The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-10-20

OF laws empowering republican county
courts to issue bonds to aid In the con-
structiOn of railroads that were never
built.
They authorized and permitted the
state officers to retain as ''perquisites"
the fees of their Offices, which should
have been paid into the state treasury.
They were uniformly wasteful and
extravagant in all public expenditures,
except for educational purposes.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION.
They called q state convention in
1875 and adopted a constitution,
placing stringent limitations upon the
general assembly and county courts in
regard to creation OF indebtedness and
the power to tax the people, enforcing
rigid economy in all the public
expenditures.
They have enacted laws whereby
railroad property that had practically
escaped taxation under republican
rule is now required to pay its share Of
taxes.
They have imposed taxes upon cor
porations, foreign insurance and express
companies, compelled the payment OF
all fees of state officers and the interes,
on the state moneys into the public
treasury, and so administered the
finances of the state that it was pos
sible, without embarrassing the treas
ury, to comply with the requirements
of the constitution of 1875, and ia
1892 reduce the rate of the state reve.
nue. tax from 20 to Is cents on the &l0C
thereby making the total rate 25 cent.
on the 800, just one-half the rate
levied by the republicans in 1871, when
driven from power by the people they
had plundered.
They have, by prudent management
raised the state credit until it is equa
TO that of the United States. Wher
they took control, on January I, 1873
our per cent twenty-year state bond,
could only be sold for 80 cents on tn,
dollar. Now our ) n per cent option
bonds command premium.
They have reduced the bonded deb
of the state from $21, ,16S, 900, 6 pc
cent bonds January l, 1873, to 81, ,0l6,
600 on August /, 1894. OF the bond
now outstanding, q, ,OS6, 900 bear 81,
per cent and $3.50, 900 per cent.
They have enacted wise and jus
laws for the compromise and settle
ment of the indebtedness imposed up
on counties and townships through re
publican fraud, and, by reason O
strict economy exercised by compe
tent democratic county courts, thos
debts have in nearly every instanc
been paid off, or SO reduced that the
are no longer burdepsome to the tax
payers.
i They have increased the school fun
from %, 600, ,315.l3 in 1873 to s., ,141,
538.77 in 1894, and during the sam
period increased the states seminar
fund from $685. 700 to S1,191 1858. %
They have, without increasing tn
rate of taxation, enlarged lunatic asy
lum No. l at Fulton, increasing Il
capacity three-fold; constructed tw
new lunatic asylums, No. at 81
Joseph and No. 3 at Nevada, whic
are among the largest and best equip
ped in the United States; establishes
the schools of mines and metallurgy q
Rolla; rebuilt and re-equipped th
school for the deaf and dumb at Full
ton; greatly enlarged the school 70
the blind in st. Louis; constructe
and, equipped the reform school fo
boys at BOOnville and the industris
bone for girls at Chillicothe; rebuff
and greatly enlarged the penitentiar
at Jefferson City, so that branch pen
itentiary is not needed; enlarged tn
state capitol building by addition {
two wings, and constructed cOmmod
ious buildings for the supreme couI
and state library; rebuilt the Stat
University and made it one of the gres
: est institutions in the land.
While this has been done a gcnerou
: support has been given to the eleemo
synary and edu ,ational institutions, il
cluding the State University, thre
normal schools and Lincoln institut,
They have instituted radical reform
in public expenditures in all of depar
ments of the state government, hols
ing every officer to strict accountable
for public moneys collected and di
bursed.
They have enacted and now enfort
Q law requiring all public officers
give their personal attention to the
= official duties for the salaries fixed /
! the statutes.
They have enacted and now enfort
laws for the protection of agc-earnel
D from the oppression of wealthy co
/ Of