Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-03-02
From Hon. j. II. Martin.
JEFFERSON CRY, Feb, %, 10

JEtFEhoON O4I rOO' 3Gos 1011.
Ed. Reqister-I had about settled
it in my mind to refrain from writ
ing for publication, but, yielding
to suggestions of those whom | re-
gard as friends, and realizing at
the same time that | could thus
reach many of my constituents
through your valuable paper, send
you short resume of what | have
done in the 46th General AS
sembly.
Let me state to begin wit h: I
am not seeker after notoriety. l
was elected by the people of Iron
county without much effort on my
part to represent them in the leg
islature. This | am doing to the
best of my ability.
1t is my policy to represent the
will of the majority of the people
of my county when know their
will, and when l do not, to stand
for what / sincerely believe to be
their interests, with all due regard
to the principles of right and JUS
tice.
Since have been here, I have
introduced but two bills. One has
received the favorable report of
the committee to which it was re-
ferred and is before the House for
engrossment. The other is before
the Committee on Ways and
Means and will probably be re-
ported favorably within the next
few,days. The first, House bill 907,
is bill which seeks to regulate
the payment of demurrage charges
by railroads, and if passed, will
give the shipper what is coming to
him in the same manner that rail-
roads assume to collect demurrage
coming to them. The second,
House bill 906, repeals the en-
tire Vital Statistics Law, which
works hardship on the people of
our county, as we'll as many other
counties throughout the state.
have been censured by many
OF my medical brethren for intro
ducing such bill, but have invari-
ably vindicated myself by reply
ing that l was not elected to rep
resent the medical profession in
particular, but the people of Iron
county in general.
r Mr.. Editor, in response to your
protest against our failure to
abolish the office of State Bee In
spector, will state, | used every eff
fort to secure the passage of bill
abolishing said office, and in
speech on the floor of the House,
emphasized the fact that although
the Bee Inspector had held that Of
flee for ten years, he has never is
sued single bulletin, nor helped
bee culture in any known manner.
| have opposed every measure
proposing to create new offices or
entailing additional expense on
the State. have used all my in
fluence to secure the passage of
an act abolishing the present sys-
tenn of convict labor and have sup
ported bill providing for the re-
moval of the statute of limitation,
which limits the damages to from
two to ten thousand dollars in case
of death due to fault or negligence
of railroad or other corporation.
The above are but few of the
measures which have appeared to
me as being important issues, but
I stand ready and willing to state
my position on all measures which
have come, or may come, before
this present assembly, and am
! proud to say that am not asham-
ed Of anything have done, or
may do, as your representative.
For the information of a certain
class who have assumed to doubt
my sincerity of purpose, let me
state: am Democrat, first, last,
i and all the time. Not the kind of
Democrat who would put party
before principle, not the kind who
would be SO because it happens to
serve his present purpose best, but
one in whom the principle which
teaches that "the people should
| rule," is SO firmly implanted that
it becomes a part Of the natural
being.
1t is my impression that there
should be insurgent Democrats as
we'll as Republicans. Ideplore the
tendency Of the speaker Of our
House to appoint few favored
friends on every important COM
mittee.
| protest against binding mem-
bers in caucus to support meas
Iures looking toward legislation
which would injure the minority