The Van Buren press., 1900-09-29
For Political Effect.

litical character. The result of his visit
was series of political articles intend
ed TO injure the Democratic party, and
in most instances the existing conditions
were greatly exaggerated and small
facts colored TO suit the occasion. To
cap the climax, the issue of September 4
contained a column-and-a-half article,
in which Senator James X, Jones of
this state was designated as millionaire,
The whole article was as full of false
hood as it was possible for that much
space to contain. The alleged RED
Book which Stevens mentions as con-
tanning a list of millionaires, in which
the name of Senator j. X. Jones APP
pears, is a fiction, pure and simple,
| Walter B. Stevens never saw any such
book, nor have any of his advisors, some
of whom probably encouraged him to
this misrepresentation of Senator Jones
while he was in this city. The effort
to make it appear that Senator Jones
has accumulated vast riches and is at
the head of gigantic trust is intended
to counterfeit the evil influence which
Hanna unscrupulous use of trust funds
has had on the Republican party. We
regret that any supposedly respectable
representative of a great political party
should stoop to such despicable methods.
The Democrat of its own knowledge
desires here and now to contradict the
report circulated concerning the finan
cial condition of Senator Jones his sole
income is his salary rs United States
senator We know this to be fact,
and any statements to the contrary are
absolutely false. He possesses probably
$40, 900 or SIS 600 worth Of property
besides his stock in the American Cotton
company That stock never paid him
one cent and it is not certain when it
will. 1.-THE Democrat will stake its
reputation for veracity on the truthful
ness of this statement. Senator Jones
became interested in the American Cot
ton company as any business man would
become interested in legitimate enter
prise. 1t has never paid him one dollar,
and we have Senator Jones word for it
that he would be glad to have the money
back which he has expended in perfect.
ing patents connected with it. 1t is un-
Just to Senator Jones and unfair to his
friends, and misleading to the public,
to permit this story of Walter B. Stevens
to 90 uncontradicted. If he has secured
any such information while on his visit
to this city he certainly got 1T from very
irresponsible sources; If he made the
story up from imagination his offence
is all the more reprehensible, The
Democrat desires, once and for all,
to brand it as falsehood. 1t asserts
positively that Senator Jones sole in
come is his salary. This is the truth,
and the whole truth Any fair minded
man who wishes to do justice will in
vestigate before giving credit to story
conveying different impression. Sen.
Jones connection with the American
Cotton company is fully explained in the
following letter. This communication
contains plain statement of facts, and
should receive fair consideration at
the hands of all honest men:
CHICAGO, August 81 1900.
Hon. A. A. LEsUEUR, Kansas City Mo.
My Dear Sir--''In compliance with
your request, / will endeavor to state
briefly the facts about the American
Cotton company and my connection with
it.
list. 1t Is charged as understand,
that | am connected with trusts, and
the charge IL attempted to be sustained
by the assertion that am II stakeholder
in the American Cotton company
ed That this company is trust be-
cause In its original organization four
other companies were merged in it, the
implication being that these were COM
natto,, ,,ta "a thnt tkap
merged to avoid competition,
I'D. 1t is suggested, though ! be-
lieve have not seen it directly charged,
that stock in excess Of the actual value
of the cash and property of the company
has been issued
18th That it does not sell its presses,
but leases them.
10Th. That 1t buys the cotton packed
by its presses and intends by this means
to monopolize the cotton market,
18th, That it has monopoly OF the
round-bale method Of packing cotton.
IA plain statement of the facts WILL
think, show how easily in all this
ignorance and persistent malice may
pervert the truth. am IA stakeholder
in the American Cotton company, u
company organized TO operate u new
cotton press believed by US TO be in
1nitNly superior 10 any other press ever
invenled This company il in no sense
u trust. has not single feature or
characteristic Of a trust in It's entire
history OF organization. The press
operated by the American Cotton com
pany Is the invention, us ! believe, of
D, W, Graves, and for number of
years ! and several other gentlemen
We're engaged in trying to perfect il.
After much labor, care aud expense we
had 1t IN satisfactory condition. During
this time 1t appears that Mree other
companies or associations OF persons
were engaged in trying to develop and
perfect the same process, and my
associates believed. and firmly believe |
now, rs suppose they all do, that Mr.
Graves was the original inventor Of the
press, and that we We're the rightful and
sole owners of II The others seemed
to DO just Ms firmly convinced that they
were each the inventor and rightfnl |
owner, Some one was evidently ms
taken. There was one press, one in
venlion, but who the first inventor and |
owner might be was matter Of con
troVersy, There We're two ways of de.
terlnining the question: law suit,
which would involve years of litigation
and great expense or II compromise,
After long delay and much discussion
the parties reluctantly agreed that II
was better to divide the invention fairly
amongst us all, each having u share,
rather than spend years In a law suit to
determine which company of the -four
should own the entire patent. None of
the claimants of the patents had the
capital necessary TO the introduction of
the new press and men with means had
to be interested TO procure the necessary
capital for this purpose. The necessary
capital and only the necessary capital,
lnr lIa .nnnnu.IuI nnnrnIlnn NyIA nrn.