The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-01-19
MISSISSIPPI, SATURDAY, JANUARY q, IsO7.
A DIsCREDITED STATESMAN.

' y
s seat in the United State Senate,
and this condition has been inten-
: sifed since the meeting of the
s State Legislature at Austin on
Jan. Sth. Last July Senator
Bailey went before the State
, Democratic primary of Texas with
no visible opposition, and receiv-
ed the almost unanimous vote eff
, the people for re-electlun. When
the State Convention met in
August to pro rate the primary
election vote and nominate candi-
dates for State officers, be receiv-
ed practically unanimous nomi-
nation from the Convention as the
choice of the Democratic party of
Texas to be his own successor,
thus making him doubly the nom-
inee of his people and party. No
politician ever seemed more of a
popular idol than Bailey at that
time, and formidable opposition
to his return to the Senate was not
dreamed of by himself or any one
else.
A tremendous change, however,
|, IN the situation and sentiments of
the people has taken place since
then, and justly so.
Before Congress adjourned last
summer, it was charged in
magazine article that Bailey was
in secret coIlusion with some of
the big trusts, and even before
this article appeared, it was alleg
ed that President Roosevelt did
not fully trust his sincerity in
support of the railroad rate bill,
because be suspected he was under
Standard Oil influence. At that
time Bailey denounced these sto-
ries and rumors with his charac-
teristic bluster and vehemenee
and the matter for the time blew
over and he was renominated by
his people as already recited.
In September,'' however, 1t was
; brought out in the proceedings by
Attorney General Hadley to ex-
clqde the Waters-Pierce, the
Standard and the Republic Oil
companies from Missouri for vio-
Iating the antitrust laws. of that
State, that President Pierce, of
the Waters-Pierce Company, ac-
cording to his own testimony, had
turned over property to Senator
Bailey's control amounting to
$13, 100000, and it was further
proved that the Waters Pierce Oil
Go. was associated with. and part
of the great Standard Oil trust
operating in Missouri, Texas and
other States.
Several years ago the Waters
Pierce Oil Co. had its charter re-
voIed and was driven form Texas
for violating the antitrust laws of
that State, though it was not then
known to be a branch of the
Standard Oil monopoly. About
the time he was first elected to the
Senate, Senator Bailey, through
his political pull, succeeded in
efecting a compromise of the
prosecution against the Waters
Pierce Co. and secured it's re-
admission into the State under a
new charter, his connection with
the trust at that time giving rise
to lot of scandal and a perfume
tory investigation by legislative
committee in the course of which
Bailey received the required
white Washing and vindication
and the matter was hushed up.
Since the additional exposures
unearthed by the prosecution of
Gen. Hadley in Missouri, how
ever, the old scandal against Bal
ley has been revived and he has
been put on the defensive ahew by
these and other developments
which have since followed. There
has been uncovered documentary
evidence showing that Bailey has
been the beneficiary to the amount
of many thousands of dollars
either borrowed from Pierce, one
Of the Standard Oil magnates. or
received nominally.as professional
: fees for Bailey's influence in help
ing along Waters Pierce Standard
Oil enterprises.
Since the proof was made plain
that Bailey received large money
from this and other corporations,
his only defense has been that The
money was either borrowed as an
individual or received as fees for
professional services, and the