The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-03-15
4 REMARKABLE SPEECH.
The Wealthy Criminal Class Arraigned In
the New York Legislature.

The Wealthy Criminal Class Arraignrsi In
the New York Legislature.
In the New York Ass smbhlv March
? a veto was received from Gov. Cleye-
land Of the bill reducing fares on tie
New York elevated railroads to five
cents. The bill and veto were made u
special order for March 4. after eonsil-
cradle heated discussion. The most
remarkable speech was that made by
Mr.. Roosevelt. Of New York. who said:
Think We shouldn't hastily pass this
bill over the Governors veto. have
to say with shame that when voted
for this bill l did not act as think /
ought to have acteld. and rs | gener-
ally have acted on the floor of this
House. For the only time that | ever
voted here otherwise than in the way l
thought | honestly ought to. | did SO
act on this occasion. | have to confess
that | weakly Yielded, partly i'll win
dictive spirit toward the Internal thieves
and constituencies swina,ers who have
the elevated railroads in charge, and
partly to the popular voice of New York.
For the managers Of the elevated
railroads have rs little feeling as any
man here. Ii it We're possible would
willingly pass hill Of attainder on Jay
Gould and all of Jay Gould's associates.
| realize that they have done the most
incalculable wrong to this community
with their hired stock-johhing news
papers. with their corruption Of past
Legislatures. Nevertheless, l think we
ought never to have passed this bill in
the beginning. and that We ought on no
account to pass il over the Governors
veto, and certainly not until we have
had fair chance to look III it calmly in
the light of reason | question very
seriously if the bill is constitutional.
and if the bill is constitutional / think
il is ut any rate breaking the plighted
faith If the State. Ii is not question
of doing right To them. They are
merely common thieves. Take the
resolution. or rather the petition. hand
ed up by the directors OF the railway.
signed first by Gould and in the last
place by his son. would pay more
attention to petition signed by Barney
Aaron. Owney Geohegan and Billy Me-
Glory than l would to that paper, for |
regard these men as furnishing part of
that most-langerous Of all dangerous
orlers-the wealthy criminal class.
Nevertheless. it is not a question of
doing justice to them: il is question
of doing Justice to ourselves. 1t is
-, la. L. l,.t
think is right, even il III so doing We an
tagonize the feeling Of our constituents.
We have heard great deal about the
people demanding the passage Of this
BILL Now, anything the people de-
mand that is right it is most clearly and
most emphatically the duty Of this
Legislature to do; but we should new
or yield to what they demand If il is
wrong. In matter of such import
ance, in matter where know that Very
many of my associates feel that We
weakly yielded to what was the popular
clamor; that We did not do what was
right: did not vote according To the
rights of the question: hut. on the con-
trarv. merely nc, orling to what We con-
sidcred our constituents wished rs to
do, regardless of the rights involved: l
say that on such a question We ought to
defer argument until some day when
We may act coolly in considering this
very important measure, and acting
upon the broad ground of right and JUS
ticc, if the people disapproye our con-
duet. let MS make up our minds to re-
tire To private life with the conscious
ness that We have acted as our better
sense dictated. | would rather 90 ont
ofpolitics having the feeling that | had
done what was right than stay in with
the approval Of men, knowing in my
heart that had acted as ought notto