Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-09-10

! les me dwell On matters OF grea. interest," e
every one OF you, regarding our state governs
/ ment.
| For twenty-five years the dsmocratic party
/ has controlled the governments of the state
/ do not say that no mistakes have been made.
no errors committed in this quarter OF CEN
| tuFy To say that would be to claim perfection
/ in human government. But do say. and stand
ready to prove. that during these twenty-five
years no state government in this country has
| been more wisely, justly, economically or
honestly administered than that OF Mis-
souri, In what state has the Law been
better enforced or public order better
preserved? Take the last three or four
years which are still fresh in your
sylVania, West Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama,
Indiana, Illinois. Iowa, Kansas. Nebraska and
other states have been shaken from center to
circumference By riots, amounting almost to
instructions. These states have been con-
verted into great military camps, and men,and
women, too, have been shot down by state
militia and federal soIdiery. But in Missouri
not an armed trooper has been called into serT-
ice or put into the field. There has been no
need for us TO resort to measures so extreme,
so harsh or so unamerican. The public peace
has been preserved in this state by the strong
arm of the civil authority alone Which do
you like best: Which is the most honorable by
comparison? Certainly crimes have been COM
United, but. rule. they have been swiftly
punished. The record Missouri las mada as
law-abiding and law-enforcing state shines
splendidly in comparison with the records OF
other states.
Again, when the democratic party came into
power in 1872, we found the state burdened by
public bonded debt Of s2I, 76s 600. bearing in
teresB at the rate Of and per cent,
which came to US heritage OF re-
publican misrule, and the taxes OF the
state amounted to IS cents on the 500
of valuation. How is it nowg At
the end OF the present year the bonded debt Of
the state will amount TO only s. es6,e00 all
bearing interest at the rate of 80 per cent.
and the tax rate is only . cents on the 500 of
valuation. Since have been at the head of
the state treasury a. 428. 900 of bonds have been
paid OF and retired. And how has the credit
OF the state Jared? When the democratic party
was restored to power our 6-per-cent. bonds
were selling at less than par Now our 3D.
percent bonds are worth premium in any
market in the world. II desire to refund
our debt, could to-day easily place our bonds,
bearing only per cent, at par but we do not
want to refund them. II you elect me gov
ernor, and L believe you will, will have
every bond paid OF and burnt at the end OF my
administration, and viii have your taxes re-
duced to at least Is cents on the $780, l be-
heve in paying debts not incr sasing or per-
petuating them. I am antf-CIeyeland on this
subject, as we'll as some others. Again. we
have built up the most magnificent school sys-
tenn in America. supported by the largest cash
public school fund of any state in the Union. In
these years we have made the, university, prae-
tcally constructed three normal schools, built
the deaf and dumb schools, built two asylums
and remodeied a third; built reform school for
boys and another for girls; trebled the capaci-
ty OF the penitentiary, added two wings to the
capitol constructed supreme court building,
and other public buildings besides, thereby
meeting, in a large measure. these great public
needs of the state, and all this without increas-
ing the taxes OF the people. but, on the con-
trary, gradually and constantly reducing them
But why prolong these details? You are IA
millar with this history.
A wEIL-GovERNED STATE
say without fear of sincere or successful
contradiction that Missouri is one Of the best
governed states in the Union. More than that;
no state in the Union has outstripped Missouri
in the march of substantial development and
permanent progress. Upon all these state
ments am ready to stand and defy assault;
what have said is absolutely true. and much
more could be said with equal truth. state
nothing am not prepared to prove by data abb
solutely incontroyertible. WHY then, should
the people of this state take the government
of the state from the hands of the democratic
party? Let them go back beyond 1872, and re-
call the history OF republican mfsrule. and say
if they can afford to experiment. Let them say
II they can afford to discharge those who have
performed their duties faithfully and WELL and
substitute those who in former days abused
their power and pr0stituted their opportuni-
ties to base and selfish ends, to the detriment
of the state.
Remember. many Of the men who controlled
the state in the old days OF republican ascend
ancy are still the leaders of the republican
party in Missouri. We had a touch of repub- |
licanism last year. when Russell's republican |
house of representatives was absolutely domi- |
mated by Boss FilIey from his mosque in st.
Louis; and Bradley's performance in Kentucky |
in calling out the militia to overawe the legis-
lature Of the state. is another example of re-
publican methods in the administration OF |
state affairs.
No, my fe11ow-citizens, whatever you may |
think of national affairs, am sure IL you act |
with that discretion and Judgment, and with |
that regard for your own interest which usual |
ly characterizes the conduct of sensible men, |
you win not permit your state to pass out OF |
the hands of those who have managed It WISE |
ly and well, into the hands of those who |
plundereo. oppressed and almost wrecked it. |
Let Mfssourians stand up for Missouri: let |
those who have made the state what it is up /
hold it. maintain its credit, preserve its in
tegrity and defend its honor
In conclusion will say. IL God spares my |
life, will help carry the banner you have |
placed in my hands to victory, but I will not |
promise you that will make the best governor
the state has ever had, but will promise you
that will do the best can and will let the fu-
sure historian write the story.
II he says that / was just. fair and patient,
that was without prejudice, but that had q
heart that always beat in sympathy for the
masses; if he says that attended
TO the duties of the ONCE with assidulty and
devotion, that my administration was clean,
practical and busfness-iike, and that inau-
zurated many business reforms which proved
profitable to the taxpayers and satisfactory to
the public generally, will be happy, i will be
satisfied. will be content.
Again, fellow-citIzens, let me urge upon you
TO keep up the campaign of education. to keep
up silver the agitation. There are many cat
lies yet to fight, but there is just God who
presides over the destinies of nations, and in
his struggle for right against wrong. for the
weak against the strong. he will lead US to VIC
,ory. both in nation and state, and our grand old
country will move from gloom to brightness,
md there will not be found this side the sum-
ner land beyond the skies where the river
lows in eternal song. happier or more pros
porous people than ours. and We can then all
triumphant shout, republicans, populists, pro-
libitionists and democrats:
sound the loud timbrels, DER land and DER sea, |
Because Right has triumphed, the people are
free.