The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-09-26

enactment Of a statute FORGETTING the
franchises and rights of any corpora
ton which is guilty Of bribery. l go
further and advocate the enactment
Of a statute, or If necessary, an
amendment to the constitution, for
feiting to the State the property OF
the corporation so convicted. II goes
without the saying that the processes
Of the Criminal Courts should be
used against every institution OF in
dividual. however great or powerful,
guilty Of bribery.
NOT NEW FORMED OPINIONS.
These are my opinions. They are
not new formed notions. Perhaps l
may be p%ardoned for stating as the
ground of my belief that the lobby
can be driven from the State Capitol,
the experience of Kansas City. The
reference is somewhat personal and
possibly could be better stated by
another; but l disclaim any special
credit. l simply performed my duty
as l understood it and would have been
untrue to my constituents and to my
self had l done less.
Very briefly then. Kansas City
once had a powerful lobby, 1t was
old and experienced and had in
fluential adherents, the support Of
two great newspapers, and was back
ed by more than $50,O 900 of cap
ital.
A few hours before the newly elect
ed democratic administration took Of
flee in 1900 the old Republican coun-
Gil extended the franchises of the
Street Railway Company to twenty
five years, and undertook to release it
from the obligations of its former con-
tracts. Fortified behind these grants
the company defied interference. The
contest between the lobby and the
city lasted for more than two years
and forced me to stand for reelection.
The result in the end was a complete
triumph for the people. The Street
Railway Company of Kansas City now
pays into the city treasury 8 per cent
Of its gross earnings. The best esti-
mates place the amount to be paid
during the term of its franchise at
more than 100000 in excess of
what was required under the terms OF
its franchises granted by the Repub-
lican city administration. The COM
pany has agreed to do street paving
which will cost, during the life of its
franchise, not less than $4,000, 900. 1t
has given universal transfers. 1t con
tracted to expend millions in the con
struction of extensions and in pro
viding modern equipment and II
agreed to do many other things to
which l will not refer. The result
Of these contests is that the lobby
has disappeared from Kansas City.
| have been accused Of painting the
landscape and describing the beauties
Of Missouri sunsets. The after dinner
speech quoted from was made two
years ago in the State Of Virginia
when l responded to the toast mis-
souri," l still stand by what | Their
said. l know 1t is not pleasant read
ing for those who hate Missouri. Bu'
sirs, l would rather paint Missouri
landscapes and girdle them with sum
mer's choicest flowers and rares'
fruits: | would rather sing the praises
of her v%irtuous mothers and homes
sires. than to describe her as a morasi
Of iniuuity, exhaling the foul stencil
of crime. even though | could SCI
sprouting from that same swamp thu
fairest flower Of my ambition.
l would rather praise than denounc'
my State. | prefer the office of eulo
gist to that of detractor, No n OBJ
jects to the plain truth being told
No one wants to hide a crime o
shield a single villainy, but / do pre-
test against the charge that the Gen
eral Assembly as a whole is rottel
and corrupt, because four out of II
stand accused.
do protest against charges s,
framed as to reflect upon the entir'
Democratic administration which ha
rendered honest service. | do pre-
test against those who bespatter wit
/, s%landerous filth the ermine of tn
|. Judges of our courts, because the.
, have declared that men shall be trie,
according to the forms of law.
emphatically protest agains
charges so vague that reply is in
possible, yet so general and sweepin
: as to give the impression that Mis-
!; souri, is a den of iniquity in whic
the s%erpents of corruption make thei
, home, and honest men cannot b
found.
r The Democratic party has give
l Missouri good government. The grea
! mass of Missouri's officials have bee
. incorruptible. No one should indi'
/, %criminately condemn the innocent wit
} the guilty or seek to profit by al
J pensions upon the characters OF hol
t est men. We need not despair.
3 The world yet holds its course; tn
seasons come and go; the people sti
will do their duty by the State, an
' honest men can still be found. TIL
i grand old State is safe. We nee
E not yet adopt the philosophy of tn
J Scotchman who said, "Sandie, l hav
concluded that there are but two hol
est men in the world, you and m,
Sandie, and somes time, Sandie,
D doAbt you"
q ANNOUNCES HIS CANDIDACY 20
e GOVERNOR.
! The office Of Chief Executive of tn
State Of Missouri is an exalted pos
tion worthy of the highest ambitio