Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-01-21

ruption made against the whole Demo-
cratic party by foes within and enemies
without.
Recognizing the fact that this ex-
posure and punishment of corruption
appeals to the public sense of morality,
Republican papers, fearing to attack
those Democratic officials Immediately
engaged in the work, have sought to
counterfeit the beneficial political effect
of this performance of their public
duties by a~pplauding the circuit at
torney for his work, and charging that
he stands alone in it, discrediting the
rest of the party and eulogizing him
| alone.
That the circuit attorney should have
permitted this to be done to the mani
fest discredit of the party to whom he
owes everything, and that he has per-
mitted himself to be made the willing
tool of designing Republican poll
ticians, is a matter of deep regret to
those Democrats who gave him what
ever opportunity he has for political
advancement. And he has now fallen
so completely into the clutches of these
Republican m~anipulators that he has
up to the present time made every
charge against the Democratic party
repeated by the Republican press in the
last two campaigns, excepting the n
single absurdity of the footing of the
school fund"
THE LOBBY.
Much Of the corruption in legislative
bodies is due to an INSCRIPTIONS lobby,
which uses money IL bribing members
either to support or oppose some legis-
lative measure. Equally corrupt and
more despicable, however, is the sand
Dagger, who introduces a bill affecting
a great interest, not with the expecta-
ton of passing the same, but for the
purpose of forcing these persons whose
property would be destroyed by it, to
come to Jefferson City, and there he
intimidates them with the threat Of
passing the bill, and by this means
forces the corrupt expenditure of
money.
| am personally convinced that of all
corruptionists, the sandbagging MEM
Der is the worst. Corrupt and as I'M
%scrupulous as a h~ighwayman, he places
not a revolver but a legislative bill to
the head of his victim and demands
money.
While | believe a corrupt lobby is
dangerous, l IN on the other hand alb
cn1Irto1v oCc,,ro5 +I,+ IL l., .o4 .-1,r
proper, but that it is best for the State
that those citizens desiring the passage
Of a bill should appear at the leglsla-
ture in behalf of it's passage, or should
with equal propriety, and with equal
benefit TO the State, appear in Oppo-
sition 70 a measure which in their
judgment would be bad. In each SEES.
sion of the legislature bills are intro
duced affecting almost every known
occupation and business, affecting in
dividual rights, city rights and county
rights. Unless those to be affected
appear and properly explain their ap-
probation or their opposition to the
measure, ignorance rlay do irreparanle
injury.
Instead of remaining away from a
State capital when legislation is under
consideration, citizens who will be
affected by it ought TO go there and be
heard. Two classes. however, >xlld
be absolutely driven from th'd seen
one, the man who tempts a :.
Of the legislature with money; The
other, the s~andbagging legislator who
tempts the citizen with the fear Of the
destruction of his property, Eliminate
ing these two classes, there is no dan
ger from the rest. The sandbagger
usually pretends to introduce his meas
ure for the benefit Of the dear people"
lature and fifty per cent of the corrup-
ton will stop. Impeachment of rep
%sentatives engaging in this kim OF
work would have a most salutary
effect.
ONLY ONE REMEDY.
Corruption is the most dangerous
poison with which to DESTROY govern
ment. Those found guilty of conspir-
ing against the State should, after due
process of law and fair trial, be sent to
prison and kept there both as a pun
ishment for their w%rongdoings and as
a warning to those persons who would
engage in like crimes.
There is but n permanent remedy
for corruption. 1t is as old as the
history of man, has never been tried
without success, has never failed in
effecting a cure, and is the only remedy
which have to offer, and that is the
election of honest men to Office. Plati-
tudes and quotations, examples and il
Illustrations, may please the multitude,
but after all is said the one remedy
will be the election of honest men to
Office.
l do not think that there lives in
the whole State of Missouri a man who
believes that any public official who
has proved untrue during the recent in
vestigations will be returned to official
life. If the Democratic party does not
return to office those officials whom it
has discovered to be corrupt, wherein
can be raised the issue of bribery?
There is more than one honest Demo-
crat in Missouri. There are hundreds
of thousands from whom to select men
that will be loyal and true.
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.
anpIilotn fN, rf3nn sha,,1l ,,a1,