Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-08-18

then valuable property, yet the republicans
sold" it to a republican member Of congress
for 220)Oo0 and the records show that no one
was permitted to bid for it This is what Nal
Warner calls selling in the open market" A
debt of Si.96J,0u was thus fastened upon the
people of the state by proceedings of which are
shown conclusively by the mere statement of
the records to have been corrupt.
The North Missouri railroad made default in
payment of interest falling due January 1, 1861.
The state had first mortgage on the propert!
of the corporation for these sums of money:
Six per cent bonds u, $50 .Oo0
Unpaid NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. = $4,000
Total. Sc $50. coo
An act was passed and approved By Gov.
Fletcher March IL, 1868. which seems to have
been good day for robbing the people. en-
titled IAN act to sell the claims of the state
against the North Missouri Railroad Co and to
amend the charter of said company, which
provided that the debt due, or to become due,
from this company to the state OF Missouri,
and amounting to = $4,000 in state bonds to-
gether with interest paid thereon by the state.
be sold and assigned to Hon Henry T Blow,
republican member of congress from St Louis,
and his associates. for s2JJ,0)) which was about
one thirty-fifth part of the states lien This
roac was known as the Wabash. was OF great
value. even in that day and no one then doubted
that it would have brought several millions at
public auction But the lobbyists swept the
bill through the corrupt assembly to COM
PLEASANT governor and no person had even
chance to offer bid The party which now
begs for favors must do it on the basis OF the
fact that it gave away to one of its own leaders
q first mortgage for sj,ejO0O0 for the insignifi-
cant sum OF S2DO,UOO
Another Road Goes the Same Way.
The republicans made another railroad COM
pany pretty little gift of S719 40 on this same
day of grand larcenies March II, 1868. The
state had issued bonds to the amount OF 100000
to aid the Platte County railroad Default be-
ing made in the payment of the interest which
fell due July 1, 1861, an act was passed Feoru-
airy IL, 1864 and approved By Gov. Willard P.
Hall-a -claybank," as Missouri democrats
were then called-under the terms of which
Gov. Hall advertised the road for sale at public
vendue, September 5, 1861 As there was some
doubt as to certain conveyanceS, another act
was passed February 5, 1865, under which the
governor took possession of the road and had it
operated for the state.
On February s. 1865. another act was passed.
authorizing a compromise between the state
and the Atchison & St. Joseph and The Western
& Atchison companies, they being then the
owners of the propertv, whereby those con-
panies were to pay the state tSSUJO, the exact
amount due for principal and interest on .he
$40. 600 bonds to that date Several paymep IS,
aggregating S2i4,01l. were made TO the state.
There was too much honesty in that plan for
Gov. Fletcher and his crew OF hooters to endure
it Accordingly, By the terms of an act entitled
AN act to aid the Missouri valley Railroad
Co" approved by Gov Fletcher March IL, 1865
the state virtually released all its claims
against this property in consideration Of the
extension of a road up the valley OF One Hun
dred and Two river to the Iowa line, which ex-
tension was necessary to increase the value of
the property. The states lien amounted at the
date of this gift, release as it was called. to
these sums:
Six Der cent bonds 500 coo
Interest to January !, 1865 ...... 80, 900
Total 1884, 900
Collected from the companies. ...... 21$, $50
Net amount of claim. S570, 40
By this '.sele in the open market, of which
Maj Warner talks glibly, the republicans
| burdened taxpayers with the payment Of the
| bondA The amount Of tie fec" the railway