Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1896-08-13
THE PLATFORM.

Following is the platform as recon-
mended by the Committee on Resolu-
tions:
The Democrats of Missouri, in State
convention assembled, heartily in
dcrse the platform adopted by the
Observation-Disclosures which
assembled at Chicago on July Z, and
the nomination of William ]. Bryan
and Arthur Sewall for President and
Vice President of the United States.
We believe the platform to be an
honest and explicit declaration of
fundamental Democratic principles,
and that the election of the candidates
standing upon it will restore the coun-
try's prosperity and bring relief to a
suffering people.
In the field of national politics the
Democratic party has placed itself so
emphatically on the side of the people
in their struggle against excessive
taxation, profiigate expenditures and
a vicious monetary system, that on
this ground alone it would be entitled
to the-support of every citizen who is
in sympathy with the people in their
effort to bring about better condi-
tions; but in Missouri the party has a
special claim upon this support by
reason of its record in the admins
tration of the State government and
| finances.
The Democratic party of Missouri
offers as the best guarantee for the
future the wise and economical ad-
ministration of the affairs of the State
since it came into power in 1873. Dur.
ing this time the State has prospered
as it never did befere-in it's history.
Its population has doubled; its wealth
has increased, as measured in dollars
and cents, by 63 per cent; its real
wealth, as represented by the possess
| ions of the people, has increased fully
200 per cent. Orderly government
under liberal Constitution has taken
the place of the violence and corrup-
ton of Republican misrule under the
Drake regime. When it came into
power the Democratic party found a
bonded debt of $21, ,76s, 900, the secur-
titles for which the Republican party
had squandered. This debt has been
paid off until only s5,Oo7, 900 in bonds
remain unpaid.
While making this reduction in the
States Indebtedness the Democratic
party has been liberal in furnishing
splendid educational, eleemosynary
and penal institutions equal to those
of any State in the Union; it has con-
tinually reduced the taxation until the |
levy is now but one-half of what it |
was under Republican administration. |
Under the last two Democratic ad- |
ministrations the tax levy has been
reduced 15 cents on the 500, or 37115
per cent, saving of 81 500, 900 per
annum to the taxpayers; the entire |
tax levy for State purposes is 25 cents |
on the S100 valuation; 10 cents of this
is for bond and interest fund to pay
the interest and principal upon the
debt fastened upon the people by the
Republican party; cents of the same
goes back to the people for the sup
Port of the common schools, leaving
but 10 cents levy to pay all govern
mental expenses, including appropri-
ations for public buildings-school,
eleemosynary and penal-support of
the university, normal schools, asy-
lums, reform school, penitentiary, for
criminal costs and salaries of officers,
thus giving to the people more for the
small sum of money taken from them
than does any State in the American
Union.
The continuance of Democratic
State government means the final and
full payment of the State debt during
the next four years with the possibiI-
ity at the end of that time of raising
all State taxes from corporations,
leaving the personal and real prop
erty in the counties to be taxed only
for county purposes.
The public school system in Missouri
was founded by the act of Feb. 8, 1887,
under Democratic supremacy. It has
had its fullest fruition under Demo-
cratic administration until the school
funds of this State have become the
largest of any commonwealth in the
Union, amounting to si2, ,700, 900, be-
sides which over 1900, 900 is invest
ed in the public school houses of the
State. The common schools and high
ar education have been literally fos-
tered and the school system of Mis-
souri, crowned by the State University
is famed for excellence throughout
the Republic. We invite a compar-
ison of this record with that of the
Republican party in Missouri and
await with confidence the verdict OF
the people who prefer honest and
economical administration to violence,
prescription and profigate wastsful-
ness. We pledge the Democratic party
SO long as it is entrusted with power