Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-05-19
Government by Railroad.

We clip the following from the St.
Louis Post Dispatch of the 18th inst:
Is that assembly at Sedalia a Dem
Ocratic State Convention or only an adj
journed meeting of the old and we'll
known railroad lobby. organized,
directed and conducted by that brilliant
galaxy of railroad attorneys and Dem
Ocratic Committeeman, Phelps. Priest,
Carroll and Kenna?
They furnish the passes and the spec
ial cars for delegations and candidates.
Their names figure most prominently
in the reports OF the proceedings. To
them the correspondents all go for in
formation as to how the convention
will be organized and what it will do.
At present it seems to be understood
that they will be prudent enough to di-
vide the Chicago delegation between
men who are prominent as railroad
attorneys in politics. and men who are
not officially connected with railroads,
but hope to be.
OF all the lobby chiefs on the spot
AMI engineering the convention it is
said that only Phelps and Carroll will
be made delegates-at-large by the
powers that run the convention. The
candidates. however, are all counting
them in a way to convince Phelps and
and Carroll that they need not go to
Chicago themselves and might stay at
home and vote the Missouri delegation
by telegraph.
Whatever may be done at Sedalia. it
is plain that this patriotic band of rail-
road attorneys and Democratic COM
mitteemen are there to hold the Dem
ocratic party firmly in hand and to
strengthen their combinations for con-
trolling the conventions that will nom
mate the Judges and State Offices"
We all know the Post Dispatch: a
kicker" and nearly always an I'M
reasonable and sensational ..kicker. >
Yet in this instance its note of alarm
to Democrats is well sounded. There
is no question as to the power and po-
litical activity of the corporate inter
ests rywhere-Missouri not ex-
cepted.
1t is time for fearless Democrats and
newspapers, that are not afraid to voice
their sentiments, to say few plain
words on this subject.
The remarkable activity OF railway
managers and attorneys, in Missouri
politics this year. is well understood.
Three members of the Supreme Court
Whose rulings finally determine the
duties and liabilities of railroad cor
porations to their employees and to pri-
vate citizens) are to be elected in 1892,
and the gentlemen mentioned propose
to dictate those nominations if they
can.
But the great body of Democratic
voters will not submit to dictatiOn- We
must make no mistakes. The Repub-
licans show by their nomination for
Governor that they intend to make a
serious fight for the State. and there
will probably be full third party tick
ct to allure dissatisfied Democrats from
their allegiance. If the railroads are
permitted to control the selection of
nominees for our court of last resort,
Democratic supremacy in Missouri will
be greatly imperiled. The signs of the
times lead us to sound this solemn
warning against this danger.
A free. fearless and impartial judici-
and justice. Woe to any who attempt
to degrade its high character or to sub
ject it to the control of any class direct
ly interested in its judgments.