Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-08-23
TILE State CAMpAIGN


premacy, and | therefore propose to
enter upon a brief analysis of the
records of the opposing parties. The
people can best judge of the value and
sincerity of the promises of political
parties by the records of past per-
formances. Both of the great parties
have heretofore controlled the desti-
MES of this state. The official records
will determine with a certainty as
unerring as the laws of gravitation.
or the ebb and flow Of the tides, which
party should hereafter he charged
with the high responsibility of the
administration of the affairs of this
wonderful state.
The republican party controlled the
administration of the affairs of our
state from 1865 to 1870 iDclu-
sive. The liberal republican par
~ was in power during the
years of 1871 and 1872. The demo-
cratic party resumed control under
the administration of Gov. Silas
Woodson the LIST of January, 1873.
Its control would have been undis-
turbed but for the land slide" of
1894. which gave three state Offices
and the house of representatives to
the control of the republican party,
and at the same time sent ten repub-
lican congressman to the national leg
islature. At that time, for reasons
satisfactory to themselves, more than
$4,000 democrats in the state re-
manned at home on election day. The
reasons related to national, rath-
er than to state affairs. There will
be no "stay at home vote" in the
ranks of the aggressive democracy OF
Missouri at the cou.Ing election.
The republican party hasinvited the
democracy to a comparison of rec
ords. 1t shall be made. The demo-
cratic party demands the most exact
ing scrutiny of its financial record.
The republican party can not escape
the odium of its shameful maladmin
istration. The democratic record is
a record of honesty, sagacity and fru-
gaIity in the collection and disburse-
ment of the peoples money. The re-
publican record is an exhibit of
wanton and corrupt prodigality in ad-
ministration, without parallel except
among the carpet bag governments OF
the south, Immediately succeeding the
civil war.
From January 1, 1873, to July IS,
1900, the democratic administrations
of Missouri collected of the peoples
money for public purposes s1O5,256,-
953.24, including the proceeds of the
sales of renewal bonds. This money
Except 49.O29.23 in the treasury
was disbursed without the loss of 4
dollar to the taxpayers, while all the
various functions of government have
been wisely administered.
HISTORY OF THE RAILROAD DEBT.
The state debt in 1861, when the civ
il war began, amounted to S24 1923 900,
all of which, except 1922 900. was in
Cured by the issue of bonds to aid
in the construction of railroads. Prior
to the civil war, Missouri and other
states of the Union, adopted the policy
of aiding in the construction of trunk
line railroads. Whenever one of the
aided roads established to the salts
faction of the governor that its stock
holders had actually expended GER
tain amount for construction and
equipment, the governor, as author
lied by law. issued and delivered
bonds to such road to the amount of
one-half of the money so expended,
the state retaining the first lien on all
the property of the railroad compa-
MES including the lands granted by
congress. 1t is obvious, therefore,
that no loss was possible except
through fraud. Eight of the trunk
lines of the state were thus bond-aid-
ed. and all of them, except the Hanni-
bal & st. Joseph railroad, defaulted
in the payment of interest on the
the civil war.
No efforts were made by the state
during the war to collect the amounts
due the state. These railroads cost
SAT, 4O2, 900, and were amply sufficient
to secure the payment of the indebt-
tuHtSS uut tHt StdtSs ihbCtu. WV
Fletcher, in his inaugural address, in
January, 1865, declared that they
were ''ample security for the amounts
advanced to them respectively.
In 1868, during the administration
of Gov. Fletcher, the republican leg
islature "sold" the states liens on
the railroads. then amounting TO $751;
735.S40, to various republican Politi-
clans and promoters, and realized Tor
the state but S6.131, 496, a loss of $685.
604.344 to the tax payers. The So
called sales" of the railroads by the
republican legislature involved very
simple process. Where the property
had already been sold" by Gov,
Fletcher's commissions to the lowest
and worst bidders. as was done in the
case of the Iron Mountain and Cairo
& Fulton roads, the purchasers
were released from paying the pur.
chase money, and where no such sales
had been made by commissions, the
liens held by the state were trans
ferred to certain favored sons
named in the laws. as free gift, or in
consideration Of trifiipg sums of
money.
By the act of March 81 ,1S6S, the repub-
lican administration released the lien
on the Pacific road (now the Missouri
Pacific) for s5.0OO,OOO, the states lien
being $40. 7sO.O 900. The lien of $1,000, 900
on the North Missouri (now the Wa
bash) then completed across the state,
was sold for 100000 to certain per-
sons named in the law.
The Southwest branch of the Pa
cific (now the Friscol, with federal
land grant of 100000 acres of land,
on which the state held a lien of &c.
no, was given away as n free gift
to another set of republican promo
ters and politicians, the only condi-
ton being that the road should be
extended to the western boundary OF
the state, and so on down the line,
releases were made until every bond
aided road except one was acquitted
of The indebt edness due the state.
The official records are silent as to
the Influences which secured the pass