The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-01-14

me cNlLl OF other days would Be Noraa
lhen II there had been no exposures az
ali, and would 40 Missouri more harm
th.l All the caiamlues ami pestilences
tnat could occur. A promised lne people
OF ehis state 10 40 M best 70 put a sop
10 urloerg, ana the promise, 4 assure you,
Is solng 10 be kept 10 the letter. In this
enort 1 AK your cO-vpvrau0n auu tne
assistance o. every patriotic citizen.
br-Oery can not ~ on IN the face OF
a hostile public sentiment IL the executive
Wlu 40 has part n II the good men
among you Nnl do their part 10 end It.
livery rumOr OF bribery should be in
Nesugated. and, win the assistance OF
the attorney-generals department, the
executive wall lend YOU every aid IN siIt-
ing 20 the bottom ali reports OF tnls char
acter. If there be any corruption during
this session OF the general assembly It
Will be a disgrace TO the state and a re-
Election on every man In tins body n
upo every Official m the state govern
ment 1t Is too often the tendency OF
good men In legislative bodies 10 close
their eyes to things Of this nature, auS
ned with their own honesty, but forget
ting that II Is as much their duty to
protect n defend the honor OF the
state as 1t Is their own honor. The legIs-
lator who sells his vote trafics In the
honor OF a sovereign people n pros
tituteS the trust repOsed in him. There
can be 10 ofense, which, il allowed to
90 on, is fraught with grave conse-
quenccs. 1t Is more fatal to civic life
than any other CRIME, for II pOllutes the
stream of law at its source. 1t makes
the passage OF laws mere matters of bar
gain and sale, thwarts justice. enthrones
iniQuity n renders lawful government
impossible, If all official acts were for
sale, we would have a government not Of,
for and by the people, but a government
OF. for and by the few with wealth
enough to purchase official favors. 1t iS
the highest duty of every legislator, Of
every official and of every citizen 70 do
all that he can to eradicate this evil,
which Is the greatest enemy to free gov
eminent and the gravest danger that con-
fronts hrs nation to-day. Let Missouri
be distinguished asano other state Is dis
tinguished for good government; let a
waiting world know that. in Missouri Of
fetal honor n Integrity are held as sa-
cred as female. Nirtue.at ~
Thomas Jefferson once said: THE time
TO guard against corruption is before Il
gets hold of US. 1t iseasieE TO keep the wolf
from the fold thar TO trust to drawing
his teeth and claws after he getssin :.
The best way to keep corruption from
the legislative halls Is by the aggressive
honesty Of legislators. II Is easy enough
TO be merely hpnest, hui; the. man worth
while is the man who can be honest In
action. Legislators should speak OUT and
denounce corruption when they hnd It.
They should expose Venaitty n In no
way conceal information concerning 1t.
Let the people know who the raScals arei
publicity is a great preventive otrctYie
evils. II there be 0und any Of a venal
nature among your NUMBER they should
be expelled from the general assembly as
neral lepfrs, There Should be no poll
tics in this position The. corrupt man
has no poatics; he uses party. names only
to serve his own ends. / should like to
SEA eyefV political party put corrupt men
outside oil It's ranks. stripped OF their
party cfothing, their capacity for harm
would o reduced to a minimum, for II
Is by working through party pre1udices
that they are. enabled to have power!
Suggested Laws In Bribery Matters.
In order 70 aid in the Investigation OF
rumOrs OF corruption, laws should be
enacted compelling witnesses to. testify
as 10 their knowledge OF bribery transac-
lions and eNempting such witnesses from
prosecution for any matters directly OF
Indirectly growing out of such testimony.
lt often happens that corruption, by rea
son Of the secrecy with which II works
like the mole underground, does not come
10 light Until years after, and the present
statute of limitations of three years Is
too short a time TO bar prosecution Tor
the o~ffense; the statute should be fiYe
years instead of three. To take away
the incentive for bribery, as far as pos
sible, all franchises, rights n privileges
secured by bribery should be declared
null and void. When one steals a horse
he can not transfer any title to II, and
the owner may recover 1t wherever
found. This rule should be made to apply
to the peoples property, stolen from the
people by bribing their representatives
and the people should be entitled 70 re-
claim their own. The law should re-
quire all franchises to, be sold at public
auction, and a sufficient length OF tint
allowed after the sale for anyone u
raise the bid, to prevent collusion. Thes'
laws will aid In suppressing bribery pu'
all laws will be impotent to accomplish
this result unless the hearts of the people
are right, for the remedy for corruption
In its last analysis, Is In the public con
science.
Evils OF Railroad Pass.
In investigating legislative corruption
Il has been my experience that the mrs
step a legislator takes toward bribery, az
a rule, Is the acceptance OF a raliroa'
pass. The constitution OF the state ant
the statute make II a misdemeanor for
legislator to accept a pass, and Tor an!
one to give a legislator free transporta
ton. With the wisdom OF this law W
have nothing to do; IL Is the law. Whel
a legislator accepts a pass, he puts IT II
the knowledge OF the representative 0
the railroad that he 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 interestr. II tn
legislator hesitates, IL has only TO be sug
gested that information may be give
the prosecuting authorities regarding IN
4 DHAS IIA0H1CllOlt dlAu tic NNbAeAoNRA w.
bow his head like a slave that Is scourge
and do his masters bidding. nav
found instances, in the PURSE of inVesti
CATION, where men had gone to the legis
lature imbued with high and noble pur
noses of serving their constituents non
fstly and well; first seduced by a raj
road pass, the road to destruction wa
swift and easy, and they would 0tte
wind up by accepting bride money. l az
cure that you agree tnat RAJ
roads must not get a grip upon the legis
lative body through the railroad pass
The law on the subject OF free passe
should be strictly enforced. II Is my pun
pose, and. Of course, II Is yours, TO CIV
railroads and every other interest Ia
treatment. They shall have every rigf
the law gives TO them, but no morei the
shall have equal and exact justice, bt
no special privileges. That much they az
entitled 10: more h that they shoul
not receive. / have no patience with n
demagogue who attacks corporation
merely because they are corporation
They have rights under the law While
must be preserved, but they have I
right to demand special faVors.
The Lobby.
II Is proper that railroads and all int
ests, quasi-public and private, shou
have the right to appear before legisla
i've committees and present reasons Il
or against the passage OF any bill. Tit
likewise should be accorded the privilel
Of addressing the Individual Legislators
a proper way, but the maintenance or
professional lobby breeds al
Should not be permitted, Profession
lobbying should be made a crime. II
excuse for the maintenance Of a profe
: sional lobby heretofore has been that
was necessary for the protection OF co
q porate interests from unjust legislati'
4 and from sand-bagging measures pr
I scented by corrupt Legislators. l Will,
! far as lies In my power, see TO II IN