Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1879-10-11

unsteady, rather reckless, when u IS
remembered, as everybody knows, that
the public school system OF Missouri
vas in existence before the republican
party. The democratic party has not
only been the friend of the public school
system, but it owes It's existence to that
party, as with its sixty thousand major.
ity. if it were opposed to it, it would
wipe it out of existence. Instead OF
doing this, however, we find the last
constitutional convention. solidly demo-
cratic, putting this in the organic law
of the state: "a general diffusion of
knowledge and intelligence being es-
sential TO the preservation Of the rights
aud liberties of the people the general
assembly shall establish ard maintain
free public schools Tor the gratuitous in
struction OF all persons in this state be-
tween the ages of six and twenty years.
Separate free public schools
shall be established for the education OF
children of African descent. =
In case the public school fund now pro-
vided and set apart by law for the sup
port of free public schools shall be in
sufficient to sustain a free school at
least tour months in every year in each
school district in this state, the general
assembly may provide for such deficien-
cy in accordance with section eleven of
the article on evenue and taxation ;
but IN no case ShaU there be set apart
less than Twenty-Five per cent. Of the
state rerenue, %erclusive Of interest
and sinking fund, to be applied NJ
mually to the support of the public
schools" The first thing to be provi-
ded tor in appropriations is the interest
on the public debt; the second is the
sinking fund for the public debt, and the
third is '.for free public school purpo-
ses." The first constitution OF the state,
adopted In st. Louis, July 10. 1920. o n
tanned a clause which said: SCHOOLS
and the means of education shall be for
ever encouraged in this state. = =
One school or more shall be established
II each township The historical
sketch of education IN the state, in the
last university catalogue, says; "Long
prior to the civil war, a system of com
mon schools, with provisions equally as
wise and beneficent as those contained
in u present laws. was established.
The people of the state increased the
taxes 80 1-3 per cent. IN order to ap-
portion these taxes to the support of
common schools in every county IN the
state. These taxes are still continued,
and are paid by the people without a
murmur," This was before there was
any republican party. The university
system was first firmly established by an
act of the legislature, introduced by
Hon. Henry S. Geyer. in 1889. Mr..
Geyer was a whig, atterward United
States senator, and a rabid southern
man, though as rabid an advocate of
free public instruction. The state pub
lie school fund has always been held
inviolable and sacred, except during a
republican administration, that of Gov.
Fletcher, when it was diverted from its
proper purpose; and in this county the
school fund was p~arcelled out by repub-
licans to republican favorites in such a
careless way that some twenty thousand
dollars of it was lost. 1t has always
been jealousy and honestly guarded by
democratic administrations.
The lntelligencer has no reply to make
to the attacks made upon it by the re-
publican organ in this city. Their viii
famous English, miserable logic, and
recklessness of statement are an an
swer unto themselves. We wish to say,
however, that the assaults made by that
paper upon the administration CT justice
in this county are uncalled for, and as
far from the truth as they we'll could be.
The last number of that paper is calcu-
lated to do this county great damage if
its statements should anywhere be cred
tied. Instead of a lax and partisan adj
ministration of the criminal law, we
have in Lafayette county as able, as
fearless and as conscientious a prosecut-
ing attorney, Mr.. John S. Bla ckwell, as
can be found anywhere, in or out of
Missouri. The judge of the criminal
cour has often been charged with lean
ing rather too much toward the state in
all prosecutions of criminals, but new
err, so tar as we have heard, of partisan
bias, or even a suspicion of such q thing.
The grand juries are drawn from among
the most intelligent. l%aw-abiding citi
zens, and will for years compare favor
ably with the n chosen for the next
term of court. which begins next Mon
day. Here are the names; Benz. e..
Chinn, VIM. Limrick. John b. Melon
aid, John 5. Renick,J j. Fletcher Groves,
James Peddicord, George w. Smith,
John o. Lockhart, Henry Filing. j.
Samuel White. Lucius F.. Weaver and
Green d. Satterfield. Two of these
gentlemen are lea ding republicans in
the county-all of them are men who.
for intelligence and high standing as
citizens. are above r%eproach men who
can neither be b~rowbeaten into finding
indictments based on malice, or intim.
idated from finding true bills against
real criminals. We assure everybody
who thinks of visiting Lafayette county.
with a view to settling within her Dor
ders. that they will find nowhere q more
orderly and virtuous people. or a people
more determined to bring all criminals
to justice regardless OF who or what
they may be.
Harper's Weekly in its last issue says
"the republican party can point to it:
national administration = to it:
constitutional action in the south" Wei
and good. But. if Mr.. HAYES with
draWal OF troops is constitutional ac-
tion," what was the action of Grant,
administration and is not Harper!
Weekly, Mast, Lawrence and Curtis
ready to support Grant for a third term