Mexico Missouri message., 1904-07-28

mltleQ 10 lauu the man WHO Nus
been the principal fundamentally
II in enabling me to behold again
this spectacle. It is a token of
what he will do when governor. 1t
is a pledge Of what he shall then
accomplish if his hands are held
MP and the sun of justice stands
still for time in the skies, and the
battle goes on. And the battle
should go on. The night should
not be permitted to come, and
these men be allowed to cover mp
their tracks. am not here to de.
nounce the governor or criticisc the
supreme court or arraign any other
candidate for governor, past or
present, or to malign or even crit
icise their friends. ! am here to
stick to the issue selected by the
. people-to stand by the prOsecu-
tor of boodlers. This numerous
gang Of wicked and powerful men
whom he is now prosecuting are
feeling for the very heart of orr
freedom with their daggers-dag-
gers cold and treacherous as that
of Brutus, glittcring and defiant
as that of Catalina. No cOmpro-
mise should be made with these
men or their aides or abettors. The
law never regards crime as legit-
innate antagonist. 1t carries the
black flag Of the offender.
But it is contcnded that the
gentleman l am nominating is
neither a spellbinder, as they put
it or man of marked ability. As
to the first contention, it is suli-
cient to say that it requires an or
ator to appeal to the heart of the
nobler side of man, but any ordi-
nary demagogue, with a fair mag |
nation and little training at the
nefariOus business, can play the |
spellbinder and create the hates
and baser passions of his audience.
1t is a sufficient answer to the |
second contention TO say that no
man without pronounced ability, |
could have convicted with such |
certainty, and in so short. time,
such large number of influential |
criminals. In the hottest and
most rapid fight ever made for the
governorship in our state he de-
ported himself with remarkable |
dignity, caution and common
sense. His astute and trained en-
emics-I am not abusing them, | |
presume / must admit it was legit-
innate, Oolitical welfare-cOncocted |
all sorts of schemes to catch him,
laid all sorts of traps for him, APP
piled all sorts of questions to HIM,
but if at any moment, they got the
better of him ! failed to see it.
The truth is, as a rule, they were
badly worsted. 1t is folly to at
tempt to convince intelligent peo-
pie that man passed thru such a.
series of fights and achieved such
triumphs without unusual ability.
But he possesses that which is
far better than mere intellectually.
His bitterest enemies who are Mt
all fair, frankly concede that he is
a man of exemplary habits and
splendid moral character. AS
Christianity spreads, and civiliza-
ton, her handmade, advances, men
are more aud more becoming pos
sessed Of the sublime truth that
goodness is greatness. Let pessi-
mists say what they will, the
world is constantly growing better.
Step by step the meek and lowly
Nazarene is advancing, ray by ray
the millennial dawn is gathering,
The eternities are Gods and He
will take His time. The sublime
rule of moral merit that greatness
should be measured in precise pro
portion to a mans moral worth
and his services to his race, is