Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-08-30
DEBT LEFT BY THE REPUBLICAN,
PARTY

NhGn GnG oCLAONA oAA@ H
control of our state government IN
January, 1873, the bonded debt of the
state, the legacy of republican mis-
rule, amounted to $20,s6s 900. These
bonds bore six and seven per cent,
run 20 years without the option of
payment, and were sold at reluctant
sale for only % cents IN the dollar.
On the 21st of July last the entire
bonded debt of the state had been re-
duced to s2,342, 900, option bonds bear
ing 3% per cent, and were sold, when
issued in 1887, at a premium to refund
the debt. The extremely satisfactory
reduction of the bonded debt has been
made Upon a reduced rate of taxation.
The states certificates Of indebted
ness due the school funds now call
for $4,393, e3p.42, the interest of which
goes to support the state university
and our public school system.
During Gov. McClurg's administra-
tion the republican legislature levied
a state tax of fifty cents on the hum
dred dollars valuation-one-half to
meet the ordinary expenses of the
state and one-half for the payment of
interest on the state debt. That rate
of taxation has been steadily reduced,
Until 1t is now only one-half of that
amount-ffteen cents on the hun
dred dollars valuation for state rev
enue and ten cents for the payment
of state interest. The state revenue
tax as stated is at this time but if
teen cents on the hundred dollars
and during the last IA years
of democratic rule one-third of this
levy has been appropriated and dis
tributed to the counties for the sup
port of the public schools, leaving
ten cents on the one hundred
dollars valuation to pay all the ex-
penses of the state government, in
Guiding liberal support of the
eleemosynary, educational and penal
and the erection of mag
%nificant public buildings. Under re-
publican rule only one-fourth of the
income from the state revenue tax
distributed in aid of the public
schools.
LOWEST TAX RATE IN THE UNION.
Democratic Missouri enjoys the
lowest tax rate of any state of the
Union. In 1898 the reports of the Au-
ditors of the states adjoining Missouri
showed that the levy for the support
of the state governments and main
tenance of the eleemosynary AMI
penal institutions, exclusive OF the
tax for support of public schools and
for payment of state debts, were as
follows:
Illinois, 80 cents on the 500 vaIua-
ton.
Iowa, IS cents on the 500 valuation.
Arkansas, 22H cents on the 800 val
uation.
Kansas, 35 cents on the 500 valua-
ton.
This exhibit, my fellow-citizens, is
more eloquent in vindication of the
honesty, ability and economy of the
fiscal management of Missouri af-
fairs by the democratic party than
any words of nero eulogy, however
well chosen.
Ii is also the occasion of real pride
to know that the democratic party
has not only effected the large reduc-
LIOn of the state debt, to which | have
.adverted, with a decreasing rate of
taxation, but it has enlarged and re-
built many of the state institutions,
established others and increased the
endowment for the support of the
IUblIC schools and of the state univer-
NUMBER OF STATE INSTITUTIONS.
In 1870, when the liberal republican
administration of Gov. Brown drove
the radical republican party from
power, our state institutions consist
of: Lunatic Asylum No. / at Full
ten, School for Deaf and Dumb at
School for the Blind in ST.
State University at Columbia,
Normal School No. 1 at Kirksville,
Normal School No. 2 at Warrensburg,
Lincoln institute (colored) at Jeffer-
son City and the penitentiary at JEFF
City.
All of these institutions, except the
normal schools and Lincoln jnsti-
tntc. were established by the demo
party before the republican
party Secured control of our state
government. Since that time demo-
administrations have added the
following state institutions: Normal
No. 3 at Cape Girardeau.
of Mines at RoIla, Lunatic
Asylum No. 2 at ST. Joseph, Lunatic
No. 3 at Nevada, Reform
Scho oil for Boys at Boonville, Indus
trial Home for Girls at Chillicothe,
Confederate Home at Higginsville and
he Federal Soldiers Home at s..
James.
In addition to these new institu-
The state university at Column
Liza has been rebuilt; Lunatic ASYLUM
No. l ut Fulton has been refitted and
enlarged; Lunatic asylum No. 4 at
Pennington is now being constructed;
the cornerstone of a splendid Fruit
and Experimental Station located at
Mountain Grove was recently laid;
the buildings for the care of the Fee
b Minded at Marshall are under con-
tract and construction, and the CAPT.
toll building at Jefferson City has
be-" inn owed by the construction of
two large wings at a cost of about
SEC CrG
EXPENDITURES FOR SCHOOL PUR-
IoSED
The state has expended S6,4s2, 1922 9
for the support and maintenance of
u eleemosynary and educational in
situations since the administration of
Gov. Woodson. In addition to this lib
expenditure it expended So
749,672.s1 during the same period for
the construction and repairs of the
MAUI hrf1lr~-. % -lsl
ferred.
The taxpayers can not be too fire.
quently reminded hat this commend
able use of public money has been
made for these worthy institutions,
although the tax rate has been re-
duced one-half.
But, my feIlow-citizens, this is not
all of the splendid financial record of
the democratic party. On January 1,
1873. the cash caDital school fupd of