Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-09-26
BAILEY ANswERs CRITICS.

A statement made pnDiic III DaiiS7
last night by Senator joseph W. Bailey
in reply to recent criticisms Of him and
his record is, in part, as foll)ws;
''The democrat. of Texas have not
forgotten that exactly this same kind OF
q fight was made on me when l vas first
elected to the Senate ak years ago. After
had wen the senatorship in q falr con-
test before the people coterie OF dissat-
isfed politicians made a desperate al
tempt to defest my election by the legis-
laiure. The present agitation was large
ly ina,gurated by the same men, with
some outside assistance, and is predicted
upon exactly the same transactions. NY
candidacy for reelection to the Senate
was submitted to direct ballot by the
democratic party of Texas and | received
within 1000 votes OF the number cast Tor
four of the candidates for governor.
The first step In this campaign oil
malevolence and detractioD was To have
purported interview with the Hon.
Roger Sullivan, of Illinois, sssailing me
me sent broadcast over the country. Mr..
Sullivan promptly denounced that inter-
view as falsehood. The next step was
to circlate the falsehood that the Ten
nessee Railroad properties, for which !
am the attorney, belong to the Standard
Oil Company, Some of the men who
are circulating that story know, aud all
of them could have learned with very
little inquiry, that the Standard Oil
Company haS no interest 10 or connec-
ton with these properties, and that they
were owned by H. @. Pierce, ]. O. Van
Blarcom, W. H. Thompson and other
business men Of st. Louis.
1.-THE municipality Of Nashville, in
order to provide its people with additional
and competing railroad facilities, had
subscribed for 81. 900, 900 OF the stock OF
the railroad.
"The railroad had passed through one
receivership aud vas on the verge of an
other when | was called into the case.
accepted the employment and perform
ed exactly the same kind of service that
would have been expected of any other
reputable lawyer. The statement that |
put thirteen million dollsrs worth of Sc
curities 10 my pocket to do with them as
| pleased 10 little less than ridiculous.
Every dollars worth of bonds of that
railroad company was pleged for its
Indebtedness, and il was my task TO pre-
vent those who held them from enforcing
their liens aud sacrificing the securities
at forced sale. This succeeded In doing
this is a matter of great satisfaction to
me, as it was to my clients. not only
saved my clients large sum, but | also
managed to give the city of Nashville
three important competing railroad sys-
TENS where before il had suffered in the
grasp of one.
"The third step in the process was
to pretend that the testimony given by
Mr.. Pierce disclosed q secret emp, ~.
meut of me 10 connection with those
properties.
'There never was the least attempt to
conceal my sttorneyship for those prop
critics. nor WAS there the least reason why
it should be concealed. The objection u
my employment as the attorney OF those
properties must proceed upon the theory
that man in public Office has no right
to pursue any private business, and such
doctrine would confne the public life
of this country only to rich men or ras'
Gals.
"TfI had found that time and strength
would not permit me TO serve as Sena'
tor and to practice law at the same time
| would have abandoned the law, because
| have always believed that the public
service hc Ids the highest claim upon every
man who Undertakes 1t. Or If had
found that there was any conflict between
my duty to my clients and my duty to my
constituents | would have declined all
employment as q lawyer.
"The Congressional Record will show
that ] have been constant in my attend
ance during my Is years in Congress Is
any man who has served with me. Ger
tainly that establishes that | have mol
neglected public duties in the pursuit OF
private business. The Congressional Rec
ord wi also show that | have spoken and
voted on every important question, and
my most malignant enemy cannot point
to a single speech OF vote in the interests
of my clients and against those of my
CON sfitnantaD