Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1900-08-23
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control OF our state government IN
January, 1873, the bonded debt of the
state, the legacy of republican mis-
rule, amounted to 500, 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 80 cents on the dollar.
On the 21st of July last the entire
bonded debt of the state had been re-
duced to $2,342 900, option bonds bear
ing 3h 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 S4,393, S39.42, the interest of which
goes to support the state university
and our public school system.
During Gov. McClurg's administra-
ton the republican Legislature levied
a state tax of fifty cents on the hun
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 it is now only one-half of that
amount-tifteen 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 fif-
teen cents on the hundred dollars
valuation, 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
only 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
institutions and the erection of mag
nificant public buildings. Under re-
publican rule only one-fourth of the
income from the state revenue tax
was 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 1895 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 valua-
ton.
Iowa, 2S cents on the 500 valuation.
Arkansas, 22H cents on the 500 val
uation.'
Kansas, IS cents on the 500 valua-
ton.
This exhibit, nv 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 mere 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-
ZION of the state debt, to which have
adverted, with decreasing rate of
taxation, but it has enlarged and re-
built many of the state institutions,
osua b. ished others and increased the
endowment for the support of the
IublIC schools and of the state uniyer-
sity.
NlIMBER OF STATE INSTITUTIONS.
In 1870, when the liberal republican
administration of Gov. Brown drove
the radical republican party from
power, our state institutions consist
ed of: Lunatic Asylum No. at Full
ton. School for Deaf and Dumb at
Fulton, School for the Blind in ST.
Louis, State University at Columbia,
Normal School No. | at kirksville,
Normal School No. at Warrensburg.
Lincoln Institute (colored) at Jcffer-
son City and the penitentiary at JEFF
ferson City.
All OF these institutions, except the
TWO normal schools and Lincoln jnsti-
tmte. were established by the demo
cratic party before the republican
party secured control of our state
government. Since that time demo-
cratic administrations have added the
following state institutions: Normal
School No. at Cape Girardeau,
School of Mines at Rolla, Lunatic
Asylum No. ? at st. Joseph, Lunatic
Asylum No. 3 at Nevada, Reform
School for Boys at Boonville, Indus
trial Home for Girls at Chillicothe.
Home at Higginsville and
he Federal Soldiers Home at 81.
James.
In addition to these new institu-
tions. the state university at Column
M. 2 ut Fulton has been refitted and
enlarged; Lunatic asylum No. at
Pennington is now being constructed;
the cornerstone of splendid Fruit
and Experimental Station located at
Mountain Grove was recently laid;
WV Iol VI tHt &C.
b. Minded at Marshall are under con-
tract and construction, and the capt.
tol building at jefferson City has
beet inn owed by the construction of
iw" large wings at a cost of about
Ss.C ccG
FOR SCHOOL PUR-
POSES.
The state has expended S6,4S2. 092.29
for the support and maintenance of
our eleemosynary and educational in
situations since the administration of
Gov. Woodson. In addition to this lib
eral expenditure it expended 49,
749,672.S1 during the same period for
the construction and repairs of the
rev buildings to which | have re-
ferred
The taxpayers can not be too fire.
quently reminded that 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 fellow-citizens. this is not
all of the splendid financial record of
the democratic party. On January 1,
1873. the cash capital school fund of
I h., ctafa amounted IN 50 ,-O 1OG. on