Show ITUE DOWNFALL Of A REfORMER J i 6 I This I the true and pathetic story of the downfall ofState Senator Claudius 1 Claud-ius Brutus Jones It started In 1 joke I ended In a tragedyfor Mr Jones Claudius Brutus Jones who was not I at all responsible for his namehad Just graduated from the classical department de-partment of a small college and had come back home toa town In the interior in-terior of the State with the burdens of tho universe heavy on his shpuld I crs His graduating oration on which he had received many hearty compliments meats was on the subject of Corruption Corrup-tion in Politics He got back to Pros cott Just before nominations were made for the Legislature Mr Jones felt that he was called to take an active part In practical poll tics He was anxiOus to demonstrate that he was more than a theoretical reformer re-former In addition to his other qualifications qual-ifications aar a statesman Mr Jones had a deep and bellllko bass voice and I and serious expres 0 most profound sion of countenance As a matter of I principle he wore on state occasions a somewhat ancient silk hat and a black frock coat which had done duty during dur-ing his entire college course The coat was too small for him nnd both It and the trousers were shiny ab6ut the scams but no ono could deny that Mr Jones had 0 serious and Impressive appearance when attired in them apfClrnCe One of the two parties In Prescott had such a poor chance of electing Its I i I 4 4PWJ Jr Senator Claudius Brutus Jones candidate for the State Senate that the nomination went begging In n humorous humor-ous moment the party managers gaIt ga-It to Claudius Brutus Jones Mr Jones made a highclass and entirely serious canvass for the place and owing ow-ing to a factional quarrel in the opposing oppos-ing ranks he was elected Up to that time Claudius had been l decent young fellow whose chief fault was that he took himself too seriously After he had been elected however he became almost Impossible He prepared a bill 8 reform bill In regard to the provisions pro-visions of which he consulted the leaders lead-ers of all the different reform movements move-ments in the county So far as their recommendations did not directly con diet he incorporated them all in his bill which mentally at least he always al-ways spelled In capital letters By the tlme the session began It waf 0 most fearful and wonderful document On the way down to Springfield he showed the bill to all the members hemet he-met on the train He did more lie read the bill to all who would listen and he followed those who refused to listen from the smoking to the dining car and then back to their berths Early in his political career Claudius Brutus demonstrated that he thathe was persistent per-sistent After the session began Senator Jones became more and more wrapped up in his bill The bill Was calculated to stop forever and at once all kinds of corruption in political 1 life from thc packing of preliminary caucuses to tho paying of bribes for the passage of street railway jtnd other semipublic franchises It provided penalties for a man who spent more than 12 In elec tion expenses and opened wide the doors of the penitentiary to all who traded votes or attempted to lobby a law through the Legislature I was 0 tremendous bill Senator Jones Introduced his bill W14 4 S S I iJ4rTv4r w a i TJ47A Y C J If 1r1rilIffli1 k I7ii icTr He Buttonholed the Members shortly after the Senate had been culled to order lie made speech on the caled ject which has passed down Into the history of the State Legislature He got his voice to working like a fire w0Jdnr 1ee bell and the old members looked across thc aisles at each other and smiled while the boys from Chicago rapped on the floor and applauded fiercely whenever th6 Senator t16 stopped to catch his breath After the bill had been re ha 10 ferred to a committee Senior Jones street He even chased them Into the barrooms at the hotels When they could find no further chance of e8 cape and turned at bay he buttonholed button-holed them His plea was pathetic I j I I A i i M4jJ I F i I i We Ought to Have S3 AViece I4 i 1 Kov Brown he would say you dont know what this moans toie This bill has been Indorsed by the papers all over the United States It is the ipost important moasurc before the Legislature or which can posibly be I Introduced It will put our public service serv-ice on a higherplane It m can celY II thing to me Brown tho passage of tflntbUl Blown would usually promise to vote I for the bill when it came up for a third reading resting secure in the consciousness con-sciousness that it would never get that far Before the session was many weeks old Senator Claudius Brutus Jones was put down as n public nuisance He fairly made life miserable for every member of the Legislature What had J started as n joke had begun to be a bore I was decided that something must be done to put 0 stop to It One day two party leaders l inthe Senate stood talking together in the hotel lobby One of them who may be called Robinson was at the head of the party which had a majortly In the Senate He was a member of what is popularly known ailhc gang and was supposed to have his hand out for anything valuable In sight The man with whom he was talking was the leader of the opposition For the purpose pf Identification ho may be called Edwards His reputation was cm I cN5 IuJ I t i I I Look at These Editorial Indorse ments spotless as that of his companion was soiled Both men were good fellows To these two appeared Senator Jones poking his bulging forehead Into the midst of their confidential conversation conversa-tion Gentlemen said Senator Jones In his deepest bass voice I would like to arrange conference with you Look at these editorial endorsements My bill Robinson winked at Edwards and the latter hastened to interrupt jAI right Jones ho said well confer with you at any time you wish Well get all tho boys together and give you a fair cftancc to lay the matter before be-fore them What do you say to tonight to-night in the billiardroom of the hotel hcreV Senator Jones was tlckeld to death at the idea He accepted on tho spot and spent the rest of the day getting 0 speech ready for the occasion Robinson and Edwards got about thirty members of the Legislature together to-gether to meet Senator Jones They sat about the billlnrdroom and suppressed sup-pressed snubs while Jones delivered his oration Then Robinson the spot Itas l andpure got up I Senator Jones he said we all appreciate ap-preciate tho tremendous importance of that bill of yours v7o sympathize with you deeply But we feelthat wo ought to be frank with you In order to get that bill advanced to the third reading i will bo necesary to spend a Itytle money Senator Jono9 Was on his feqt Jn a minute a looK of horror pn his face What do you mean sir he said in an indignant tone I 1 mpan Haid Robinson Vvhile the listening members their best to look solemn that under present conditions you wiirhavo to put up some cash lf you want to got your bill pushed ahead Im as sorry as you can be I that such Is the case but you might I I bill as well face the facts No money no pH I Senator Jones Bat for n moment In a trance Then ho got up slowly onto his feet How much money would It take lie said finally Tho thirty legislators rAtting about the room tvvlMmrl with minr > tv < i H |