The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-05-04
MIsSOURrS GOVERNOR
Makes a Strong Appeal fer Hon
est Legislation.
The Special Subjects the Legislature Has
Been Specially Called to Consider
Set orth-The Lobby Must
Work Openly or Go.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo-, April %
When the special session OF the Mis-
souri, general assembly was called to
order at noon to-day the following
message was presented from the gov
ernor:
GENTLEMEN CT THE SENATE y House OF
REPRESENTATIVE have felt il my duty to
| convene the general assembly in extraordinary
session. to consider seve.al questions Of high
public importance.
Task the general assembly 10 enact a law
governing elections held for the election OF
public officials in cities having 4 population Of
10000 and over. The desire for q better law.
applicable TO such cities. is so universal. and
the necessity for it so generally conceded b.
! rlgAt-thinking pesple. that I feel as If I need
do little more tina. submit the subject FOR your
consideration; there IS certainly no occasion
for IN elaborate discussion OF it The res
identS OF St Louis and Kansas City
are impressed with the belief. which,
uahappily. is justified by expert
ence. that gross frauds in election
hell under the existing law have been and can
be committed. Even when this law Is admin
lStered by the most honest and pairStakiag Of
fcials, it is practically impossible to prevent
IduuAItNl EtRIsLTallOn ana voting OF i COLL
paratiyely large scale. The number OF frauds,
and the facility with which they may be COM
mitted, can, of course. be greatly augmented
by the connivance Of dishonest officials: but,
as I have said, it Is extremely difficult, 4 not
practically impossible. to so administer the
present law as 10 prevent a large number Of
fraudulent registrations, and, in consequence,
a large number OF fraudulent votes.
There IS 10 doubt Of the truth Of this state
-nGDr Tho rapzEzFf- for n hotter 7a-- - ~ha-a-
fore, seif-evidenL The ballot-box should be
guarded with the utmost vigilance against
crime. and be protected, as far as possible,
from every description OF fraud. Election ma
chinerv should be constructed with the
sole object Of securing q fair and hon
est election. No patriotic citizen, no hon
est man, can object 70 that Every Cuali-
fed elector has a right TO cast one
vote, TO be fully protected in the exercise Of
that right, and to have his ballot honestly
counted The public Will. fairly expressed at
the polls. should be promptly and implicitly
obeyed. To the extent that these plain and
familiar truths are departed from. the public
right and safety are invaded and our iastitu-
tons OF g~overGRent imperiled. IN my opinion.
any man who contests the accuracy OF this
view. or who acts on q contrary principle. is
the slave OF partisan passion. or is absolutely
dishonest. Those party bosses who seek TO
control party politics fOc personal ends. and
who stand ready, when there IS need. 10 unite
even opposing forces by covert cooperation
for mutual gain, are the worst enemies OF fair
elections. So far as they can they VIII put OBJ
stacleS in the way OF legislation and Of Sue
cesSful administration and this often with
much adroitneSs, and with much protesting
and plausible p~retense Of fair play. No man
who really merits the title OF boss" desires a
fair election. for a fair election di-inisAeS his
power and interferes with his occupation
Party advantage should not be sought in the
enactment or administration of election laws.
There can be no party advantage in the eff
cient and honest administration OF wholesome
laws. Any law which, by its terms affords one
individual or party an advantage over another.
is a bad law y perfect law, which will entire
ly prevent fraud. is. perhaps, impossible. but a
law can be enacted which will make fraudulent
practices exceedingly di1icult and hazardous.
and thus minimize the evil. II the gentlemen
Of the two houses will come to the considera-
ton OF this subject, not in 4 spirit Of narrow
partisanship. but with the sole desire OF ad-
vancing the pubic veal. remembering that
whatever their politics they are all Mis-
s~ourians. and should be interested in the honor
OF the state, there wi / be nc serious difficulty
in reaching 4 satisfactory result I express
the hope that wise counsel will prevail, and
that a law designed wholly TO promote the pub
lie good may be speedily agreed 10.
Task the general assembly 10 enact a law de-
fning the relations between railroad corpora
tiOnS and their employees. and also to define and
fix the legal liability between such corpora
lions and their employees for injuries suffered
by one employe as the result Of the culpab!e
negligence OF another emplOye while engaged
in the service Of the sane corporation. Nearly
sixty years ago two servants OF an Eaglish
butcher were riding on = wagon. used by their
master in his business. and b. reason OF some
defect in the wagon or some negligent act Of
one OF the servants or partly from both causes,
the other servant was injured. Sui; for dam
age was instituted By the injured man against
his master, and in that case it vas held by
Lord Abinger. in the court Of exchelger, that
the master was not liable TO one servant FOR
injuries received as tie result Of the
negligence OF another servant engaged
in the same common service. unless the
master was himself guilty OK negligence
in employing OF retaining the servant whose
negligence caused the in jury. From this case
sprauE the doctrine Of the masters exemption
from liability tor injuries received by one OF
his servants by reason Of the negligence Of a
fellow servant. Upon this precedent ether
cases were decided until the rule laid down by
Lord Abinger has come 70 be generally ac-
cepted as the doctrine Of the common law.
This rule OF the Common law. as admin
iStered by the courts. IS sweeping in its appli-
Cation. very lev tACtDt-SuS I II .A-t AAHt
been admitted. L has been brCaleled in its
application until it cOve=s all classes Of seTv-
ants. without regard - the nature @; their EN-
Whether this rule, a. applied TO
the servants OF a master engaged II The simple
and purely private business OF a butcher Is
lust, it is needless now to argue. But the DIFF
ference in condition and in the character.
purpose and scope OF the employment
OF the servants O; an English butch
er and those OF a great semi-pu5lic
railway corporation. is so marked and clear as
in my mind to separate them and place them
on a different footing. How can any Just COM
parison be made between two servants OF q
butcher. familiar with each other by daily as
soeiation. acquainted viii the simple methods
and harmless means employed in the conduct
Of a business almost wholly free from danger,
and in the prosecution Of which they are ordi-
narily in contact and in the presence Of each
other: and the servants OF q great railroad
corporation. numbering thousands. scattered
for hundreds Of miles. employed in widely diff
ferent classes OF labor. having no direct con-
nection. and in the main unacqua;nted with
each other. and all, or nearly all. engaged in z
work OF peculiar hazard: Can any Just com-
parison be made in tae condition. responsible
" or the nature OF the employment between
two butcher boys driving Z wagon loaded
with talIow along a public street. and
railway engineer and conductor in
control of a train OF cars. loaded
with human beings and flying with the speed
Of the wind along a railroad TRACK: The differ
.,ra * so co-n0-a.a and amuha-fc a. ~ u.r-a