The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-10-27
GRAND OLD MISSOURI.
DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN RULE IN
THE STATE CONTRASTED.
Solid Chunks of Political History
Facts and Figures from the Treas
ury Books-A Rnttling Speech
Made by Ed holland.

The first speech of the campaign upon
purely State affairs was delivered by Hon.
Edward I. holland of jackson County, Dem
ocratic candidate for State Treasurer, before
a large and appreciative audience at Charles
ton, No, last Thursday evening, September
20. The address is as follows:
That the Republican party should give any
evidences of hope of success in the impending
campaign in this State, is to me-, fellow
citizens, most astonishing when | scrutinize
that party's history for the period OF eight
years, during which time, by fraudulent and
corrupt methods, it held the reins of govern
ment in this commonwealth. Fortunately for
us today. the archives of our State contain
the records of the past. Fortunately for us
to-day, the archives of many of the counties
of this State disclosed the evidence of Radical
maladministration and corruption. When |
say fortunately, l use the word only in the
sense that the records of the past may serve
as a present warning.
History is unrelenting, as well as just, and
the Republican party of to-day must reap the
harvests of the seeds sown two decades or
more ago. At every turn the records of the
past will rise to comfort them, and, like
Banquo's ghost, will not down at their bid
ding. If you will indulge me for a few min
utes, gentlemen, l will endeavor to give you a
faint idea of the ill-doing of the Radical
party during the period of its supremacy in
this State, and also to allude to the history of
the Democratic party.
In 1868 and prior thereto Republican legis-
latures enacted laws, and Republican Gov
errors approved them, authorizing the County
Courts in counties of the State, without the
sanction of the people, to Issue county and
municipal bonds. to aid in the construction
OF railroads through various counties. To
day many counties in this State are still
struggling under the burden of these gigantic
debts, and many of them for years have been
litlgating them, and many of the County
Court Judges of the counties of this State
nave languished in Jail for their refusal
to levy taxes to pay these debts that were
conceived in corruption and brought forth in
crime. Republicans may say the people
elected the County Courts, and it was their
business to see that the men chosen would
lend themselves TO no such purpose. This,
gentlemen, is no answer, for it lacks truth.
In many of these counties q vast majority of
them, a very large majority of the taxpayers
were disfranchised by the infamous Drake
Constitution, and had no voice in the control
of affairs. The tricksters and corruptiorists
found it easy to elect those to the Office of
County Court Judge, who either had their
''hands behind them or through Ignorance,
thought not Of the interest of the people, but
turned themselves over body and soul to
those. who could make most out of them.
When the disabilities of the djsfranchised
citizens We're removed the Democracy a-ain
assumed authority of government, those
vicious laws were eXpunged from the statute
book, and from that day to this the utmost
that a County Court can do is to issue bonds
to provide for maturing Indebtedness, sub
hitting to the voters of the county PROPOSE
tions 10 issue such bonds, and it now requires
q tWO-thirdS majority of all the voters OF a
| county to warrant the issue of bonds for this
purpose. This, gentlemen, has become the
organic law of the State and is beyond even
the pale of the Legislature to change.
OME INTERESTING FIGURES.
desire to call your attention to the record
of that party during the eight years from 1868
to 1872, inclusive, and also direct your atten-
| ton to the record of the Democratic party
from 1873 up to the present. For these eight
years the Republican party levied and col
lected from the people the following amounts
for the purpose o: paying the expenses Of the
General Assembly: