Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-04-15
Mexico County, Thursday April 1897

of state bonds before they are due.
The endowment bill simply made re-
QUESTION upon small part Of that sur
plus interest fund.
Now, Mr.. Bradley's constituents can
see that all his talk of wishing to save
their poor backs, already over-bur-
dened with taxes, and all his righteous
indignation at robbing the thousands
of boys in the public schools for the
benefit of few hundred in the Uni
versity, was simply stuff and nom
sense. Doubtless he had good mo-
tive in it all, for he has good motive
in all he does and says, but his motive
here is modestly concealed.
l did not set out to say so much, but
I cannot close without word on the
provisions of the constitution.
CoNsTITUTIoNALITY.
Mr.. Bradley quotes those provisions
which were intended to prevent legis-
lative extravagancea and an increase of
the bonded debt; and also those pro-
visions which were intended to protect
the bondholders by securing, be-
yond question, the payment of the
interest and principal of their bonds,
thereby increasing the commercial
value of those bonds and SO benefit
ing the credit of the State. These
proper ends have been well secured,
and no bonds are better to-day in the
market than those of Missouri. So
far SO good, but there was evidently
no intention on the part of the franz
ers of the constitution to prevent the
payment of interest on certificates of
indebtedness in favor of the public
schools and the University. These
certificates amount to-day to several
millions, and most of them represent
obligations older than the constitu-
tion. The one-mill levy, which is so
sacredly guarded, is partly for the
benefit of the bond-holder and partly
for the benefit of the certificates of
indebtedness. The obligation to "aid
and MAINTAIN the University" is as
sacred and binding as any provision in
the Constitution.
The Constitution is to be interpre-
ted in the light of its evident purpose,
its general spirit, and the approved
practice of former legislatures and ad-
ministration. The letter killeth but
the spirit giveth life. This is en-
phatieally true Of the Constitution.
Its spirit is good faith to its bond
holders, and generous support to the
University. One is no less an obliga-
ton than the other; both are bind
ing constitutionally. The practice of
former Assemblies has been to con-
stantly add to the certificate of in
debtedness, either with or without
valuable consideration. There is a
standing order that whenever the
lands belonging to the A. and M. Col
lege are sold, the proceeds are re-
ceived into the interest fund, bonds
bearing three per cent. are taken up
tAu GSEbiuCdIco VI luOCDbcAAOoo oA Q
issued bearing perpetually per cent.
interest. Wh1le rna5 may pc IN oppo-
sition to the mere letter of the con-
stitution in particular passages, it is
clearly in accord with its general
spirit. Did Mr.. Bradley ever read the
story of the two knights who looked
on opposite sides of shield, and who
quarreled because they could not
agree as to what they read? Should he
not have looked on the other side of
the shield before he leveled his lance
at the University
On many accounts it is, I think to be
greatly regretted that Mr.. Bradley and
not few others in the late General
Assembly did not come to the con-
sideration of the endowment bill in a
better spirit, for then they would have
found in the constitution an all-pervad-
ing spirit which would have turned
the scale in an emergency like the
present, and would have justified the
passage of the endowment bill.
One single word more: must pro-
test against the assumption, coolly
made by Mr.. Bradley, that he is in
some way charged with the duty oi
looking out for the interests of the
people more than are the Curators Of
the University. In heavens name
what do we have University fori
For whose benefit is it constantly
aided and maintained? Is 1t not fol
the people? For whom have I spent
time and hard work these six year,
except for the people of the statei
for the young men and women o.
brains and pluck and promise of pub
lie and private usefulness? Mr.. Brad
ley stands no nearer the people than
do. Their interests are no dearer tt
him than they are to me. He SEEM
to think that a Curator of Universit.
is responsible to no one; that he as
saults the state treasury in behalf o
an institution in which the taxpayer
have no interest and no share, ant
that it is his duty to protect then
from the Curators' wi1es. I beiiev'
him to be mistaken and a prejudice'
representative, and I would shield hi
people from the bad logic of his "rea
sons" and the evil consequences Q
his votes. @. M. WOODWARD,
| Ex-Curator.
Figs and Thistles.
Devotion is the first child of faitf