Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1894-10-20
ELLIS AND THE RAILROADS.
Never Received a Fee From Rail
road-Hls Record in Mitchell
County-The "BeloIt' De-
ciSion.

1t is reported that Ellis is at his home
IN Beloit, and so far as he is concerned
the campaign is over. He can see which
way it is going, and viii stand from I'M
der as much as possible. He was never
in the race anyhow, and his speeches al
the brass band opening of the campaign
when he told the people that they only
needed the confidence OF New Workers
to make money plenty, brought it all
about SO quickly. The people thought
they wanted the free coinage of silver
but Ellis knew what they wanted Sc
much better that he had no trouble in
convincing them. The first thing they
propose to look after, is keeping Ellis
out Of congress, and he sees the hand
writing so plain that he is spending his
time attending to the law business of
his railroad clients. = Smith Center
Journal.
The above is fair sample of the kind
Of articles we find in the peoples party
press of this district. Of course there is
not truthful statement in this article !;
but none was to be expected. When
Mr.. Ellis was lying seriously and dan
gerously sick at his home-as any one
can learn to be the fact by asking DR..
Daily, the chairman of the Democratic
central committee OF this county-the
Populist papers, although well knowing
the facts, published the statement all
over the district that he had withd -awn
from the campaign in disgust, and had
given up the fight, and many of them,
like the Journal, stated in substance
that he had resumed his practice as at
tornev for the railroads. The fact is,
MIR. Ellis never tried law suit for
railroad com pany in his life; never re-
ceived from any railroad company dol
lar in fees in his life: but he has tried
and carried through successfully a great
many cases against railroad companies,
and this may easily be proven by refer
ence to the supreme court reports of the
state.
When patron of the Central Branch
railroad goes to any depot on the line,
and finds, as ne now does, a safe plat
form instead of the dangerous three
feet-high affair we used to have, it
might be well enough to remember that
the change occurred on account of one
law suit prosecuted successfully by Mr..
Ellis and the present judge of this dis
trlct. Mr.. Heren, and another case car
ried on and won by Mr.. Ellis alone,
against the Missouri Pacific railroad
company.
When the railroad employee finds his
company making frequent inspections
OF appliances and machinery to discover
latent defects, and to learn whether
they are still safe and suitable Tor use,
it may interest him to know that the
first time the Supreme Court of Kansas
ever decided that it was the duty of the
corporation to make such in
spections, to protect the lives and limbs
OF employees, was in a case prosecuted
and won by Mr.. Ellis against railroad
What has been the course of Mr.. Ellis
with reference to railroads in this coun-
ty? In 1879 a proposition to give the
Solomon railroad four thousand dollars
per mile for building to Beloit was sub
mitted to the voters OF Mitchell county. !
In common with ali the citizens Of Be
lott, Mr.. Ellis favored the proposition
and voted or it. When the. re.
turns came in from the several |
townships it was ascertained that |
the proposition was defeated by small
but that in many cases those
TnCsx rnfnI I
complied strictly with the rule made by |
the county commissioners as to the form /
Of ballot, and Immediately there was
demand on the part Of most Of those
who had favored the bonds that the
ballots be opened by the county COM
missioners aud that those ballots which /
were detective in form should be re-
jected in the count. The county attor-
ney advised the commissioners not to do /
told them he did not think they had
a right to, and the commissioners, being
honest men, would have taken his adj
vice, but the railroad company secured
opinions from leading lawyers abroad
that it was not only the right but the
returns and count the ballots. So in
perfect good faith, and really believing
shey were doing what is right and law
,ul, two members Of the board voted to
axe that course, and by rejecting the
ballots which in form did not comply
With tie terms Of the ballot prescribed.
hey declaledthe boads carried. During
hat time Of great excitement. when
nearly al the people Of Beloit, IA good
aith too, took the side of the course
adopted, Mr. Ellis refused 70 90 any
urther with the citizens who like hira-
elf had favored the bonds and The rail-
Dad He said that by fair yote the
had been defeated. and be
would never favor taking. advantage OF
my technicality to defeat tae peoples
viii, even if q Lawful right to doso exist
a, which he denied. He was offered