Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-04-11
GOVERNOR STONE ISSUES A HOT
EXTRA SESSION PROC
LAMATTON.
The Third House" at the State Capi-
tai Denounced in Bitter Language
Elections Abuses in Kansas
City and st. Louis Set
Forth Strongly.

April %, just rs he had promised to
do. The prelude to the call is a fear
full roast of the lobby. The proclama-
ton is as follows:
Stave of Missouri, Executive depart
ment, Jefferson City, Mo, April s.
For a number of years the state has
been disgraced by an organized and
salaried lobby maintained by special
interests at the capital during the
session of the General Assembly for
the purpose of influencing legislative
action. Encouraged by a seeming
presence and emboldened by repeat
ed successes, these lobbyists have,
from year to year, increased in num-
bers, influence and audacity until they
force i'll legislation. So confident have
they grown in their strength and so
potent i'll influence that they now ply
their vocation almost without disguise
in defiance of public authority and ut
ter contempt of public opinion. 1t has
come to pass that almost every i'm
port8nt measure of legislation must
undergo the scrutiny of the lobby be-
fore rs fate can be determined. What
it approves is not without hope. but
what it condemns is lost.
Perhaps the most conspicuous illus
tration of this disgusting domination
is to be found in the treatment of the
~so-called fellow servants bill. | do not
now discuss the merits of the measure;
| refer only to the means adopted to
suppress and defeat it. Those means
have been so generally discussed in
the press of the state, and the people
have thus become so familiar with
them that deem it unnecessary TO re-
state them in detail.
THE LoBBY AGAINST THE PEOPLE.
\ number of Senators and Repre-
sentltives, as well as many good citi-
zens who have felt appalled, at the
overshadowing influence and humil-
lated at the triumph of the lobby,
have pressed upon me the Importance
of re~convening the General Assembly
to the end that the issue may be fairly
presented and an open test made as
10 whether a just Legislative measure
of this character can be enacted into
a law in spite of the communicating in
fiue1ce of those who openly boast
their ability to direct the current of
legislation.
These + strong words, / know, and
| write them with the greatest regret.
But it is clear to me that the time for
mild protest is past. We are con-
frorted by the question whether the
people or the lobby shall rule in Mis-
souri,. The public safety and the
honor of the State are at stake. Every
Senator, member, public official and
citizen familiar with the truth knows
that these words are justified by the
situation at Jefferson City.
| believe the condition of affairs to
which | have adverted is alone suf-
ticiant to make it my imperative duty
to recall the Senator's and Representa-
tiyes elected by the people in special
session to consider the particularly
important subject of legislation to
which | have referred, which has
been so long delayed and 50 often de-
feated by influences dangerous to the
public right. In this way it can be
considered free from the multitude of
other perplexing questions incident to
a regular session, and thus every
Senator and Representative a be
afforded unhampered opportunity to
discharge his duty to his constituency
with the greatest d~eliberation and in
telligence.
ELECTION ABUSES HOTLY SCORED.
But there is also another question of
the most commanding Importance,
the proper settlement of which should
not be delayed. | refer to the laws
governing elections in st. Louis and
Kansas City. In the preservation of
a free representative government
nothing is SO important as purity OF
elections. Generally throughout this
State | am confident elections are
characterized by high integrity. Bat
unfortunately, this is not true in the
large cities. 1t is known that gross
frauds have been committed in these
cities. The inducement and oppor-
tunity for corrupt practices in large
pOpulOus municipalities are great
and experience proves that dishonesi
men of all parties have not been slow
to debauch the elective franchise
Not a few consummate and dastardly
outrages have been perpetrated.
Candor will compel a general ad
mission that the disgrace of election
frauds is fairly divided between the
adherents of the different politica
organizations. The truth of this state
ment is made evident by the fact tina
both Republicans and Democrats so
called have been recently indicted il
st. Louis and Kansas City for activ,
participation in such frauds. In on
of the wards in Kansas City, whicl
has n "boss" so conspicuous and pc
tent that the ward is currently re
ferred to as his ward, there are twic,
as many votes registered as there ar
adult males residing therein. Thi
"boss" is Il noted Republican poll
tici!tn. In the same city it is we
known that election returns hav
| been fraudulently changed in the of
: fee of the Recorder of Voters so a
to alter the result at the polls as Ger
titled by the judges of election. Tn
officer under whose administratio.
2 this crime was perpetrated was
v Democrat.
When such wrongs are not only pos
sible, but are actually and boldly com
!. United, it is evident that the publ
9 safety i~mpefatively requires sue.
! changes in the law as will not onl