Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-01-13

'''A 'E''N' - l'l ' - lpIIp III
'nc. CORRECTION OF civlc evils, II is dlshon-
piablc to. bear them In ignoble silence.
Missouri has Sc, an exampie in good gov.
whole world are on Missouri 10 see what |
Is going to be done here. Those who
believe in the righteousness of the PEG.
pie are looking to see their theory win.
dicated; those who hold that corruption
ana that the Missouri idea Is only n
passing virtuous Spasm, are awaiting the
so1ri T., to now sgs sta ,r,a aheiT 70 p PSpsd Back MIA ,n,o
he evils of other days would be worse
thnn If there had been no exposures at
than all the calamltics and pestilences
that could occur. / promised the people
Of this state to do my best to put "A stop
Is going to be kept to the letter. In this
effort | ask your Cooperation and the
assistance of every patriotic citizen;
bribery can not go ON u the face OF
a hostile public sentiment II the executive
Will do his part and If the. good men
among you will do their part to end 1t.
Every rumor Of bribery should be in
vcstigHtcd, and, with the assistance of
the a,torney-EcncraIs department, the
ing to the bottom all reports OF this char
acter. If there be amy corruption during
MS session Of tn. general assembly II
Election on every man In this body and
upon every official In the state govern.
mcnt. 1t is too often the tendency of
good men in legislative bodies TO close
thclr eyes to things of this nature, salts
fed with their own honesty, but forget
protect and defend the honor of the
state as 1t Is their own honor. The lcgis-
la,or who sells his vote ~trtffics in the
honor OF II sovereign people and pros
flutes the trust ropuScd IN him. There
can be no oncnsc, which, II allowed to
go on, Is fraught with gravcr conso-
qucnccP. II Is more fatal to civic HE
than any other crime, for 1t pOllutcS the
stream of law at It's suurcc. 1t make
gain and sale, thwarts justice, enlhrphcs
iulQuity and renders lawful government
impossible. # all Official acts were for
sale, 'Wc would have a government not OF,
for and by the people, but a government
of, for and by the few with wealth
enough 10 purchase official favors. 1t Is
the highest duty of every legislator, Of
every official and OF every C!tizcn to do
all that he can to crhdlcht" ms 'NiI,
eminent and tn gravcst danger mat con,
fronts this nation to-day, Vet Missouri
be distinguished as no other state Is dis
tinguishcd for good government, let "A
waiting world know that in Missouri Of
fiCiul honor and integrity arc held ha sa-
cred as female virtue.
Thomas Jefferson once said 9TH" time
to guard against CORRUPTION - before I
gets hold Of u. IT !seaaior to hr'p the woIf
from the fold than to tfusi to drawing
his teeth and ella VS.. after he get IN
The best way to keep corruption from
the legislative halls IS by tho aggressive
honesty of legislators. 1t Is easy enough
10 be merely honest, but ia" man worm
while is the man who can be honest In
action. Legislators should speak out and
d"nouncc corruption when they ind 1t.
Thcy should expose vcnhIity ana IN no
way conceal Information concerning IT.
ct the people know who the rasCils are,
owns. If there be found amy OF a vcnni
naiur" among your n%utnh'r lhoy should
be expelled from the general assembly as
moral lopois. There should be no poll
ties Ia this position, The corrupt man
has no ]puullcs. he uses party names only
to a.. EN 90. ala nNg ttiL EhnIln IKE q
Sc oyoIv political party put corrupt men
outside oI its ranks. stripped OF ,lheIr
parry CIpIhing, their capacity for harm
wI,.iu - reduced TO a minimum, f4f II
j. by working through party pr'Judlc"i
that hey are enabled to have power.
Suggested Laws IN Bribery Matters.
In ordnr 10 aid in the Investigation of
rUmorS OF corruption, laws should be
O. acted compelling witnesses to TESTIFY
aS to thoIr knowledge OF bribery TRANSACT
lions ana '&rrnpliug such witnesses from
prosecution for any matters directly or
indirectly growing out OF such testimony.
II often iuppruy that corruption, by r"a
son of the secrecy VIII which II WORKS
Ike the mole underground, does not come
to li-ht Until years after, ANA the present
statute of limitations of three years IL
too short a time to bar prosecution Tor
the Offcnsc; the statute should Dc nNc
The incentive for bribery. as far as pos
siblc, all franchises. rights and privileges
null and void. when one steals n horse,
he can not transfer any title to II, and
the owner may recover 1t wherever
found. This RAJ" should b" made to apply
to the peoples property. stolen from the
people by bribiuG their representatives.,
ana Ia" people should be, entitled 70 re-
claim their own. The law should re-
qulrc all hiscS to be sold at public
auction, ami n sufficient length of time
allowed after the sal" for anyOu" 10
rails" the bid. to prevent cullus.On. Th"s"
laws Win aid in suprr"ssins bribery, but
ali laws VIII be impptent' to accomplish
this result unless tn hearts OF the people
are right, for the remedy for corruption,
in It's last analysis, Is IN the public CON
science.
Evils of Railroad Pass.
In Investigating legislative corruption,
II has been my experience that IA" ilrat
step a LEGISLATOR takes tpward bribery, "a
n rule, Is the acceptance" OF a railroad
pass. Tho constitution of the stat" ana
the statute make II a miSdom"anor for "a
legislator to accept n pass, ana for any
one to gave n legislator free trhnSporta-
have nothing to do; II IL the law, when
"A legislator accepts a pass. h" puts 1t IN
the knowledge Of the representative OF
the railroad that h" has violated the law
and Is subject to Indictment, This knowl-
edge can be used by the railroad repre-
sentative to club the legislator into sub
mission to corporate interests. IF the
legislator hcaitatrs, 1t has only TO be sug-
gcstcd that Information may be given
The prosecuting authorities regarding the
pass transaction, and the legislator viii
bow his head IKE Il slave mat Is sCourgcd
and DO his masters bidding, have
found instances, In the course ~ inycsti-
cation, where men had gone to the lcgiS
laturc imhucd with high and noble pur
poses Of serving their constituents hon
.sily and well: first soduccd by "A rail-
road pass, the road to destruction was
swift and easy, and they would often
wind up by accepting bride money. am