Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-03-30
A Chat on the Colorado Case.

- SSAsOA AAoSA a 1CdSdaI
ience last week-it was on the Mil
waukee flier." We were seated
quite comfortable when young
man cane along and wanted us to
share our seat with him. OF course
we gladly consented. "Just been
talking to that man over there" he
SAID pointing to man few seats
back. well, what of that?" Why
don't you know that man: That's
Senator Patterson of Colorado" he
said. Well we were interested right
away. We had just been reading a
situation. We knew the senator
would be interested so we made a
break into his good grace by send
ing the copy back to him via the
young man aforesaid. The sena-
tor took the magazine and read it
very carefully after expressing his
thanks to me in the same manner I
sent him the book. Presently we
went back to pour some liquozone
down our little pink oesophagus
we spoke. "I.et me see" he said as
is-"Editor OF the Audubon Coun-
~ SOoA d1A SiAs
one plunk per year." We answered.
The senator is an editor himself
and it didn't bother him bit to
meet us. "Where is your home Mr..
?" he inquired. "Exira." We
thot everyone knew where Extra is
but the senator's early education
must have been slighted for he
didn't. We had to tell him it was
N hvoy,Nh Of o.
p, just north of Atlantic. During
this time we were surveying the
general appearance of our seat
mate. His snappy eve, youthful
look and jolly hearty laugh drove
away all care for formality and in
moment we were an interested
listeneg to the senator's converse.
ton. This Colorado situation"
he said is series of frauds and cor
rupt intrigues from beginning to
end. Graft is back of it all. 1T is
this way. The heating and light
ing priv ,eges in Denver are in the
hands OF monopoly This mon
opoly originally expended, Sl2.5OO,
on their plants but by securing fav-
orable franchises they have made
their properties yield millions of
dollars in dividends. OF course
to secure these franchises the cor
porations have always put the pow
er in the hands of those whom they
could depend upon. Heretofore
they have used the democratic par
ty for their purpose but this year
they found this party could not be
trusted to accede to their requests.
Accordingly they decided to turn
their attention to some other. The
republican organization became
their choice and in their efforts to
gain their ends all means of polit-
ical trickery was resorted to. When
the result of the election was an
nounced who would be better in
formed as to the stuffing of the bal
lot boxes than those who brot it
about? So knowing the awful re-
suits of the loss of the election they
began the contest proceedings.
They gained their point and king
Graft" has scored again. "Why
was Peabody to resign we asked.
THAT is simple, replied the sena
tor THE same corrupt methods
practiced by the parties in Denver
were practiced many other places
in Colorado and so compromise
was effected by seating Peabody
and calling for his resignation in
order that the democrats would
not cause the election frauds else
where to be probed by an investl-
eating committee. Thus the re-
publican party's reputation was
left untaintsd outside of Denver"
What do you think of Roosevelt"
we asked. 81 am democrat said
the senator "but am an ardent ad.
mirer of Teddy. He is an able man
and one of the best of our presi-
dents. OF course graft and grafters
have more or less power in our cap.
ital' we ventured to remark. "Well
yes But there are some men abso-
lutely above it-and let me tell you
confdentiaily your congressman
Walter |. Smith of Councill Bluffs,
is oneof these. He has an untaint-
ed record and cannot be swung by
any power by money" The train
pulled into our station then and we
had to leave. We were truly sorry
to go as it was refreshing to hear
abe unbiased opinion of an unbias-
ed man regardless of his political
SUNDAY Tra;uc