The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-03-31
JOURNALISTIC INJUSTICE.

sembly of Missouri which will b
regarded with more concern-witl
more regret and apprehension, thar
the indiscriminate and illogical prais
bestowed on The members and th,
work of the House, and the censur,
and malicious attacks visited on lead
ing members of the Senate, by Ger
tain newspapers in the state, with the
St. Louis Republic for their leader.
For many weeks the Republic ha
made almost daily attacks on a dis
tinguished and courageous body o.
Senators, who have resolutely defend
ed great business interests in thi:
state against the foolish or maliciou:
bills that others have endeavored to
enact into laws, many of which bills
were passed by the "farmer" House.
Conspicuous among those thus de.
nounced may be mentioned Senators
McGinniss, Burks, Newberry, Ryors
and Peery, while other names have
been associated with theirs from time
to time. In each attack these gentle,
men, and those voting with them,
have been denounced as being arrayed
against the interests of the people, IS
being the agents or servile defenders
of lawless corporations and wicked
combinations.
Unfortunately for the cause of jus.
tice, and for the good name of our
state and her faithful Senators, there
has been no serious attempt made by
other newspapers to give more than a
meager account of the Legislative pro-
ceedings at the state capital, and none
have given true and instructive state
m INT of what has transpired there,
and informed the people of the state
of the dangerous or foolish features of
the measures opposed by the Senatocs
who have been so mercilessly con-
demned. This is an unhappy situa-
ton for the people of Missouri are
being daily mislea, and this may lead
to their future undoiug-to mistakes
and disaster.
1t is no censure or condemnation
of others to assert that Senator Nc
Ginniss has represented and defended
the interests and honor of his district
and of the state with distinguished
ability, fidelity and independence.
His natural capacity, his industry,
vigilence and long experience, have
made him leader in legislation in
the state. 1t is unjust to condemn
him and his associates because editors
or correspondents doubt the gUOu
Judgment or propriety of some Of their
votes, and wrong to leave the people |
in ignorance of their dafy-almOst
hourly-struggles to secure the en-
actment of good laws and to prevent
or delay that of bad ones. With all
the intelligence and conservatism
shown by Speaker futile, by Farris
Of Ray county, and by other members
of the House, not all of the vicious or
foolish and unnecessary measures or
iginatiDg in that body, could be de-
feated there and it is to the honor |
Of our state that our Sem
ate has defeated so many
bills from both houses, and enacted !
so few bad laws. Had the result in |
the Senate been different the future |
prosperity of the state must certainly |
have been emperiled. Then the Re-
public would have been the first to |
condemn the laws thus enacted by an
which it now censures for
not being wholly subservient to the
opinions presented in that unreliable
eader of public thought and unstable
advocate of the public welfare.
In considering these attacks by the
it should be remembered
hat the same journal in 1885 and
1886 was the leading advocate and
defender of lawless men engaged in
the property rights of cor
and in int errupting the
peace and prosperity of cities and
towns throughout the Southwest
Two years ego the Republic made
similar malicious attacks on members
Or the General Assembly who spoke
Or voted against cit her the "Meat In
;pector Bill" or the clearinghouse
Liquor License Bill" Both measures
we're defeated by a few votes in the
senate, and the Republic emptied out
he walls of its wrath upon those mem.
,ers who dared to vote Gas they right
ullv should1 with indenendence and /