Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-03-05
AN INTERESTING JEFFERSON CITY
LETTER,

EDITOR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the seven
sages of Greece once said, '.Gaothe kairow,''
|. O., "know thy opportunity another said,
'Gnothe seanton,'' i. e.. :know myself"
Happy would 6e the Missouri legislator OF whom
1t could truthfuily be said that he both knew
himself and knew bis opportunity" Ifs man
''knows.h!mseli'' he can prepare and fortify well
all the salicnts points in his armor 30 that the
opposition of every kind would never catch
him, US We express it, s'sleeping.n If he
knows his opportunity he stands on vantage
ground. and knowing both his opportunity and
himself make, him u power for the advocacy of
the right. Unfortunately for the most Of US
here We neither ''know 0urself'' nor ''our OPP
portun!ty.' So you see We are left in "bad
shape"'
we are Kept very busy now Our sessions
oesln al O'Clock .. m. and generally close at
~ O'Clock p. IN. OF course We have Il recess for
dinner. The house adopted u resolution to have
night sessions every Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday from now till the close of the session,
If this is adhered to We shall hardly have time
to digest either the subject of our meals or of the
pills presented to us. The theory of many Of
our constituents that d member has no work to
do is easily cast to the ground by the personal
experience Of every man here who tries to do his
/ duty 10 his county.
We had n very warm session Thursday after.
noon and Friday on tue question TO cngross the
bill submitting TO the people the proposition re-
Sardins the capitol movement. The bill did not
go to e~n2rOssment, SO the JeffersSnians have put
oil their armur and are happy.
Tuere Is q bill, now pending in the house,
which looks to the appointment OF an agent by
the fund commissioners, whose duty 1t shall be
to prosecute the land claims, the militia claims
md the supply claims oil the state against the
general government. The militia claims alone
amount to over $50. 600, and it ID said that the
other cia'ms are much larger tnnn this. but will
be more difficult to collect. We think it neces-
sary that some agent shall be employed, as we
fear that the state viii otherwise have long to
wait and likely never get the money. The bill
provides that the agent snail pay his own ex-
penses III prosecuting the claims, and shall b.
allowed 1--we per centum OF al the Militia
claims collected and ! lar ger per centum OF the
land claims. There IS no doubt that an efficient
agent Can collect the larger part II not all OF the
fret named CLAIMS.
1t is II question with u, what legislation should
be hid In reg ,rd to making a provision in the
appropriation bill for disposal OF The So 900 900
assumed TOR the Hannibal Il St. Joe Railroad
Co in case the state &C cepts the money which
the agent of the road sa,s he is ready to pay
You understand the difficulties In the way. Any
action ON the part oil tie legislature might he
construed rs an instruction 10 the fund com.
missioners and work against the interests of the
state 1t the SAFE receives the money shs
should sec that the road indemnify her for al
Liabilities assumed. For thus 1t was written
In the bond" And In this case we are in Iavoi
of exac!ing the ''poun OF flesh
H. Clay Dean gave US quite an entertaining
lecture hcre last evening. His theme was tht
"H' ghway TO Monarchy" He began with me
Medo- Persian empire and came down through
the Grecitu, the Mac-donian, the Ronan, tht
French Republic, and wound up with oul
'I.and OF the Free" Oac way to prevent mon.
archy here. according II the speaker, is the
election of U 5. senator, and the president by
adnect vote OF the people. He ave his audi.
ence food fJrmuch thought and sober reflection,
He ,s Il vigorous and forcihle speaker, anG
selects his words with d cIded regard more
for their strength than their elegance.
We, as yet, hav. done nothing look Ing to the
relief f. OF the supreme court. The cour, claim
that they must have help in order to catch up
with their work Numerous plans have beer
proposed, but nothing us yet that gives salts.
J ! faction. Every plan will require quite u sun
of money and this will not SUIT the '.hard- fsted
yeomanry." w. II. G.