Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-03-13
COL. OHILES HAS A WORD TO SAY.

EDITOR INTELLlGENCER:-There ap-
peared in your local columns, last
week, an item assigning or naming me
as a candidate for the legislature. l
presume that it could only mean that l
was a candidate for nomination by the
democratic party for this position. In
either sense it is an "error." | am not
q candidate for this or any other office.
1t should be a matter of pride to any
citizen to represent such a county as
Lafayette in either branch of the state
government. The attainment of such
q position is frequently surrounded
with such Objectionable features as to
materially detract from its desirability.
And further, 1t seems from the pres
ent outlook that there is a determine
ton on the part of many democrats to
require of whOmsOever may be the
party nominee for this Office, that such
nominee shall be a party to the election
of some one or other ~favorite of theirs
for the u. S. senatorship. With such
democrats the aspirant for the position
is not to succeed to the nomination
upon his own merits and fitness for it,
but as an attache or appendage to the
tail of some favorite's senatorial kite
[ for one do not want to be used as
such appendage.
Were I the fortunate recipient of the
nomination, l would prefer that every
one who might favor me should do SO
in full confidence that l would be their
representative. and as such vote their
wishes and not my own. With these
views l fail to appreciate the %propriety
of such influences, determining the
selection of a party leader for SO i'm
portant an Office. If your representa-
tive should be a high minded, honor
able man (and we have no right to
suppose that any other kind would be
chosen) such a person could be safely
trusted to subserve the wishes of those
who had chosen him, and to yield his
own preference without a murmur,
should they be different from the views
of the majority. In my humble judg
ment there will be many things that
the next legislature will be required to
act upon of vastly greater Importance
to this people than the election OF a U.
S. senator.
All the time, the tact and ingenuity
OF the ablest and most experienced
representative that may be selected
will be required to assist in enactine
and amending laws, in which almost
every citizens of this county Is inter
ested.
Let democrats d~isencumber this pos.
ition of all such disintegrating ele-
ments as those enumerated. ALLOW
your candidate for this position, wher
chosen, to come into it with the PROUD
consciousness that he has been adjudgeC
by his own merits, his garments being
untarnished by all eXtraneous matter
and that he is a man among men, un.
sullied, uncompromised and fully
trusted by those who have chosen him
He can, and will then enter upon hi
duties resolved to do all that is possible
for him to do, and thus show all whel
he renders up his trust that he deserve
and will receive the welcome plaudit
"Well done thou true and faithful
servant"
Before concluding this article | mus
be permitted to express my thanks t.
the many friends who have expressed
their confidence, and have given fiat
tering encouragement to the "error
You have inadvertently published, tn
correction of which has called fort
this article.
I hope that Lafayette county's mex
representative so soon as he may ente
upon his official duties, will ava
himself of the very first oppol
tunity possible, to make an earnest an,
efficient effort to scotch the ponderous
powerful machine that has 10Y it
deathly grip upon the vitality of on
or more of Lafayette county's mos
important Industrial and wealth pre-
, ducing interests.
Amend. and that quickly and effet
lively, that etfeminite thing known a
a railroad commission. Give it vitalit
if possible, it not give it death. Wip
! it from the statute books as a mocker
, and as a disgrace to the people of til
r state, or make it a reality to a desira
, BILE and very useful end.
: HENRY G.. CHILEs.