionmightbeintroducedbyhonestandfoolishzealots，whereasmostofthemwereintroducedbymenwhohadnottheslightestintentionofpassingthem，butwhowishedtobepaidnottopassthem。
Themostprofitabletypeofbilltotheaccomplishedblackmailer，however，wasabillaimedatarealcorporateabusewhichthecorporation，eitherfromwickednessorfolly，wasunwillingtoremedy。
Ofthemeasuresintroducedintheinterestofcorporationstherewerealsosomethatwereproperandsomethatwereimproper。Thecorruptlegislators，the“blackhorsecavalry。”astheyweretermed，woulddemandpaymenttovoteasthecorporationswished，nomatterwhetherthebillwasproperorimproper。Sometimes，ifthebillwasaproperone，thecorporationwouldhavethevirtueorthestrengthofmindtorefusetopayforitspassage，andsometimesitwouldnot。