Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-04-15
Mr.. Woodward Says MIR. Bradley's
Logic is Poor and That He Be-
trays His Hostility to Mis-
souri's Pride, the State
University.

ley'S chief reason was personal one
and one he did not like to give. Mr..
Bradley is only human and fancy he
did what many another would have
done under the same provocation,
though 1 think he ought to have been
above it.
MR.. BRADLEY's POOR LOGIC.
AS for the reasons Mr.. Bradley act
ualIy gives, it is unfortunate that he
makes such a mess of them. 1t was
his duty to understand the bills he
voted on, and when called upon he
should have explained them clearly,
and yet he does not appear to under
stand either the original or the substi-
tute endowment bill. Some of his
"reasons" are strangely contradictory,
as will soon be made plain.
Mr.. Bradley quotes the familiar pas
sages In the State Constitution forbid
ding debt and the illegitimate use of
the "interest fund.-" and he repeats
the objections mentioned by Gov.
Stone in his message when he propos-
ed the additional University endow-
ment in the shape of what is known
as ga Certificate of Indebtedness of
g., ZOO, ,O0O." These objections, which
every one has recognized, seem no
more forcible now than they did when
first presented three months ago. But
Mr.. Bradley betrays his
HOSTILITY TO THE UNIVERSITY
in several ways. He is not sorry to
find constitutional objections to the
scheme proposed by the State officers
for the support of the University; on
the contrary he is clearly glad to find
them.
The "extravagance" of an adequate
support of the University at the pres
ent time angers him. What would he
do if he lived in New York or Pennsyl-
vania OF Illinois or Michigan or Wis
consin or Minnesota, where they give
their universities adequate support
every year?
Mr.. Bradley is annoyed because only
700 students attend the University of
Missouri, and so he is glad to vote
against bill to support it. Is that
the way to increase the attendance so
as to be on par with the states nam
ed? Again, Mr.. Bradley ''holds the
University in contempt" because,
forsooth, the Governor and the Audi
tor and the Secretary of State did not
see how the University could be ade-
quately supported from the revenue
fund without robb1ng the Public
Schools and the other state institu-
tions, and so they proposed the origi-
nal endowment bill, bill which Mr..
Bradley calls ''trick" and 'fraud." +"
After one has thus read between the
lines, as it were, that Mr.. Bradley is
an enemy to the University, and after
one sees that he beats about to find
reasons for his vote which shall ap-
pear to be disinterested and respecta-
BILE, it is not surprising to find these
conscript reasons Inconsistent, illogical
and suggestive of Misunderstanding,
For example, he says: "Here is a
measure 1.-THE endowment bill that
proposes to take from the revenues OF
the State the sum of 81 ,000, 900, and to
meet the interest on this vast sum take
from the revenues set apart as a
sacred trust for the liquidation of the
public debt" Truly it would be a
most remarkable bill which should moi
only take $4,000, 900 out of the reve-
nues and give it to the University, but
shoul take out more money to pay inter
est on it! Brave, noble Mr.. Bradley
to oppose such a bill! How could any
one do otherwise?
Now the people of Audrain County
probably know very well that neither
the original nor the substitute endow.
ment bill proposed to take two mil.
lion dollars from any revenue fund
either now or in six years, or at any
time, for such is the plain fact. Their
why does Mr.. Bradley permit himself
to use such language? VIII he pre-.
tend that ne did not understand the
bills or that he did not mean what hs
said? What did he publish his "rea'
sons" for? He certainly could mo-
have intended to mislead or confuse
any one.
Another example: This $4,000, ,0ot
was to come from "revenue in n,
spay connected ,oith the Public Schoo
fund.-" and yet he "cannot agree te
support one institution in ertrauaganc,
that only represents, out of all tn,
boys in this great State, 700, while tn.
remaining thousands are being robbet
to pay the tax." (The italics are mine
Is not that fearful muddle? Mr.
Bradley cannot agree to rob the schoo
boys of the State in behalf of the Uni
lversisy boys by means of bill whisl
does not touch the school fund at all
| Mr. Bradley refers to a conversatio,
| he had with me. remember meetin,
him In the Education Committee. ii,
had introduced bill to repeal tn,
Yeater Free Scholarship Act, and
appeared to defend it. ct was no
repealed.) In brief conversation OF
the endowment bill, l did say, that tn
lawmakers were confronted by al
emergency. 1t was their solemn con
stitutional duty to "aid and maintain
the State University" The genera
revenue fund was confessedly INSULT
cient for public schools, the courts
the executive departments and all tn
state institutions. Only two course