Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-06-06
GOV. STONES VIEWS.

for two principal reason-() for the enact
ment Of an honest election law. and (2) for Q
fight against the lobby. I have appealed to
senators and representatives to enact q good
election law and to make war on the railroad
lobby. have begged both democrats and re-
publ1cans, as MissOurians, to do this in tho
name OF good government, nave also ap-
peased to democrats to make these fights as q
matter OF party pride, and republicans have
been appealed to in the same way by men
prominent in that party. Every appeal posi-
BILE to arouse men to duty has been made. An
election law has been enacted There are
provisions In it which think it would have
been better to have left out, but 1t is q law
which will make future election frauds difficult
and hazardous. 1t was hard work to get even
That much, but the people OF St Louis and
Kansas City can now have honest elections II
they want them. The failure OF fellow
servant and anti-lobby legislation is a victory
for the lobby. I knew when submitted the
subject OF fellow-servant legislation to the
legislature 1t meant q desperate fight with
the lobby. To pass that bill meant the COM
piete rout and overthrow of the lobby. 1t meant
Its utter destruction. For that very reason
wanted the fight made before the people of tho
state If the battle was won, then an evil in
f1uence would be driven from the capital; il
lost, the people would have an object lesson for
future guidance. It is well that they should
know what influences operate here Good ad-
ministration and the public safety require that
the people should be thoroughly aroused to the
dangers menacing them. They can protect
themselves If they viii. II We are Indifferent.
the case is hopeless"
Asked as to who he thinks is respon-
sible for the defeat of fellow-servant
legislation, the governor said:
1.-The lobby, Of course. There Is no doubt OF
that. That fact can not be obscured. whatever
effort may be made to disguise it. Two forces
have been in opposition here for a month. The
lobby has been on hand. insolent defiant. ag-
gressive. The enemies of this force have strug-
gled to overthrow it. The anti-lobby senators
and representatives have made hard fight for
honest government. The lobby won after a
desperate struggle. but believe they will find
that it is short-lived and dearly bought vic
tory"
When asked about the political effect
of the fight, he said:
THAT is consideration which sinks below
the higher consideration Of the public right;
but to be frank, do not see how any party adj
vantage or disadvantage can accrue to anyone.
What are the facts: The senate is democratic
at this time by three majority. In that body.
therefore. the parties are about evenly bal
anced. The house is republican by q majority
OF twenty-four over the democrats. At the
regular session no election law was passed. At
that session the senate passed general fellow
servant bill and sent it to the house weeks be-
fore the adjournment. The house took no
action fellow-servant bills until about
week before adjournment The house
then passed a bill which reached the SEN
ate Monday before the adjournment Sat-
urday. That bill was a straight rail-
road fellow-servant bill, with proviSo to the
effect that no railroad employees should enjoy
its benefits II he or any organization to which
he belonged ever interferred with the railroad
companies in the employment of men or con-
Quoting their business. That bill would
have destroyed the railroad organizations or
else have been worthless. Neither bill would
have been Of much practical value. The house
killed the senate bill and the senate killed the
house bill. AT special session the senate
passed general bill and sent it to the house.
There was fierce struggle in the senate The
lobby was opposed to any bill, of course, but
favored the general bill rather than the spe-
cial. The anti-lobby senators were never able
to force a direct vote on the straight railroad
bill. The general bill was thrust in a SUBJ
stitute, and passed. For month the house
took action fellow servant bills. They
were introduced at the beginning OF the session
and referred to committees. There they slept
for month. Democratic representatives Of
fered resolution after resolution to require the
committees to report the bills to the house,
but all such resolutions were voted down by
the republicans, as the journal will show.
For weeks the house was idle, adjourning
day after day without doing anything, and
refusing to consider fellow-servant bills.
After the senate had passed a general bill the
house suddenly bestfrred itself. A special bill
was then reported and passed. That bill
reached the senate Friday last But the seq
ate, after passing a general bill. had adopted
joint resolution to adjourn on Saturday. and
had sent that to the house Immediately after
sending its general bill, SO that both the senate
bill and the adjournment resolution were pend
ing in the house at the same time. Now, as
have said, In this state of the case the house
passed special bill and sent it to the senate
on Friday. but under the constitution the bill
could not be acted in the senate
before Monday, as it requires three days
to pass an original bill. The adoption
by the house OF the senate reso-
luton to adjourn to-day operated, therefore. to
preclude any action by the senate on the house
bill The senate could not have acted on that
bill before next Monday This morning tho
house met at 10 O'Clock, took up the general
bill passed by the senate, and amended it by
substituting special bill. That was sent over
to the senate about IL O'Clock. Then the house
adopted the joint resolution to adjourn at IL
O'Clock. That left the senate about an hour In
which to print. examine and pass the bill. and
also to wind up its business preparatory to
as everybody knew, to secure q vote
in the senate within an hour. After
the amendment was printed the SEN
ate had just fourteen minutes left until IL
O'Clock. One opponent OF the bill could easily
talk an hour out. In this way both houses
have dealt with the question. The people
can easily tell to what extent either has acted
in good faith. I simply state the facts. without
comment The executive branch of the gov
eminent has been for special legislation. That
branch is democratic. So far as the executive
department is representative of the democratic
party, 1t opened the fight for this legisla.
ton, and stood by it to the end. The senate is
almost evenly divided. OF the senators who
favored the legislation. there was a fair de
vision between democrats and republicans. It
was not treated as a party question in that
body In the only test vote taken, eight demo-
Gratis and six republicans recorded themselves
in favor OF straight bill In the house, on
the vote to pass straight bin. there were
twenty-one nays or these, there were six
democrats. one populfst and fourteen repub-
licans The bulk OF the democrats of the
house have stood in favor OF legislation.
They sought in vain to force the bills from the
committee in time for deliberate action and
voted against the final adjournment, as to
give the senate time to act on the house bill
and to compel action thereon. Such is the his.
tory of this transaction It is quite clear that
neither house has any reason to congratulate
ITSELF"
Continuing, the governor said:
AFTER all. we have secured an election law
in favor of honest elections and the lobby IS
forced from cover into the open field. The peo-
pie see it now and can deal with it as it is. The
fight is not ended yet"
To Make Beet Sugar.
A syndicate of Dutch capitalists, it
is reported, are about to start a big
beet sugar business in the neighbor-
hood of Bowling Green, Ky.
A Monster Devil Fish.
A devil fish Is feet long and weigh
ing 1000 pounds was caught near
Horn island, not far from Moss Point,