Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-04-11
LOOK UP THE RECORDS.

At this time when the farmers Of /
the country have at last awakened to /
a full appreciation of the fact that +
they are able to look after their own /
interests and propose to do it, the re-
cords of men who have held or are !
now holding positions In the public !
service are now being closely scanned !
for the purpose Of ascertaining
whether these men have shown a dis
position to treat the farmer and his
interests fairly and justly or whether
as has too often been the case, they
have fallen into the hands of the cor
porations and capitalists immediately
after their election, if they we're not
spoken for" before, This is right
and just, and in this way only can
a correct Judgment Of men be form
ed. Promises for the future have 1T
| tie weight when those promises are
in open conflict with the actions of
| the men who make them; bat when
mans past record is right 1t Is gen er-
ally safe to assume that his course in
the future will be in the right direc-
ton. At least, it is, generally speak
| ing, a great deal safer to trust man
who has been right in the past than
one who has been wrong in the past
but is full Of good promises for the
future. For the benefit Of the pat
rons of the Herald, who are mostly
/ farmers, we shall endeayor to assist
their efforts to ascertain who have
been their friends in the past and
who have not. The records are easy
to come at. For instance. we have
before us a copy Of the House Journ-
| al Of 1885 session Of the Kansas Leg
islature. By referring to the roster
Of members Of the House we find
that Smith county was represented
in that Legislature by Webb McNall
and j. O. Davenport. The only
further record we find Of Mr.. Daven-
port is that he was counted ''absent
and not voting on most Of the meas
4
member Of the committee on Federal
Relations. On page 1870, we find
that Mr.. McNalI was made chairman
of the committee on Railroads, by far
the most important committee in the
House that year. Following is his
course through the session as his
actions affected the interests of the
producing classes, we find him in
every instance opposed to the cOrpor-
ations and in favor of the people.
The record is as follows:
House Journal, page 277: Mr.. Nc
Nall, chairman of the Committee on
Railroads, submitted the following
. report:
Mr.. SPEAKER Your Committee on
Railroads, to whom was referred
House bill No. ia, An act relating
to the liability of railroads for dam,
age by fire, have had the Same under
consideration, and I am directed tC
report the bill back to the House with
the recommendation that it be passed
This law requires railroad compan
les to pay full value for property des
/ troyed by fire started from Iocomo
tives. and simplifes the procedure il
favor of the property owner.
House Journal, page $50 Mr.. Nc
+ Nall, chairman Of the committee OF
Railroads, submitted the following re-
. port:
I Mr.. SPEAKER: Your Committee OF
: Railroads, to whom was referred
House bills No. so, 81, 100 and 2O9
being acts requiring railroads K
fence their roads, and fixing their liza
bility, have had the same under con
sideration, and am directed to re
port the bills back to the House witt
the recommendation that the accom-
psning substitute be passed.
The above refers to the law which
I was passed at this session requiring
! railroad companies to fence thei
4 roads, the first law of the kind upoI
our statute books. Mr.. 1LcNalI orig
mated and championed this me8sur,
all the way through, and was bitterl.
= opposed by the railroads. Under It
= provisions railroad companies are re
Z CURED to fence every mile Of road i
}, the State.
= House journal, page 4I2; Mr.. Nc
. Mall offered the following resolution
= and moved It's adoption
3 WHEREAS, The Board of Railroa,
il Commissioners recently had q confer
6 enCe with the various traffic manager
operating and doing business within
the state, with a view Of cOnsiderinl
.e the propriety of a reduction In rate
IS Of transportation Of gram; and,
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