The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-05-21
Burnet. May 10, 1908.

AS regular T6duGT OF your CGI
umns-editorial and all the rest
saw your comments upon the late
election OF Senator Bailey as a dele
gate to the National Democratic con-
vention at Denver. You well say,
his vindication at the hands of his
constituents is somewhat difficult to
understand" and yet if you were a
Texan and had kept up thoroughly
with the course of events, Senator
Bailey's "vindication'' would not ap-
pear so strange.
Perhaps a brief review of this un-
happy matter might not be without
interest to many of your readers, and
1 assure you / shall nothing extern
uate nor set down ought in malice. :"
AS a native Mississippian, Prohibi-
zionist, and an orator and statesman
of wonderful gifts, / have always
been proud of Senator Bailey's ca
reer, but my eyes were opened after
having voted for him on two different
occasions when he was candidate
for United States Senator.
The first suspicion of his political
apostacy was six years since, when he
attempted and succeeded in bringing
back into Texas the infamous Waters
Pierce Oil Company, which had been
outlawed and driven from the State.
A resolution was offered in the lower
house of the legislature to investi-
gate Mr.. BaiIey's conduct, and he
was whitevashed by an almost unan-
imous vote, only six members cast
ing their ballots against him. Mr..
Bailey was present, and by his per-
sonal magnetism and system Of
bulldozing, disgraceful in the ex-
treme, accomplished what thousands
of fair-minded men felt to be an in
suit to decency To give you an ex-
ample of his ways, when a resolution
was introduced at this session, max
ing it punishable for a public servant
to serve trusts and corporations, Mr..
Bailey, an outsider, objected, as
these movements would appear a re-
fiection upon his character, and it is
said the resolution never left the
speakers stand!-such was his in
fiuence.
Last summer, after the primary
had nominated Mr.. Bailey for the
second term for the U. S, Senate,
and Attorney General Davidson was
making further Investigations of the
Oil Company, evidence came to him
from ST. Louis of such a damning
character against Mr.. Bailey, that
thousands of his warmest friends and
admirers turned against him, and
this resulted exposure in another in
vestigation of the legislature a com
mittee of seven senators and mem
bers OF the House were appointed to
send for persons and papers; the
farce lasted several weeks, resulting
in another vindication, or white
washing as his opposers call it A
majority of the committee declared
him innocent, while the minority !
yielded grudgingly to the verdict. To !
show you the mans OyerpOwering
personality and spirit of bossism, he |
actually dictated to the committee |
what counsel should not be employed |
by the prosecution, refused to testify /
until it suited him, intimidated some I
of the witnesses whose testimony dis I
pleased him, and at the start protest /
ed against an investigation The |
principal witness in the case. whose
books might have shown the exact /
connection Senator Bailey had with /
the Pierce Oil Company, was
never brought to the trial although I
everybody believed Mr.. Bailey could
have secured his presence. as they
were warm friends Before the in
vestigation was concluded, the Sen
ate got impatient and declared him
innocent, Mr.. Bailey himself at the
time insisting that he ought TO be
elected to the Sens ie first, then inves-
tigated. The two bodies took a vote
upon his guilt or innocence, and
forty-two members pronounced
against him-an increase of thirty
six in the six years. Mr.. Bailey's
speech before the legislature after
his reelection to the United States
Senate was unparalleled for vitupera-
ton and abuse of his accusers. He I
called them dogs, hyenas, hypocrites, ]
and liars, and said next {
year he would see that not one of the ]
forty-two who fought him should ever !
be returned to that body; that when {
be returned home he intended to j
frame two pictures: the one would {
be a group Of the seventy old mem ]
oers who had supported him and this $
he would call the Roll of Honor" l
he other forty-two he would name $
The Rogues Gallery" Z
y l