turn up
at the Capital. The Republican Legislature will make a rush for him and
ask him what he wants and tell him if he doesn't see what he wants to
ask for it. If he says his taxes are too high, they reply to him: "All
right, old man, don't let that worry you. How much do you want us to
take off?"

"I guess about fifty per cent will about do for the present," says the
man. "Can you fix me up?"

"Sure," the Legislature agrees. "Give us somethin', 'New York City Is Pie
for the Hayseeds,' try harder, don't be bashful. We'll take off sixty
per. cent. if you wish. That's what we're here for."

Then the Legislature goes and passes a law increasin' the liquor tax or
some other tax in New York City, takes a half of the proceeds for the
State Treasury and cuts down the farmers' taxes to suit. It's as easy
as rollin' off a log--when you've got a good workin' majority and no
conscience to speak of.

Let me give you another example. It makes me hot under the collar to
tell about this. Last year some hay-seeds along the Hudson River, mostly
in Odell's neighborhood, got dissatisfied with the docks where they
landed their vegetables, brickbats, and other things they produce in the
river counties. They got together and said: "Let's take a trip down
to New York and pick out the finest dock we can find. Odell and the
Legislature will do the rest." They did come down here, and what do
you think they hit on? The finest dock in my district Invaded George W.
Plunkitt's district without sayin' as much as "by your leave." Then they
called on Odell to put through a bill givin' them this dock, and he did.

When the bill came before Mayor Low I made the greatest speech of my
life. I pointed out how the Legislature could give the whole waterfront
to the hayseeds over the head of the Dock Commissioner in the same way,
and warned the Mayor that nations had rebelled against their governments
for less. But it was no go. Odell and Low were pards and--well, my dock
was stolen.

You heard a lot in the State campaign about Odell's great work in
reducin' the State tax to almost nothin', and you'll hear a lot more
about it in the campaign next year. How did he do it? By cuttin' down
the expenses of the State Government? Oh, no! The expenses went up. He
simply performed the old Republican act of milkin' New York City. The
only difference was that he nearly milked the city dry. He not only ran
up the liquor tax, but put all sorts of taxes on corporat