Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-06-10
RESPONSIBILITY OF PARTIES 4
- LAFAYETTE, COUNTY. ,7sI q
~ -
speech Made at the Courthouse IN
Lexington. saturday. June 3rds
1875, by J. ID. .Sheyvalter, Esq. u
Mr.. Chairman, Gentlemen and Eel

Mr.. Chairman, Gentlemen and Eel
loac- Citizens 1886
thank you for the very kindly man
ner in which you have received the men
ton of my humble name. The age IN
which we live, fellow-citizens, is preg-
nant with events of SO startling charac-
ter that to-day we are prone to forget the
occurrences of but yesterday. Even
those of us who are the living witnesses
to past transactions-and, in many in
sta1ces- the living monuments to past
wrongs inflicted by the radical party -
soon cease to remember them. Hence,
it is not strange that, taking advantage
Of this divine attribute to forget and for
give, which enters SO largely into the
composition of the democratic party. we
find leading radicals, with impudence
which is truly refreshing for its boldness,
lnthe face of living witnesses and the
records Of the county, proclaiming that
in the county of Lafayette the democrat
ic party was in power during the terri
BILE days ofaregistrars and registration
laws. Bacon Montgomery and Tom.
Fletcher, and that it is responsible
for the wrongs then inflicted and the
burthens then fastened upon the people.
/ propose to discuss the origin and cre7
alton Of those burthens, by whom and
how created, and for what purpose, and
what has been done by the democratic
party, since its advent into power, to re-
duce them In a recent speech it has
been charged BY an official of the coun-
ty-Mr. Steele-that the radical party
lis responsible for the creation of our
countyindebtedness that sincethe dem
ocratic party came into power these
burthens have been lessened, taxes re-
duced, economy introduced, and that
from 1860 till 1875 the democratic party
had not full control of county or city af-
fairs. This has been denied. repeat
the charges as he made them: g.-. =
i FIrst-'.I arraiga the republican party Of
Lafayette county and the city of Lexington as
responsible for the enormous debts of the county
and city, '
Second-..I claim that since the ascendency
Of the democratic party in this state and county
the public burdens have been reduced, taxes
lesseaed and economy introduced into every
branch of the public service and l
claim that this county was not in the hands of
the democratic party from 1860 until 1875; when,
on the lst day Of January, 1875. q complete
into possession of the county offices, rs major
ity of the county court, up to that time. was
electad under republican domination at the
ballot box" n.4..s- .,..4. .-. ..-. =
This, by the leaders Of the radical
party, has been denied or rather, they
have not plead the general issue, but, as
we say, have put in plea Of confession
and avoidance that IS, they confess the
crimes-that the burthens exist-but
deny their responsibility, and seek to
shift this responsibility from their shoul-
ders, where it properly belongs. to the
shoulders of the democratic party where
it does not belong, and where it cannot,
under any circumstances, be made to
rest. . I repeat, ,reafirm and adopt, as
my own, all the charges made by Mr.
Steele, and hope, not through anySpowel
or ability which possess, for 1 have
none, but simply by facts and figures
from the records, and within the per-
sonal knowledge of many present, tc
make good these charges in the gross
and in the detail. - s--.s 90
pc What are these burthens? = We have
or recently had, for shall hereafter show
how it has been reduced by demo
icratic administration, a public; debt rest
ing upon the people of this county, grind
ing them into the dust, destroying theil
Industries, and eating up their hard
earned substance, amounting to the
Ienormous sum of 81 ,346. .436. This deb
is divided as follows: