Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-10

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entirely new order. There you have the
history OF the three-cornered agreement
md Of the issue of the $240, 900 of bonds
Now these radicals say look at this
agreement, see what Judge Schofeld
lid. what Winsor did. what Davis did.
Why. are they not democrats? Away
With such fimsy arguments-catch- pen
~ demagoguery. Mr.. Winsor was not
,laced in power by the democratic party
held no position under it he was the
agent simply of the Louisiana road.
10 that road the radicals had voted
$5O0, 900; and like a good agent he was
trying to do all he could for his princi-
pal The same argument would hold the
democratic party responsible for the
crime of every criminal defended by a
democratic attorney. Col. Davis was
and il an hOnored democrat and citizen,
but he, too, was not representing the
democratic party, but the Lexington &
St. Louis road, and was resisting bonds
voted by radicals, under registration
laws, and the court. at that time, was
doing the same thing. And what did
they all agree to do? To cut down the
burtnens voted by the party in power
$500, 900. 1 say agreed, for the bonds,
under that agreement, were never is-
sued o Ambrose'sl court made new
to another road, of which
Ambrose had become president. In JUS
tice 20 Judge Chinn, it is said he is a
worthy and honest citizen, and that those
$24QO00 of bonds were issued after he
LETT in the evening, and without his
knowledge. If this be true, the republic
can party is not relieved of responsible
ity, for there is a dual responsibility, so
to speak, resting on all parties. The
men they put in office must not only be
honest but they must be competent. After
this more bonds were issued by the rad
ical court in rapid succession. and with
such, recklessness as would seem to inn
ply that the greatest consideration was
what would be the trouble to sign them,
and how many could the railroad con-
veniently spend until the grand total, as
SAID. ran up to $9SS,92l.. Now what
party IS responsible for our debts, town
ship and county, Is it not the radical
party and the radical party alone? Dem
ocrats in power! The radicals elected
every officer. 81 arraign the republican
party of Lafayette county as responsible
for the enormous debts of this county"
Have I not-no. not l, but the
records = made good the charge ?
If not, 1 ask any republican present
to speak-speak out boldly-I stand
ready to answer all questions. Ambrose,
Chinn and Thomas on the bench, and
Thomas elected. by radical votes, not
nomin lied by the democratic party. Mr..
Welborn was their nominee. And it
must be remembered that Ambrose was
the president of the court, and was in
fact the court. But go step further.
have discussed this matter as though
both parties were squarely in the field
with all their forces marshaled. But
we must not forget, nay, who could for
get, the infamous registration laws.
Under it four-fifths of the men in the
county were disfranchised, and verify
believe nine-tenths of the taxpayers had
no voice in its management.
No tongue can do justice to the
infamy of the Drake constitution, and
especially to one feature of that instru-
ment which has been little noticed The
iso-called convention which framed it,
usurpirg authority, constituted them
selves a legislature, and gave. their
edicts the force and effect of existing
laws. A convention possesses no au-
thority or power except to frame and
submit TO the people propositions in the
shape OF a constitution, for their adop-
tion or rejection, and who may vote on
the same is regulated by then existing
laws. But this convention assumed to
dictate who should vote at an election
on the adoption or rejection of its own
infamy, and under its edict nearly all oil
the latter class were disfranchised. Thus
equipped a farce of an election was held
and the constitution declared adopted,
although in fact, it had been adopted be-
fore it was voted on. Under this pro-
duction, not only were those disfran-
chised who had committed some open
and notorious act, which they were
pleased to denominate treason, and
punish without trial, but they estab.
ished an inquisitorial court, and at
tempted with the power of Omniscience
to search the reeesses of mems hearts,
and if they there discovered a divine
spark OF the kindlier emotions of the
human heart, they robbed him of his
birthright in the land of his nativity
They established rule that to be 8
citizen, d man must almost first become
brute. Did the paternal heart allow
one sympathetic chord to be touched AZ
groans of his dying son, who died nobly
lighting for the cause he had espoused
were borne 10 his desolated home ON thu
wings of the morning, he was disfran
chised. Did a sister of charity give .
cup of cold water to- cool the parchet
lips Of dying fellow mortal, She wa
driven from her convent and forever
atterward rendered unfit, in the eyes O
the God and morality party, tor teaching
the young how to read and schooling
them in lessons Of mercy. Did prizes
OF preacher tenderly administer tn,
sacraments Of their priestly office to til,
wounded, or allow their sympathies t,
be touched by the groans of the dying
they were untitled to preach Christ t
the living. Tender women were arrest
ed and imprisoned for teaching school
Drunken soldiers were marched up thu
steps. up the aisle, into the pulpit, ar
rested priests and preachers, and threw
them into loathsome prisons. Fathe
Cummings, Il Presbyterian minister, ant
others were arrested. The suprem,
court of Missouri. placed in power b,
bayonets, decided that this could b,
done IN civilized land. Talk abou
the democrats electing any one in La
fayette county when that party, unde
the registration law, cast but thre,
hundred and ohd votes, while in the SAM
county Governor Hardin received owe
twenty five hundred alter that law, witt
it's authors also, let us hope, had beel
buried forever in the grave of everlast
ing infamy.
The registration law provided 70
the appointment of one ''discree e
person. Us Il supervisor il
each senatorial district. This indi
vidual was to appoint three registrar
in each county, who were also to b.
"discreet persons" Discreet persons
This meant radicals with sufiicien
mathematical talent to count the demo
cratic and radical votes, and to Sc
that too many democrats were not al
lowed to register. Then they had tn
thing fixed. First the registrars, thel