Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-10-18
tract from that speech:

But the railroad and warehouse
commissioners, what have they done?
Can any one tell me No. Yes, that's
right. Sure, they have drawn their
salaries, haven't they? Anything else?
Yes; they have travelled over the
country in the private cars of the diff
ferent railroad superintendent, smok-
ed good cigars and drank good whis-
ky, | suppose. l have tried to find
some one who knows of one thing
this board has done for the benefit
of the people since it was established.
If they have ever accomplished any
thing, no one has ever heard of it.
Did l hear some one say Wightman?
Yes, my friends, there is honest
Frank Wightman. He is a Republican,
but what could he do with two Demo
Gratis against him?"
And what does Mr.. Flentge charge?
First-That I have, in effect, abso-
lutely stolen from the state $4,000 a
year for the past four years-that
| have drawn my salary without CIV
ing to the people the least service in
return.
Could there be a more serious
charge preferred against a public Of
ficer?
The most debased and irresponsible
brain could not have Matched up a
more damnable accusation.
Is it true? MI. Flentge says on his
honor, that he has made the most
careful and diligent inquiry, and that
he has not heard of anything the
board has notwithstanding it
has done in the interest of the peo-
pie!
Why didn't Mr.. Flentge, honorable
man that he claims to be, go to the
record-the official record-and in
form himself?
Am l not warranted in saying-be.
cause he did not want to be informed?
He wanted to work upon the prejud-
ices of the people. A falsehood would
serve his purpose better than the
truth!
If Mr.. Flentge will go to the records
open record-at Jefferson City-he
will find that on my motion, shortly
after | ] became a member Of the board,
the three pound toll eXacted from
every thousand pounds of grain ship
ped into the st. Louis and Kansas
City markets, robbing the farmers of
Missouri of $4,000 to $1,000 900 annual
ly, was abolished-and abolished by
board.
If Mr.. Flentge will go to the re-
cords at Jefferson City, he will find,
on my motion, the matter of promul-
eating a maximum freight rate
schedule for Missouri, was taken up,
resulting in reducing the freight rates
in this state about Is per cent, making
a saving to the people of at least
100000 annually.
1t want to say here, however, that
this schedule did not meet with my
approval, and Mr.. Flentge will find
when he examines the record, that I
am recorded as saying that the re-
duction was not as great as it should
have been. But it was a start in the
right direction-a start made by a
Democratic board.
If Mr.. Flentge will 60 to the records
at Jefferson City, he will find that the
matter of switching charges at Kan
sas City was taken up, and on my mo-
ton the rates were reduced 81 per
car, making a saving to the people Of
$40,0 900 annually. And this was done
by a Democratic board.
Here are three items-the work of
a Democratic board, after | became a
member of the commission, making
a saving to the people of 100000 an
nually!
If time permitted l could refer to
hundreds of other instances showing
the orders of the board made in the
interest of the people when the board
was composed wholly of Democrats,
but this will suffice to prove Mr..
'Flentge wholly unreliable and willing
to make the most reckless statements
and charges to secure votes.
Second-Mr. Flentge charges that I
have travelled over the railroads in
the private cars of different railroad
superintendent and accepted their hos
pitality, intimating that for this court
esy, the aforesaid superintendent
had bought my soul. If he didn't mean
that, why does he say in the SANE
speech: IF | am elected there will be
no strings tied to me! | will be alb
solutely free to do my whole duty
to all the people!"
A man who is so ready to condemn
everybody and claim all virtue and hon
esty for himself is usually haunted by
a skeleton in a closet somewhere
and of that skeleton l will have some
thing to say later.
Why wasn't Mr.. Flentge honest
enough to say that the laws of Mis-
souri, required the railroad commits
sion to. inspect the railroads of the
state, and that the only practical way
to do the work was by the use of a
special train?
And | want to say right here that
| lever put my foot into a private
car to start on an inspection trip until
/ had submitted the propriety of max
ing inspection in that manner to Gov
ernor A. M. Dockery, who secured
an opinion from Judge w. M. Will
Jams, (the governors legal adviser)
who gave 1t as his belief, after care
fully examining into the matter, that
the state had the right to demand of
the railroads facilities for making the
inspections, and that a special train
could be, used with entire propriety,
in fact, that the work could be done
in no other way.
| am free to say, however, in my
opinion, 1t would be much better could
the state own its own inspection car
as is done by the state Of Illinois.
| am willing for you, my friends,
to judge whether ! was placing my
self under obligations to- the railroads,
having strinnc tied To mo hIr tho Gun.