The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1904-09-10

the people OF Missouri do in this crisis
VIII have an influence for good or evil
Tor years TO come. When assaulted ana
attacked by those / have been prosecut-
ing you have stood by me. You faith
Is all / have, and whatever the outcome
be. / want TO keep h / went into
the office l now hold without any prom
ise TO any man and under obligations
TO none, and n I am called to a higher
position. 1t must be under the same con-
ditions. / propose TO be free to do my
duty as / see IL TO my party n to my
people, and / h not submit to any
entanging alliances.
If ! am elected governor. the first ru-
NOR OF bribery around Jefferson City
Will be by an Investigation
thorough and complete. If l hav to con-
duct 1t myself. l do not propose that
a corrupt lobby shall operate in Jefferson
City. and shall drive il from the capitol.
III any bill Is passed for sandbagging
purposes, or by the use Of money. / shall
not hesitate to veto 1t. l shall not per-
init public service corporations to make
the legislature the tool Of corporate in
%terests- l shall see that corporations and
all other interests. as well as individuals,
are treated fairly and justly. They, as
well as individuals. shall a all the
rights the law accords to them, but no
more. They shall have equal and exact
justice, but no special privileges. The
ieslSlator'S first step towards corruption
Is the railroad pass. The laws o. this
subject will be strictly enforced. The
passage of laws making IL a felony for
an official to solicit a bribe and laws
compelling witnesses to testify to bribery
transactions Will be recommended, and
the passage of laws maxim all fran
chises obtained by bribery void will be
advocated. Recommendations will also be
made that the statute of limitations in
bribery cases be fixed at FIVE years.
shall do my best to have the principles
of the initiative and referendum put into
effect. A constitutional amendment pro-
vlding for this Is now before the people.
II this Is adopted. the people can by pc
tition initiate new legislation, or veto bad
legislation. With this law in effect. the
incentive to bribery Of legislators will
be taken away, as what they do can be
undone by the people.
The policy of my administration will
be to lay the burden Of taxation equita-
franchises.
Laws protecting the rights of labor as
well as the rights Of capital will be
favored. The man who earns his living
by the sweat OF his brow is Just
as honest and just as patriotic, with
purposes as noble as those of his en-
ployer. Each has rights that the other
should respect, and that the law should
protect. The rights Of one before the
law should not be greater than the rights
of the other.
l shall recommend new laws on the
subjects of roads, and shall endeaVor to
provide a system whereby good roads
can be built from one end of the state
to the other. AS one of the steps IN this
direction. ! shal advise that the rail-
road commissioner be made state high
way commissioners, with authority to
look after n oversee the construction
Of public roads.
The police departments of st. Louis.
Kansas City and st. Joseph will not be
used in politics. While they have the
same rights to political beliefs as other
cltlzens, When on duty they shall be the
conservators of the peace, and not poll
ucians. shall do my duty to ave cleo
tons SO conducted that every Democrat,
every Republican, every Populist, every
Socialist, and every man Of every party.
ana OF no party, may go to the polls and
vote just as he pleases, without interior
ence from II source. The Democratic
party wants the ballot In Missouri hon
est, and fair and free, and desires polit-
ical liberty to reign supreme in this state.
! do not propose to build VI a machine
and shall see to II that member of the
state committee are not office holders
under the governor. l believe the besr
machine any individual can have is the
heart and conscience OF the people. II
he does right, he will have this. Blu
If he does not do right, he will not de.
serve 1t.
NO DOODLE SUPPORT WANTED
l do not want the support of am
boodler. | expect and want all Of then
to fight me, and | say this knowing ful
well the forces they can control through
their wealth and sinister influences. Tha
Is why | am making this race. Mex
to the honor of defeating them is tn
honor of being defeated by them | wan
the issue clean cut. l had rather be de
feated without Doodle votes than electel
with them. Defeat without them woul,
be more honorable han success witt
them. | a my party to win as mucl
as any man, but l would rather 1t woul,
go down to honorable defeat thar u
to dishonorable victory. The party Is ii
this light for a principle; that is wha
this contest is for. The Democratic part!
believes honesty Is the best politics, a
well as the best policy. That Is the prin
ciple Of the Democratic party that will
win, because it is right.
II the Democratic party takes such
stand as to make the boodlers bolt ava,
from the party, It should make good cit
liens bolt towards It. When boodlers ge
on II side, good citlzelN should go OF
the other. Boodlers are never divided
good citizens usually are. That is hoy
the boodlers get their power. Wit
which party will the boodlers vote thi
election2 1t does not take a prophet t
tell they will be with the Republica-
party. Good Republicans said a yea
ago that II the Republican manager
should invite Ed Butler to join the Re
publican party, they were going to ge
out and com over to the Democrat
party. What are they going to do abou
, It now?
REPUBLICAN CRITICISM.
Some of the opposition criticised tn
prosecution of boodlers, and asked VIII
was not this or that done. We did onl
the best we could, but do not criticism
come with poor grace when IL Is remem
: bered that nobody had been prosecute
I before, and that there were no offcis
7 exposures whatever prior to two and
2 half years ago? | defy the Republica
l managers. who are so free In tindin