Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-09-24

for courage a hundred times, Benedict
Arnold became a traitor. Neverthe-
less. the faithful officers and soldiers
of the Continental army saw the BAN
ner of England supplanted by the
Flag of Freedom upon the battle-
ments of Yorktown. Those who re-
manned faithful were not condemned
because one wretch had sold his honor.
THE CORRUPT LOBBY MUST GO.
But, my countTymen, If corruption
is to be finally eradicated we must
attack the evil at its source. The
knife must go to the root of the can
Ger. The corrupt lobby must be driven
from municipality, State and Nation.
On July 4th, in a public speech. l
said this and added, THAT worse than
the bride taker is the bride giver, be-
cause more dangerous" l stand upon
that statement.
Back of all boodling is the effort
of some one to gain an unjust priv
ilege or escape a just demand, either
through legislation or the lassitude or
ignorance of some officer. According
ly, the officer or legislator is cajoled
with flattery, awed by power or may
even be corrupted. In any event, the
people are cheated.
The existence of an organized lobby
at the State Capitol during the recent
sessions of the General Assembly is
a matter of common knowledge. Os-
feasibility this lobby was engaged in
protecting the railway corporations
from what they were pleased to term,
unjust legislation" The charge has
been publicly made that these "legisia'
tive agents inspire bills attacking
various business interests in order to
compel their employment to prevent
the enactment into laws of the very
measures they themselves originated
Nor are they thus satisfied. When
wholesome legislation is proposed by
an honest legislator. these wolves are
ready to pounce upon it, and by pre-
venting it's passage compel if possible
its honest author to withdraw his op
position to some unjust measur ir
order that his own bill may pass. Sc
the members of the lobby o 10 become
mere Hessians ready for any employ
ment, experienced in evil, skilled iT
deceit, it is but necessary that they
find a few plant tools among the
members of the legislature in order
to exert a powerful influence upoT
legislation.
They become the purveyors o.
legislative poison. They tempt the
weak; they trap the unwary
they meet in the dark, conspirt
behind closed doors and plot while
honest men sleep. They combine the
cunning of the fox, the appetite o
the wolf and the subtlety of the spidel
with the instincts of the hyena. Wher
it is necessary their touch is as sof
as the gloved hand of a woman. |
it suits their purpose they can de
stroy without pity. Their voices cal
be as tender as the whispers of a low
lorn maiden in the a of her sweet
heart and they can utter threats will
the hiss of a serpent. They pro
nounce ~eulogies upon virtue whicl
would do credit to a saint, and she,
crocodile tears over the misfortune
of the victim whom they have dragge,
to the gates of perdition. But at al
times and in all seasons they are tn
enemies of society, of law, of orde
, and of good government. They ar
! the most dangerous conspirator
against the Republic.
The professional legislative lobby
list is such a combination and hal
. monious blending of %impudence, dc
.-st t,~o11Ay1r orI cnT11pl rn1icp, n
= entitle him among the assembled vi
lians of the earth to stand without
J rival and without a peer"
!, We are told that the remedy 70
: corruption is to select honest me
to office. True, if we could Away
:, look into the heart of a candidate
> read his soul and divine his future
, we need not then select any but tn
, honest and the brave, and the cur
!, would be complete. But we are nc
:, thus gifted. You have sought in tn
y past to select honest men. You BIZ
: lieved Lee was an upright either
Mistakes have been made and ma
be made again. Your Judgment wi
not suddenly become infallible. w
q will certainly in the future get som
, men who have an etching palm"
We cannot always discriminate b.
tween the honest and the dishones
q In the crowd which cries, "Sto
thief" the thief is frequently col
cealed; and the clearer his guilt tn
n more pious is his countenance; tn
+ greater his fervor and the lustier hi
4 lungs. Just now, W have som
g strange reformers in Missouri.
q The greatest step toward the erat
ication of corruption is to be found /
the destruction of the lobby. Here
the chief source of the iniquity.
|. II had infinite power and wanted I
stop all evil l would first kill til
devil and then turn My attention
d the lesser %scoundrels. If Beelzebu
were gone roguery would lack it's il
spiration.
= ! say now, as have said befor
get the bride giver as well as tt
l. bribe taker; get them both. The
=. ought to be chained together. B,
more dangerous than the bride taxi
& is the bride giver. Let us scourt
o. both from legislative halls. The bril-
taker must go, but the profession
q corrutionists must be driven from ii