Municipal government -- United States; Political corruption -- United States
the hearty co-operation and help of the party of the first part.
It bring distinctly understood that at the approaching national
convention, to be held at St. Louis, the delegates front the
Twenty-second congressional district shall neither by voice nor
vote do other than what is satisfactory to the party of the first
part. The party of the first part agrees to use his influence and
secure the support of his friends and political associates to
support the Republican county and city ticket, when nominated,
both in the city of Pittsburg and Allegheny, and the county of
Allegheny, and that he will discountenance the factional fighting
by his friends and associates for county offices during the
continuation of this agreement. This agreement is not to be
binding upon the parties of the second part when a candidate for
any office who [_sic_] shall reside in Allegheny county, and shall
only be binding if the party of the first part is a candidate for
United States senator to succeed himself so far as this office is
concerned. In the Forty-third senatorial district a new senator
shall be elected to succeed Senator Upperman. In the Forty-fifth
senatorial district the party of the first part shall secure the
withdrawal of Dr. A. J. Barchfeld, and the parties of the second
part shall withdraw as a candidate Senator Steel, and the parties
of the second part shall secure the election of some party
satisfactory to themselves. In the Twenty-second congressional
district the candidates for congress shall be selected by the
party of the second part. The term of this agreement to be for ——
years from the signing thereof, and shall be binding upon all
parties when signed by C. L. Magee.”
Thus was the city of Pittsburg turned over by the State to an individual
to do with as he pleased. Magee’s ring was complete. He was the city,
Flinn was the councils, the county was theirs, and now they had the
State Legislature so far as Pittsburg was concerned. Magee and Flinn
were the government and the law. How could they commit a crime? If they
wanted something from the city they passed an ordinance granting it, and
if some other ordinance was in conflict it was repealed or amended. If
the laws in the State stood in the way, so much the worse for the laws
of the State; they were amended. If the constitution of the State proved
a barrier, as it did to all special legislation, the Legislature enacted
a law for cities of the second class (which was Pittsburg alone) and the
courts upheld the Legislature. If there were opposition on the side of
public opinion, there was a use for that also.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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