Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-10-27

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ssThe most sentative nerve In the human
anatomy 10 the nerve leading TO the
pocketbook." That waa q saying sage
enough to be classed with King Solo
mons proverbs or with Lord Bacon's
"Wisdom Of the Ancients.n I have
been searching all my life for q man
who really likes to pay taxes. He does
mot exist. But taxgatherers, like the
poor, we always have with Is. Taxes
are q necessary evil and none of us, not
even the most patriotic. really enjoys
paying them. Consequently jefferson
saw with clear vision when he wrote
''ecopomy in the public espense, that
labor may be lightly burdened." Moth.
ing could befog his crystalline intellect.
He recognized thoroughly that in the
last analysis the labor Of the country
pays the taxes and must foot the bills;
hence his theory Of economy in the
public expense for the avowed purpose
'that labor may be lightly burdened.
Missourrs Glorious History.
My object lesson in applied De-
mocracy" Is "Missouri and her history
for 80 years under Democratic CONTROL"
It Is glorious, patriotic and inspiring.
She is the f~airest, greatest and richest
Of Jefferson's political daughters, and
she has lived up thoroughly to his theory
Of ECONOMY in the public expense"
Let no reader of this outside Of Mis-
souri, hastily jump at the conclusion
that he has no interest in s'applied De-
mocracy" in Missouri, for he has, no
matter where he resides or whether he
is Democrat, Republican or Populist,
for the necessity for paying taxes is uni
versal and presses upon all citizens
without respect to state lines Or polit-
ical affiliations. Republicans do not like
to pay taxes any more than Democrats.
Therefore they would do well to ponder
Missouri's lesson in 'sapplied Democ-
II everybody in America thor
oughly understood Missouri Democratic
history, every state in the Union would
60 Democratic this fall, and there would
be only two Republicans in the next
congress. and they the two already
from Oregon, because the Ore
gonians had not profted by Missouri's
notable example in applied Demoo-
II IL be true that he who makes two
blades Of grass grow where only one
grew before is . public benefactor, then
the party which pays a public debt and
at the same time reduces the tax rate is
also o public b~enefactor; for a penny
saved Is a penny made. That's precise
" what the Democratic officials of Mis-
souri, have done. II the people of boss
Pennsylvania could comprehend
this lesson, they would bury the Quay
and Wanamaker factions together in
potter's field and place the affairs of the
atate in the hands of honest Democrats
by 500, 600 majority. II the people of
Ohio understood it, they would uncere-
kick both the Hannaites and
into the gulf Of oblivion
and put only Democrats on guard. II
the New Yorkers only had sense enough
TO take o lesson in economics from the
plain Democrats of Missouri, Platt and
his gang, Black and his gang and all the
rest Of the gangs would vanish as a
dream, and the taxpayers would think
they were living in the millennium.
What q healthy change the Missouri
plan would work in Illinois,
where one scandal succeeds another in
and about the statehouse!
Fair Election Laws.
Let it also be remembered that in
Missouri Democracy has been applied
to public affairs under conditions per-
fectly fair. Every male citizen, black
or white, rich or poor, great or small,
who has not been convicted of a felony
is q voter in Missouri, and he not only
has the right to vote, but he actually
votes, provided he wants to. and, what
is more, his vote is counted asst is cast.
No state in the Union has better cleo
ton laws. Nowhere is the right Of suf-
frage more carefully and sacredly
guarded.
For 90 years Democrats have con
trolled the state. During all that time
only three Republican state officers have
been eleoted-a judge of the supreme
court, railroad commissioner and super
Of public schools-all three of
whom were elected by q fuke in the
cataolysm of 1894. In all these years
the Democrats have controlled the leg
islature in both branches, except that
In 1894 the Republicans elected the
lower house, but even then the Demo-
Gratis had the senate and the governor,
who possesses the veto power, so that
Democratic supremacy has been COM
plete. The record they have have made
Is q matter Of ineffable pride and might
be duplicated in any and every state in
the Union. thereby giving the people
better local government and saving mil
lions upon millions to the. taxpayers,
verifying Jefferson's theory, ECONOMY
in the public expense, that labor may
be lightly ~burdened."
A Splendid Record.
When the control of the state govern
ment passed into the hands Of the Dem.
ocratic party on Jan. 1, 1873 (when
Governor Woodson was inauguratedl,
the state debt amounted to $21, 76s, 600.
Now, after 20 years of unbroken
Democratic sway, it has been reduced
to "a, 600, 600, and will be paid off in
five yearsi
That is surely q glorious record, but
that's only a part Of it, for in 1878 peo-
pie Of Missouri were paying 6 per cent
ON their bonds, and those bonds were
hawked about the markets Of the world
at q large discount. Now the debt bears
only 81 per cent technically. while
they sell at such q premium as to be
teally 8 per cent bonds, which makes
Missouri's credit actually better than
the credit Of the national government,
for q United States bond is nontaxable,
while o Missouri bond is taxable when
found. All this is the work of Missouri
Democrats-a glorious record-one
which can be not only defended but
exploited in the face Of the world.
But how has this splendid result been
secured? By increasing the taxes? No.
but by diminishing the taxesl Debt cut
down and taxes cut down-a perform
ance unequaled since governments were
6rst instituted among men-a miracle
The T.o6Ocr Niaaad