The Red Cloud chief., 1902-09-05
OF FACTS
To the Electors of Webster County and All
Others Interested.

Be it generally known, that % June 81, 1902, rrre a Il People.
Party county convention held in Ret Cloud, IN said county. for the pm.
pose o. placing in nomination a county attorney and a Representative to
to the next Legislature. On the Informal ballot tie delegates favored the
nomination ofL G. Peiiger for Representative. AZ this point asked and
was granted the privilege Of addressing the convention, believing it ito b
my duty to make known the action of H. c. Peisigcr on Inc freight rate bill
in the last Legislature, by stating tD the delegates then and there assem-
bed, that o n or about March II, 1901, noticed in the daily papers that l.
Z, reilger, Representative from SAID county, had votcd 1t the house
against j c. Sprcchets freight rate bill, known as, house roll NO 23, in
which was asked a general reduction on freight rates OF u per cent; also,
,"' prior " Tue meeting of the last l. sis"ture aud after the decision on
the Newberry bill, the railroads of the state raised the rates on live stock
and grain, thereby taking out of the pockets of the farmers of the state
and placing in the vaults Of the above railroads about the sum If three
hundred thousand dollars a year, over and above the rates that we're in
force at the time of the passage of the Newbrrry bill As l had about
finished, MIR. Householder, who was float Representative from Webster
and Adams counties, asked if he might explain. said, Certainly, sir "
lie did so by stating that there yer two freight bills; that the other bill,
known ast the Oils bill, was preferable to Mr.. Sprecher's bill, himself hv.
ing voted for the sprecher bill, and that l.. G. Pdsiger voted against it on
hat account AT this point MIR .. X, Ptney, Senator from this, Franklin
and Nuckols counties, spoke up and said this W a so, for he remembered
something TO that effect: or course took my seat, having been knocked
GU. for awhile, and Mr.. Pesiger wa nominated. Now, I;claim and make
the statement that this legislative contingent va in league with N.
other for the purpose If II denomination, and thai. they did then and there
distort, perver, viify, and fawn a the feet of Mammon, and the house
journal and the senate journal will bear m out. AS to the Sprecher bill,
or o No. 24S TASK you to look in the house journal o N pages $50.
sV7 and 96 and 97. You will notice that this was the general freight
measure; that the Oils bill, described later on, related to live stock only.
roads II " as reno,,eS h.ct n III" borao an v ~ u1 =, M, ,' neo - .aI
road committee for indefinite poNponement, and was postponed by such
men asL l.. c. Pesiger voting for the railroad corporations. There were
four Republican members who voted for the bill, and il the fusion forces
had voted as they were elected to vote the bill would have been placed on
general file; but they seemed to be in a great hurry to kill the bill.
As W not satisfied in regard to Mr.. Househoders explanation,
wrote MIR. J.C Sprecher, who was the leader in the house on the fusion
side, to explain to me Gin regard to the Oils bill. He answered, stating
that the Oils bill, known as house roll No 255, was only a stock rate bill
relating to live stock; that it passed the house regardless of party, but that
the senate killed it; that U. II. Piney was a dodger on this bill, making
two Judases from Webster county Had this ratio held good throughout
the state we would have had about 1870. But, behold! had the honor Of
being selected As a delegate to the senatorial convention held in Red Cloud
for the counties of Nuckols, Webster and Franklin. There were but four
delegates from Webster, three from Franklin and none from Nuckous. and
as y X. Pitney was seeking the second nomination faced him with the
charge that he was nc better than Pesger. He wanted to know why, and
l said he lodged the Oils bill. He at fret denied it, when showed him
sprecher's letter, who he DETAINED by saying he a crazy. But, on gong
into the convention and reading the Sprecher letter, he sang another tune.
He said while in the senate he received word from home that his family
was sick and that he left the evening before the last day, claiming that the
Oils bill was voted upon on the last day. As he had made two or three
hobbies already, l thought would look the matter up. procured the
Jus journal n h nat journal nd "a vnoctad I foupd An IooLmc
over the senate journal that U. h. Phney attended the last day Of the legs.
lature answering to roOl call in the morning also in the afternoon after re.
cess and found that he voted on nearly all bills coming up the last day
and on the one just prior to the Oils bill being No. AGO then the Oils bill
came up and when Pitneys name was called he wa absent, he had lodged.
And to sustain what 1 have said, in regard Ito q X. Piney, refer you to
senate journal pages 1927, $50, 1884 to $40 and 1877 which you can see in the
court house in Red Cloud, or at my residence in Cowles and will be
pleased to show any paries that wish to look the journal over. As regards
the Oils bill, four republican members voted for it, this would have been
forces killed all antimonoply legislature, in the last legislature, and those
from Webster county want to 60 back so that they can do the job over
again. l shall expect all the Wall Street crew to vote for the above uomi.
nees; but believe there is enough honest men in Webster county to send
that will vote, at least, for the cordinal principles of the Peoples Party, the
lowering OF rates, for which all the people would call them blessed. Judas
betrayed his master for go pieces OF silver afterwards bringing them to
the temple and throwing them down then going out and hanging himself.
Might it be possible for others to- do likewise. Truly yours,
Cowles, Nebr, Sept 1, V2. 70. oMF0R0.