Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1899-01-12
GOV. Stephens MESSAGE
His Statement of the Operations of
the State Government, Followed
By Recommendations.


State Finances and State Debt Considered
at Length-More Revenue Necessary Oh
Expenses Must BE Reduced-The States
Part In the War With spain-Educa-
tional and Eleemosynary Institutions.
Jefferson City, Mo-, Jan. 6.-The
message of Gov. Lon v. Stephens was
read in both houses of the general as
sembly yesterday and referred to the
proper committees. 1t was a very
lengthy document, comprising nearly
10000 words, and reviewed with care
full detail the administration of the
various departments of the state gov
eminent during the past two years
and made numerous recommendations.
The following is synopsis:
AS your chief executive il becomes my
pleasure as well as my duty, in comply
ing with the requirements of the consti-
tuition of Missouri, to submit TO you Ior
your consideration, statement OF the
rious operations of the state government,
together with such recommendations as
existing conditions in my judgment JUS
tify. While there are evidences OF pros
perity all around us. the laDors OF our peo-
pie generally have not received tnat re-
ward IN Tne past 5ttt 10 tSem owing to well
known national laws which discriminate
against them: still we nave been pressed
where many have not and have no reason
to feel discouraged. In the development
of our resources there has been rapid and
uninterTupted progress we fer rgVig ns Ime
and field. We have been gracfously pre-
served from famine and pestilence, from
fire and tornado, from lawlessness and
civil strife, and in war with a foreign foe,
which has been brought to a speedy ter
mination, we have won honor and sue
cess. Our people reverence their consti-
tuition and rejoice in good and just state
laws. which are executed with honesty
and fidelity. Conscious of our greatness
and of our yet undeveloped natural re-
sources, we are building for the future.
believing it to be full of promise and re-
ward.
FINANCES.
On January 1, 1897, We had cash bal
ance in the state treasury of S5T7, 463 .05:
receipts from January l, 1897, to January
]. 1893, s., 800, 1866; disbursements from
January l. 1897, to January l, 1899, 81, $50, =
sso.53; leaving balances in the various
funds on January /, 1899, of $685., 109- 4S. The
assessment upon which taxes were col
railroad, bridge and telegraph property,
was 81 .021, 993, CPS: assessed valuation Tor
95I, 173. State revenues are derived from
a tax of % cents on the 800 valuation,
levied upon real and personal property,
of individuals and corporations, from Ii
cense taxes, tax on premiums received
from foreign insurance companies, on
merchants and manufacturers, and ex-
with our state repositories, an incorpor-
alton tax, notarial fees, and from Sundry
that 1866, 446 will be required to meet the
ordinary expenses of the state govern
ment for 1S99-19OO, and says the legitimate
demands against the state in 1S99-19OO can
not be met by the revenue under exist
ing laws. and that it is imperatively nee
essary that provision be made by the For
tieth general assembly to increase the
revenue, or decrease the expenditures. To
meet the emergency he recommends that
the dramsbop license Unless that. or
some other method equally effective be
found for augmenting the states revenue,
1t will be necessary to reduce all appro-
priations and cripple the state institu-
tons.
STATE DEBT.
The state bonded debt January 1. 1897.
aggregated S.. 000, 900 and state certificates
50 369. S29. AZ. During 1S97-9S the total reduc-
tion of the state debt was 81. 334, 900. On
January /, 1SS0. with a bonded indebted,
January 9 q the present year. with a
az per cent interest, the annual interest
is $127.470 saving within two years to
the taxpayers of the tn =s state on ACCOUNT
IS sufficient amount of money now idle
in the sinking fund in the state treas
bonds. which amount recommend the
legislature appropriate with the emergen-
cy clause attached. While IN estimating
sideration our Certificates of indebted
ness, aggregating $4,S9S, AZ, drawing 5
per cent and s per cent; inter- inter-
be remembered that they are also assets
of the state-that the principal is not to
thereon can be used for the sole purpose
of assisting in the support of our public
schools and state university: me ; real
cant, in proportion to our assessed valua-
ton, and while it may not be entirely eX-
tinguished during the present administra-
ton. / see reason why it cannot be
paid off within the early days of the sue
ceeding one My own Judgment is the
rate of taxation should not be changed
until we have seen every dollar of our
fnterest-bearing debt paid of and can
celled-
MISSOURI IN THE SPANISH WAR.
Prior to the late war with Spain. says
the governor, the people of Missouri cared
too little for the national guard organ
liza alton, and the members of the legisla-
ture were not inclined. as a rule, to give
Ii hearty support With an annual fund
of about $4,000 appropriated by the state,
the militia composed of four regiments
and one battery, managed, with the aid
of private subscriptions from the cities.
to keep intact its organization. and when
these men left their places of business
and offered themselves in defense of their
country. Many left lucrative positions
and vocations. others were the support
of aged parents and poor relatives. but
all alike responded to the presidents first
call. and Missouri. among the first sent
terry of men strong and brave as ever
wore soldiers uniforms. AS the war pro-
greSSed the president deemed it necessary
to issue another call for volunteers, and
by order of the secretary of war, / gave
notice through the Acknowledgement that
100 more enlisted men to increase regi-
mentS were required, also one more regi-
ment. to complete the quota of men Mis-
souri, was expected to furnish the govern
ment Patriotic citizens from every por-
ton of the state responded, and from the
spirit in which these brave men offered
their services for the cause of humanity,
1t demonstrated that grand old Missouri
was ready for the battle and would send
of six, if necessary. Our troops, number
ing in all 1888 infantry and Ia artillery
men. mobilized at Jefferson barracks.
volunteer service, and subsequently
equipped with clothing and arms by the
government To all or these brave SOL
United States service 1 would say that,
although they did not reach the front,
their anxiety to do so was not lost sight
of. and in facing the nardships and sick
ress of the southern camps, they certain
Iy shared with their brothers at the front
the glories of our late war. The relatives
of those who died in the service of their
country have our most tender sympathy,
and j beg to assure those of our brave
boys who are still bearing arms for their
country. that the citizens of our state
arc proud OF their achievements. Now,
desire to call your attention to the finan-
eial part of the organization. When the
war was inaugurated. Adjut-Gen. Bell
found that the cost of mobilizing and
equipping our soldiers would be far in
excess of the funds at his disposal in the
department, and IL he had not made ar
engagements with the railroads and the
government to carry the accounts of eN-
pcnsSs thus incurred until the converting
of the Fortfeth general assembly, l would
have been compelled to advance the
money myself or cali an extra session of
the legislature, which would have entailed
enormous cost to our taxpayers. The ad-