The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-08-06
A REPUBLICANS LETTER
Gives the Journal a Few More Rdps
Regarding the Position it has
Taken In Politics Lately.

adkCll Ill UllICS IdlCly.
| EDITOR REPORTER: Again the "Organ
of the Leon Ring" failed to answer, Or
even attempt to answer our article of
July 10th. Why? Simply because it
could not as our statements were and
arc unanswerable. If the "Ring Organ"
can afford to dismiss the matters re-
fcrred to by us, by the stereotyped ar
gumcnt (?) contained in the application
"liar" and "pole-cat" we can certainly
afford to have it to do so. There are
sources from which denunciation is
the highest type or tlattery, and the
| "Ring Organ" is one of them.
In our last communication we made
some statements relative to the candi-
dacy of j. w. Blythe for the United
States senate. Since our article APP
pcrred other papers have had something
to say along that line. We quote the
following from the Twice-a-Week News,
the leading and most conservative re-
publican paper in Ringgold county.
"Papers published along tho line of
the G.. B. & Q. railroad and it's branches
have been singing in chorus for the
past week or two the praises of Hon. j.
w. Blythe of Burlington, who is general
attorney for that railroad and also guard
ian of it's political interests in Iowa.
Mr.. Blythe has free hand in issuing
passes, so possibly the desire for sum
mer vacation trips supplies the motive
for these pleasant words. Still, it is to
be observed that the praise is given on
the ground of Mr.. Blythe's statesman
to specifically endorse him for the
United States senatorship. Not long
since a politician from neighboring
county said 81 want to live long enough
to see j. w. Blythe elected to the
United States senate and then | am
ready to quite" to which a Ringgold
county pass-holdcr answered, "well, all
our follows here are agreed to that" 1t
must be admitted that Mr.. Blythe is n
personally estimable gentleman and that
he certainly earns his salary by faithful
service, both professional and political,
to the railroad which employs him. The
connection with a railroad company
which gives 4 man power to issue free
=, passes is not, however, conclusive evil
dence of his craftsmanship, yet the pow
er is the rock upon which is built Mr..
Blythe's political strength in Ringgold
and other counties in southern Iowa
Men who would scorn the gift Of 1886
in money, and honestly resent it, are
urged to accept the pass to Des Moincs
at convention time and arc made to feel
!. under obligations to the person who
obtained the passes for them. A rail
road company has right to receive
exact justice in political and all other
public matters and should not be harass-
ed by opposition based upon prejudice;
but the system of issuing free passes as
a consideration Of political influence is
wrong in principle and lowers the moral
tone of political life. In Ringgold
county it has been more prevalent dur
ing the past two or three years than
ever before, passes having been offered
and even urged upon men who had
never been SO favored. That connec-
tion with a railroad company which
enables man to secure free transpor-
tation for all his friends and supporters
undoubtedly helps him to build up a
political machine, yet it is no indication
!, of his ability or inclination to serve the
general interest Of country or party
Can candidacy for the United States
: senate be made to stand upon so narrow
a basis?"
What the News says of Ringgold
county is equally true of Decatur
county. Therein lies the animus of the
the opposition of the "Leon Ring and
its votaries throughout the county, to
: Governor Cummins. They dare not at
: tack him because of his open disregard
Of the threats of the railroad beneficiar-
les and his strict adherence to the duty
which he understands he owes to the
people who elected him. The fulfill
ment Of which is partly found in the
the increase Of the assessment of the
railroads Of the state. When he came
into office he found that, under the
Shaw, Dobson, Merriam regime, in the
face of the vigorous protest Of John
Herriott, the railroads of Iowa, notwith-
standing the double track across the
state and the substitution of steel for
iron rails, were being assessed at less
figure per mile than during the term of
Governor Larrabee which ended twelve
years before. He found an aggregate
assessed valuation Of S47,071, 1853. The
first assessment in which he participat-
ed, increased this sum to SOL ,3O7, $50
and the assessment just completed has
raised this amount to $56,537 1897 or an
increase in two years Of $9,468,069 OF
2O.1%. These figures represent tho re-
suit of man doing his duty by the
people instead Of favoring the railroads.
i Certain it is that no railroad attorney