The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-07-21
A MIsSOURIAN On MISSOURI
Secretary Of the State Lesueurs
Fine Showing for the State
Magnificent Education
al Advantages.

Secretary of State Lesueur on being
asked in an interview in st. Louis rs
to the general outlook in Missouri
said
"Why, sir, there never was finer
prospects before our people. The
wheat crop is immense, and even at q
moderate price must bring . great
deal of money into the state. North
ern Missouri, which raises more hay
than any Cther portion Of the state,
has a splendid crop. Grass and oats
are fine and corn, which has suffered
q little in places from excessive rains,
will still make fair yield.
"ln natural resources 1t IS no va u
boast 10 claim that Missouri as state
leads all the rest. In area, Maine,
Mass ,chusetts, Connecticut, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island
and Delaware could be set down with
in its borders and still lesye 900 square
miles unc ,vered. The value of Mis-
souri, farms is over $500, 0OO, 900, and
the worth Of q single crop from its
laughing snd fertile fields is greater
thand $1,000, 0OO. 900. Us mountains
Of iron are inexhaustib!e, and its fields
Of cal scarcely impinged upon. 1t
produces nearly as much lead and
zinc rs all the other states and terrific
ries put together; more corn than H.
diana and Maryland more wheat
than New York, Kentucky and Ds-
ko,a. and more wool than Texas.
With these and one of the greatest
manufacturing cities in the country it
is materially an empire within itself.
In the conduct Of its public 81 irs it
is intelligent. benevolent, frugal and
honest. 1t provides schools for its
children, asylums for its I'M
foriunstes, is careful as to tex
alton aud it pays is debts.
"Missouri appreciating that the
safety of the Republic lies in the in
lelligence of the citiz II, ciuses no
child to walk an unreasonable dis ance
to school. Urban and suburban dis
tricts alike furni.h school haus's from
whose chinneys the curling smoke
can be seen the one from another.
She enjoys the proud distinction Of
having the largest awaits able perma-
nent school fund of any one Of the
United States"
"rhis is divided as follows: State
common school fund, SO, lac, 1853;
State university fund, 81, 191 ,95S:
county common school fund, So. 6S7,
565: township common school fund,
80. 331 055; special common school
fund, s4S, 4O7, or the magnificent to
tai Of 81, 1893, 1888. Six hundred ami
forty.six thousand nine hundred and
forty eight of this sum was added by
the last Legislation to the university
fund. Beside the interest from this
eleven and q quarter millions Of
dollars the Legislature regular.
ly appropliates one-third of the entire
revenue fund for the use of the com.
mon schools. In 1889 this
amounted to sS43, 32O,19; in
1890 to 1861. 1886 30. In
1890 there was, in addition to all
these sums, realized in the state from
local taxes for schools the sum Of
So, 1851. 725 So. and in 1890, 81, 1885,.
$50 SO. So that in 1889 the total
amount expanded in the state for
schools was s4.796, $50 81, and in
1890. s., 291 $50 q.
"Tbe public school system of Mis-
souri, was established by an act Of
February 6,1837, and the result
which / have mentioned illustrates
the fact that it is being faithfully and
literally fostered, for in addition to
these funds for education the peoples
school of Missouri are housed in prop
ertp which is valued at over $12, 600,
600. and in the populous centres are
maintained private schools, colleges
and universities whose excellence is
unsurpassed by similar institutions
anywhere. Missouri has three splen.
did asylums for the insane, an
asylum for the blind and q school for
the deaf and dumb, a reformatory for
girls and a reformatory for boys.
These are intelligently and
humanely conducted. 'In the mat
ter of taxation and the public
debt frugality and care and exercised.
In 1865 the debt of Missouri was
$50, 094. 908. The tax levy for the
payment Of its principal and interest
was from 1868 to 1875 one-fourth of
l per cent; from 1876 to 1888 it was
one-fifth Of l per cent: since that time
it has been but one-tenth of l per
cent, yet with that low rate of tax
alton the principal Of the debt con-
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