The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-07-22
"An Explanation That Does Not
Explain.

In our issue of Friday we published
a communication from the attorney OF
the Southern Missouri n Arkansas
Railroad Company. The attorney
states that he is thoroughly familiar
with the facts of the sale of the st.
Louis, Cape Girardeau Il TT. Smith
Railroad, and it goes without saying
that he knows the law.
The letter of the attorney wn> III re
sponse to AN editorial oi the prece-
ding day. IN which We stated that
Judge Robert G. Kanney. the Com
missioner appointed by the court TO
max tn. sale Of tn railroad. would
a. the August Ecrm of the Circuit
Court. move th<. court to set aside she
sale OF the railroad because the terms
of sale had net been complied with.
To that alle@a,ion the attorney makes
Ehis response: The purchases have
so far complied with the terms Of their
purchase in every detail. With that
statement W. take issue and most EN-
phatically deny that the Purchasers
have complied with the terms OF their
purchase or ':he order of safe anade by
the court. The attorney OF che Rall-
road Co,NMeny states that the purcha-
sers have paid to the commissioners
81. .000 which was all the court direct
ed shuRla ~. paid Il cas-. .lti> ""S
h,., I -
and all iIx..I,--tcd in tht, .s~set- oi 'at
ROAD. -N.r.iI the tort!ITeFo il" ! 4"
were ~1-,cig enough 80 20 INTO hie
comhi n:ttig,m which made.'tl" pui'cha 81.
Now .7e .iS~ist the tart- x, bc that 'he
railroad 5ya> to bc sold ~ public IA le
for cash but no bid x;HS to he rtt-'i%
niZel by zhe Commissioner unless at'.-
coR,Jnni-G by a certified check oi
S2.Esn .rud all that ,-.t. purchasers
have ,,ald L. the 80. a.t- which they
put in ,EiIh the isiG. The road NH :
sold f.,, -S42J. .GD. which ge,as to h. paid
in cash .-un< gs.,.utl,- T1'fe purrha a-4t:r-
are in .!"fault $tn a'9- There T"aS
allowed .hy the coGrt, independcsFt 90
the ibo.i,ed debt $g@o,HH. which fo.'
convenience has beer 'denomInatea -
''E0aticg debt. WhiGE is to ~ Pii'i9
out of tn" proceeds Of the sale al the
road. and which tb~ pIT-,.ha Sef'- ar. -
anxious to buy al =. .u:-s-ount ot - He'
cent. With due G~'iss.f7ce. what a'ls-l-
ness We would like Is inquire Of ia
purahss..f~s is it wtbatR.r these rI,uia :
are settled. The purchasers owe 4
balanes of unpaGC purchase fHDnsS
ard it.is the duty or ,ths puIchasei'r'ro q
pay that instanter. .ar9 we suspect D.
they do not do 20 the Circuit C@Ii-',
vii ;;Saoy the reason ANY.
The attorney for Ght company may
say that the holders of stock iS an
new company are lat!gsely the o"'a"re
of the bords of the ole company: for
the sake of the arggmSft We "rsant i,
but what III ght does r3R2f give 10 1iisk.
the ,-orpt:s Of the Old road without
paving for il: The G8rtentiOu "f i;he
attorney II that as 1Ae purchasers are
comnoseG of holders o. bonds OF the
old company, they have & right /" Say
and take the corpus -. che old c's;'d
withq sit De wing for it, Estwe insls; the
truth Is that there are &33}crs OF boGds
of tlss old compaaG- representa-"
many thousand of doilaas who did not
for many sea sons go inta the new de'-
~.ganiasEion .iRd have no Interest IA It
but aresoIicitous that the purchaser
shall psy the nfApey into"ourt so that
they m2y receives their Iroper due
though il be .enly a mite. Then the
holders of the -'tioating deot have a
right to the protection Of the court
and to insist that the money be paid
intocourt and that they ben0. subjected
TO the vicissitudes of anotba Railway
Company failure
The attorney takes great pride in
having paid taxes due by the Ftailway
Company to the State. That was It's
dlrv. 1t is a consolation to the or
dinary mortal that he can render unto
the State the'things that are the States.
hut we have not known of their rush
ing icto the highways and exuitngly
turning their eyes to Heaven ana
shifting their breasts and saying We
thank God we have (th0ugh after ieng
delay) done what others have long
since been compelled TO do and claim
credit therefor.
The attorney further states that If
this money should be paid into court
not cent could be used to pay the
claims of laborers until the appeals
were disposed of: granted. but it is
further true that if it was paid into
court by the purchasers the purchasers
would not have it to use in trying to
buy the honest claims of the poor
taborers at ruinous discount.
The attorney in one breath intimates
that the labor claims are not worth
price of the paper upon which they are