Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1903-02-26
Biggs Got There.


official to the Biggs binder Irvine
plaut bill. We knew whereof we
spoke and suggested that the said
official be little careful The
following which appeared in one
of the st. Louis papers a few days
ago, makes the situation plains:
The governor is bitterly opposed
to the passage of Senator Biggs'
bill establishing binding Irvine
factory at the penitentiary The
bill went thru the senate with only
two dissenting votes. Senator
Schoelaub of st. Louis voted
against it, probably because he had
not been asked to support it, and
Senator Marshall cast the other
negative vote, because of personal
interest, as he sells binding Irvine
to the farmers of his community.
The bill had smooth sailing in
two committees of the house,
reported by the committee on
agriculture and the judiciary com
mittee favorably by unanimous
vote, Just why it was sent to
the judiciary committee is not APP
parent. After passing thru these
committees it was referred to the
committee on approp iatiOns,
which had a hearing on it. A
majority Of the committee seemed
to favor the bill, but the govern
or's influence was at work, and
another hearing was set. This
was to have been on Thursday
night, but only three of them
were in the senate chamber, listen
ing to the st. Louisians discuss
their election bills. No vote was
taken on the measure, 1t had not
been in the committee a week, but
the very next morning Mr.. Weav-
err, chairman of the committee, re-
ported it without recommendation.
The report was irregular, to say
the least, and surprising since the
chairman said that he favored the
bill.
The interview between Senator
Biggs and Gov. Dockery was re-
ported in the press a few days ago.
More has been learned regarding
his attitude ince. The governor
told Senator Biggs that the bill
was impracticible because all the
convicts were employed and there
were none to be utilized in a bind
ing Irvine factory.
Senator Biggs had visited the
p enitentiary before calling on the
governor and very emphatically
informed the gov ernor that he was
mistaken. The warden had told !
him he could have 100 men and
women for the factory, if one were
established-that there would be
many available.
Just why the governor should
oppose n measure like this is be-
you'd the understand ing of the av-
erage member, especially the far
mer element. There are sixty-two |
farmers in the lower house alone,
aud perhaps forty others who have
a farming constituency. Sam
Cook is quoted as saying this is
the most meritorious measure that
has come before the assembly, and |
it is rather beyond the pale of |
comprehension why the governor
would oppose a.measure which so
directly interests and affects the
farming population of the state.
However, the governor has been
personally on the floor of the
house and has representatives
working against the bill among the
Democrats. The only theory on
which his attitude and strong de-
sire to kill the bill is that he does
not want it passed up to him for
approval. Should it reach him
after passing both houses, it is be-
leved he would not dare veto it,
and, true to his strongest char
acteristic, be wants to avoid the
final decision.