Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-10-13
That Republican Record.

of the most capable and trustworth.
officials to be found anywhere, has beel
digging down into the record of the Re
publican party in Missouri to which tn
Republican State Convention this yea
had the gall Ito point with pride
The record shows that during th,
six years of Republican misrule in thi
State gross extravaganza and reckles
corruption reigned supreme.
The most brazen of all the corrup
transactions which blots this period o
the States history was the sacrifice o
the States lien on the railroads BY
which the tax payers Of Missouri were
deliberately swindled out of over TWEEN
ty millions of dollars. The State haC
loaned its credit to the roads to aid il
their construction and had guarded
against any possible loss by taking 6
first lien on the property of the roads
including 1,S24,434 acres Of land.
The Republicans under Gov. Fletch
er sacrificed the States securities worth
fully 35 million dollars for Sc, 131 ,496,
and corruptly compelled the people to
assume the payment of the enormous
sum of $25, 1868
1t is true, as claimed by the Repub.
lican State platform, that the Fletcher
administration reduced the State deb,
$14, 100000; but that is but half the
truth.
1t is also true that in paying this
$14, 900, 900 the Republicans corruptly
sacrificed $3S, 100000 OF State securi-
ties In which transaction favorites oi
that party were made millionaires.
Had these securities been handled
honestly, every dollar of the States
obligations would haye been met with
out the collection of one cent through
taxation of the people.
When the Republicans were driven
from power they left a State debt OF
500, 900 bearing 6 AMI Z per cent.
interest. This the Democrats have
reduced to 1862, 900, bearing 81 per
cent.
When the Republicans went out of
power the tax rate for State purposes
was As cents. To-day it is 25 cents.
The Democrats have not sold State
securities nor increase taxes to enable
them to reduce the State debt.
By the practice of economy and the
adoption of sound business methods in
all the State departments the Demo-
Gratis have been able to reduce the rate
of taxation as we'll as to pay over rs
per cent. o. the State debt.
Under Republican rule the fees and
perquisites of the Secretary of State,
State Treasurer and State Auditor,
amounting to $500 or $4,000 each
per annum, were pocketed by these
officials. Under Democratic rule every
dollar of this money goes into the State
treasury. ~
Under Republican rule the. manage
ment of the State Penitentiary was
notorious for Doodle contracts, where
by the State was swindled out of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars, and the
care of that institution became a bur-
den to the people. To-day the discip-
line and care of the Penitentiary is
equal to the best in the Union, and the
is self-sustaining.
And so the record runs through all
the departments.
The Republicans paid more money
for printing the laws and journals in
six years than the Democrats paid in
the past twenty-four.
The appropriations for pay and con-
tingent expenses of the General Assem-
bly, under Republican rule was nearly
double what it has been under Demo
cratic rule.
And yet the Republicans at their ST.
Louis Convention this year insult the
of this State by '.pointing
with pride" to this rotten record. 1t
is record that every honest Republi-
can ought to apologize for. It is one
so corrupt. so stepped in Doodle meth
DDS that the tax payers of this State
will never consent to have it repeated.