Iron County register., 1895-05-09
Open Letter, No. 2.
1RONroN. Mo-. May 9Th. 1895.
;NATOR w. r. GO0DYKooNrz.

NAS<SHAOe '" 0OOOIh
ST-1our answer to our open letter
of May 1st, 1895. appears elsewhere in
this paper. We will briefly analyze
your response and thea address our
selves to other matters deemed i'm
portant at this juncture. If you will
cast your eyes anew on our open let
ter, you will perceive that it made no
charges, but simply called your atten-
tion to certain things that we thought
needed an explanation. We were in
hopes if you answered at all. you would
do SO freely and frankly, and would be
able to make the ..winter of our dis
content most glorious summer" by
your explanation. We have carefully
scanned your epistle, and, permit us
to add, like neither the spirit nor
substance. Your dislike for the Post
Dispatch we partly understand, but the
bitterness shown to Gov. Stone is be-
yond our comprehension. A petty
vote to print 500 copies of his message
instead of 25O0-and to join the Re-
publicans to accomplish the schoolboy
act-may be craftsmanship of the
Phelps-Flanagan brand, but will not
pass in the hills of your district as cur
rent coin. You admit your action in
leaving your fellow Democrats ON the
Committee of Appropriations and
cleaving to the Republicans members,
just as the Post-Dispntch predicted you
would do, and plead in justification,
your courage. Permit us to remark in
this connection, that while we admire
your courage we have a small opinion
of your judgment. You profess will
ingness to vote for fellow-servant
bill, but not such a one as you were
called to consider. Instead of acting,
you prate of the constitution. Doubt
less Phelps, Flanagan and others are
filed with the same overshadowing re-
gard for that instrument. Phelps and
Flanagan assert that such measure
would be unconstitutional, and the
Senate comedies it. How this posi-
tion will gladden. the hearts of your
constituency!
There is one thing you will do-just
one. You will vote in the Senate for
free silver. We are exceedingly glad;
our cup of joy runneth over to think
you will concede this favor. Like
honest Sancho Panza, we exclaim,
..Why should we poor devils be nice!
We will pray God bless the giver, and
ne'er look the gift horse in the mouth"
You also wish to vote that the Gov
ernor is not the law-making power and
then adjourn. You wish to register a
solemn slap at the Governor, thrust
out your tongue and hiss, and then go
home. Your frankness is exhilarat-
ing, and methinks we see Bill Phelps
slap you on the back and hear him ex-
claim. ..good boyr' Then when your
constituents ask for an explanation,
you can say, 81 had the courage of my
convictions. '.My acts are my busi-
ness" An old colored preacher once
stated from the pulpit that the Lord
made the earth and rested it ON the
back of a large turtle. An old darkey
on one of the back seats arose and
said, ..Bro. Jones. what did the turtle
rest on?" The preacher paused, re-
newed his courage, and said, ..You
cawn-fel' niggah, what is dat your
business? OATS the turtles business
You can take the same position, doubt
less, and be sustained in any meeting
in your district. Why not say at
once, like Vanderbilt, '.the public be
damnedr' While that remark might
not be ornate, it would be an evidence
of your courage. 1t would demonstrate
that you were not afraid of newspa-
pers. or anybody, or anything.
We are pleased--yea, rejoiced-to
learn that you did not carry that mes
sage to Bill Phelps. That, at least, is
one point gained, and about the only
consolation your letter gives US. Au
reUoir, if not goodbye!