The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-09-24

but y 90 each year for every pupil IN the
public schools
HOW CANDIDATES SHOULD %
JUDGED.
I now want 90 OFFER some roaaonp why
I should be elected Governor. The only
way by which a candidate can be- fairly
Judged by the people Is by his party record
OF official service, the Platform and prom
isea upon which he invites the eunfnEe Of
the people and by the influences that sur
round his candidacy. I have already re-
ferred somewhat In detail TO the inhu-
encos that have secured the nomination
for Mr.. CoWheni. that surround him today
and th8t viii surround him In case Of bis
election. Those influences consist OF the
REPRESENTATIVE OF a corrupt and 4 discred-
tied machine; the representatives OF those
public service corporations which seek Ia
gors from the State and seek TO prevent
legislation IN the peoples Interest," the
representativcs Oh those saloons and liquor
interests which have tried 70 violate the
law IN the past and expect to do 20 IN the
future; representatives, OF those VINO
would use men TO violate the law who
are sworn 20 enforce the law who would
use men to dobach the ballot Who are
sworn 70 protect the ballot These are
some Of the infences that secured tor Mr..
I Cowherd his nomination, that they are to-
day fighting for his election and which
J viii surround him II successful.
I owe my nomination 10 the people or
/ Missouri alone I did not desire 70 be a
candidate for Governor. or for any other
viii Of the people Of Missouri without ref
erence to party. I number among my
supporters the representatives Of no pub
lie service corporations seeking favors
from the state. the representatives OF no
iaw-breakinE saloons and I went none Of
either. Ny nomination has come TO me
unpurchased and unsoughL My election
viii come 20 me without the taint Of
HHnrnNfm mr. 81 will not nnwnn AT all. IN
there is the slightest question as 20 the
legality OF NV election. I viii refuse TO
qualify as Governor until that question Is
removed. want no tainted Office. The
only influences that win surround me as
Governor are the Influences that are repre-
sented by men as strong and clear and
true as eveS asked the suffrage Of q peo-
nle-mv associates upon the Republican
State ticket n you ask me FOR my dec
.laration Of principles and the promises ]
offer 10 yol I refer you 20 the Republican
state platform, every plank u which 1
endorse and every word OF which j APP
prove.
THE RECORD or OFFICIAL SERVICE.
And nov as to the records Of Official
service that Mr.. Cowherd and / ouer to
the people as the promise of the manner
In which we viii discharge the duties Of
the great Office a. Governor. To an exam
inaton and comparison Of those records,
I invite the attention Of the people OF the
ENMNNn AuNa AMMME.A AnE MNAA AlAN AA-
ncial pozitions-Azsistant Prosecuting At
torney o. Jackson County. First Assistant
City Counselor Of Kansas City. Mayor OF
Kansas City. and Congressman from the
Fifth Congressional District. He has held
public office for fourteen years, and II be
or his friends can point TO a single In
stance in any ONCE that he has held
where he ever attacked an abuse cor
rected an evil. opposed OF defeated cor
rupt political influences for the benefit Of
the people OF Missouri. I shall be glad to
have that instance brought to the atten-
ton Of the people Of the State.
have held the ONCE Of First Assistant
City Counselor OF Kansas City, Prescott
ing Attorney Of Jackson County and At
torney General Of Missouri. And n my
opponents can show wherein ] have ever
failed 20 60 my entire duty 70 the best OF
my ability. ] Invite that criticism. For
the purpose o. this discussion. Il Is not
important 20 refer to my record IN the
office % City Counselor Of Kansas City or
as Prosecuting Attorney Of Jackson Coun-
~. -Four years ago. ] was nominated for
the Office OF Attorney General by accident
aud elected on purpose. And yet Il was
an Office that ! thought did not want
though ! e~ndeavored 70 take hold Of IL as
II / did / soon learned that ] could oc-
cupy my entire time with It's ordinary rOu-
tine duties. but I felt that as chief law
officer Of the State ] should eudeavor %
correct some o. the abuses and evils that
existed On our commercial and Industrial
system 10 the Injury q the people Of the
State.
The STANDARD OIL TRUST.
I found IN the spring Of 1905 that the
price % the products Of petroleum had not
declined 10 this stasc Tor twenty years.
although during that time there had been
a great increase IN the production % crude
petroleum and a great decrease IN tts
price. found that On the Kansas and
Oklahoma oil heids IN 1900 there had been
produced sL009 barrels Of crude petroleum
for which the producers have received
$50 q barrel; while In 1905 the pToduc-
ton had increased TO over t2.o00.000 a
year and the price had declined TO 40 cents
per barrel. And yet. notwithstanding this
great increase In the production Of crude
petroleum, and Notwithstanding the great
decrease IN It's price, the price Of refine
OH IN this state. lees than one hundred
miles distant. had increased during that
time over two cents a gallon. ] found that
though there were a few independent oil
companies In this State. they were per-
mitted TO do only a small portion Of the
business and that the price OF refined oil
10 our people was absolutely fixed aud
maintained by the standard on Trust
And when { realized the significance Of
these conditions. ] realized that We had
here IN our midst 3 power greater than
the power that was ever exercised by any
tyrnnt OF despot Ia an the history of the
world u was a power which could eay
90 the producer what he should receive
Tor his raw material. and could cay 20 th,
consumer what he must pay Tor the nn-
. lrhed pr0duct II was a oWg dangerou.
20 The existence uf Republican Institutions
Ter u meant that We had upon The one
hand q master and upon the other hand
ita necessary coT0iiary-a slave. ] Wne,
20 the courts in an EFFORT 10 secure RELIEF
for the people ~ Missouri from this tnb.
ute which the Standard Oh Trust hHt
levied Tpnr them Tor years. I Instituted d
suit aFainst IL and two ~ its puppet cor.
porn uons. me Watera-pierce on Com
pany and the Republic on Company AZ
Inc time this suit wna begun. there wal
not pending On any State 81 the Union OF
the United States Court d suit against mi.
Trust a Fuit which had been beguf
against d D short time before IN the Stat.
n Kansas had been dismissed because g
WAS claimed no evidence could be Becuret
90 sustain o. A. the beginning my EFFORT
90 disclose the secrets ~ the Standard o.
Trust were greeted only with deriaion an,
contempt; but ! worked on. When fouH,
that fhe evidence that ! wanted could no
be secured IN the State of Missouri. I wen
20 the City of New York. the home o. M.
STANDARD on Trust, and su~hpqanaed iu
leading officers They C1ntemptuousiy re-
fused 90 answer the simplest questions "oi
the advice OF counsel And again turn.