Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-08-04

and enable us to go before the party
Endorsed by some high in the faith.
Through them we were to let into the
secret of how things are sometimes
done when all other methods are inef-
fectuaL 1t was terribly costly for an
ordinary job, but we were going for
the millions. The sum of $1,000, 900 is
the price, the state abating 5000. 600
of the claim 1t was obtained through
our exertions and appliances at cost tn
already paid, and s134, 1858 to be paid,
the whole aggregating 1872, 49," And
SO it cost the Pacific Railroad Co.
1892, 116 to secure the passage and APP
prevail of the act releasing g, 80, 000 of
| the company's obligation, and 20 au-
thorize it to pay the remaining s., 600, 600
| in bonds which it could buy
at 81 cents on the dollar. For what
| purpose was that enormous sum of
City? To soften down" the legislator
| and the governor! 1T was terribly
costly for an ordinary job, bat we were
going for the millions" 1t was terribly
| costly to the corporation, but it was
| far more costly and disastrous to the
| taxpayers of the state, whose high and
! trusted officials were debauched by this
corruption fund and whose capitol was
converted into q house of shame where
| bribery and perjury held high carnivals
| in its historic halls. But Maj. Warner
sees nothing in all this to condemn. 1t
| was simply the acceptance of n happy
/ opportunity, splendid financial feat;
profitable achievement in practical
craftsmanship. There was no fraud in
! it exclaims this i:naculate oracle of a
| New Missouri" it was only harmless
| method of ''softening down" There
| was TO corruption in it: it just hap
pcncd to be terribly costly for an ordi-
nary job
THE IRON MOUNTAIN.
But, Mr.. Chairman, let me relate
another chapter in this interesting his
tory. On September 27, 1866, the bond
| ed debt of the Iron Mountain Railroad
Co.. for which the state was
| liza BILE, amounted to s., i95. $50. On that
| day the road was sold under the states
mortgage and bought in for the state
| fer the amount of its debt. Gov.
Fletcher appointed Il. &. Farrar, T.. w.
sioncrs to take charge of and operate
! the road for the state. Afterwards,
! under the authority of an act passed in
/ 1865, these commissioners advertised
/ the road to be sold On November II Of
| that year, all bids to be subject both to
| the approval of the commissioners and
| the governor. The following bids were
made:
| by Samuel P. Dlns:nore & Co. 81 ,027, QUO
| BY }. (. Fremont. ....... 100000
| By A. j. Mckay and others. $50, 200
The commissioners awarded the road
| to \. j. Mckay and others on their bid
! of $3.50. 600, which award was reported
, to the governor and approved by him.
| This remarkable performance of these
high officials of the state was so as
founding that it provoked legislative
investigation at the next session of the
general assembly. The investigating
committee appointed by the speaker
| was presided over by Hon. James c. Nc
Ginnis, then as now n distinguished re-
| publican leader in this state. That COM
| mittee made thorough examination
| into the sale and award took mass of
| testimony and reported it's conclusions,
whi>h report can be found at page $50
| OF the house journal of the Twenty
| fourth general assembly in 1867. The
! committee reported that Samuel P.
ready ard able to pay the s1,027,-
900 bid by them for the road. which
| was nearly double the sum bid by
Mckay. Mr.. PratoTious, of st. Louis,
agent of J. c. Fremont, testified under
oath that Gen. Fremont and his asso-
ciates were ready and willing to pay
| the 81 600, 600 bid, and would have paid
| 81 800, 900 for the road if they had found
| it necessary to obtain it. That was
nearly three times as much as McKay's
bid amounted to. And who was Nc
Kay, this new-risen Napoleon of finance
who seemed to exert an influence SO
| potent over the commissioners and the
governor? The committee reported
| that he was a stranger in the state,
| having resided only few months with
| in it's borders According to his own
| sworn statement his entire property
consisted of a pair of Arkansas mules,
| an open spring wagon and several thou
| sand dollars in money, which he said
| he had never deposited in any bank or
exhibited to any person, but had car
ried around buried in his breeche s
| pocket. But the bid and the
| award were made by and to
"A. J. Mckay and others Not
to Mckay alone, but to NC
| Kay and others" 1t was developed
| that among the ''othcrs" who became
interested in the deal. where three
| brothers of Mr.. Commissioner Farrar.
| wonder what influence that had on
that spotless republican official when
he came to make that award? When
| this award was submitted to Gov. Fetch
er for his approval he held it in abcy-
ancc. in a state of painful solicitude
and uncertainty as to his high duty.
In the midst of his hating and hesitat-
| ing. while still agonizing and sweating
the public veal. Mr.. Charles p. Chou
teau. wealthy st. Louis capitalist,
appeared before his eXcellency and
| notified him that he represented a
| syndicate of New York capitalists who
| would pay the state s1,lO0,000 for the
Iron Mountain road if the governor
would set aside the award to Mckay
and others" But the governor did not
set aside the award; he kept on sweat
ing and .agonizing. About the time
a certain Mr.: Hume appeared
of the g Others" associated with
the redoubtable Mr.. Mckay. He took
$50, 600 up with him to jefferson City to
be used in securing the services of lead
ing republicans to influence Gov
| Fletcher to approve the award. While
the governor was being influence at
jefferson, Mckay and the "others''
were at st. Louis neeotia ting contract
with the Hon. Thomas Allen for the
transfer of their bid to him as soon as
the award should be approved. Well,
the governor passed through the excru-
ciating process, the torturing expert
ence of being influenced, and with
appreciative gratitude proceeded at
once to make Mr.. Hume and those other
leading republicans" who had sus-
! tanned him SO vali-ntly while on the
r.:c, of uncertainty and in the sweat
box of doubt, radiant with well-earned
happiness By attaching his approving
| signature to the award. Then followed
in. quick succession the transfer by