The St. Louis Republic., 1900-08-22

of tr.fling sums of money.
by the act of March 81, 1865. the Repub-
the Pacific road tnow the Missouri Pacific
for S1Ol90Qo the States lien being SlV, lS8 coo.
The lien of S6.?60.090 on the North Missouri
nov the Wabash. then completed across
persons named in the law.
The southwest branch of the Pacific mow
the Frisco. with Federal land grant Of
100000 acres of land, on which the State
held a lien of s6,52S,TT,6 was given away as
free gift TO another set of Republican
promoters and politicians, the only condi-
tion 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-aiGed road. except one was
acquitted OF the Indebtedness due the State.
The official records are silent as to the
influences which secured the passage and
approval Of the various acts which released
the liens upon the roads, securing the in
debtedness to the State. except as to the
Missouri Pacific Railroad. AS result OF :,
proceeding in court it appeared that agents
the Of tbe M Mbch ty 10
antly boasted saved their stockholders
nearly s60oo,0c0 In other words, certain
officials were corruptly influenced by the
use of this money, and the taxpayers thus
fagrantly outraged.
The liens of the State Were eXtingllished
on seven of the bond-atded roads at Z loss
gate SO, GS,oS2 when the bonds shall be
finally paid within the next two years.
The Republican, party was driven from
could relinquish the lien OF the State upon
the Hannibal and st. Joseph road Under
the States lien upon this road was enforced
without loss TO the State.
Debt Left by Republican,.
Nhen the Democratic party took control
oI our state government in January 1873.
IRepuolican misrule. amounted to $40 S6S 600
These bonds bore and pei. cent. r,In
twenty years. without the option of pay
men lngnt; and Were sold at reluctant sale for
onIy - cents on the dollar.
qn me list OF July last the entire bonded
aept to OF the State had been reduced to 81
900. 90 option bonds bearing S3k- per cent.
MUM TO refund the debt. The extremely
satisfactory reduction of the bonded debt
mas oeen made upon reduced rate OF tax
ation. The States certificates of Indebted
mess ne s. que the school funds now call for 81.
S9S, sS9 Z. the interest Of which goes to sup
port the state University and our public
school system.
=, During Governor McClurg's afministra.
Gon the Republican Legislature levied a
state tax of 30 cents on the hundred dol
lars valuation-one-half to meet the ordi.
nary expenses of the State and one-half for
the payment of interest on the State debt
!hat rate OF taxation has been steadily re.
ouced, until 1t is now only one-half Of that
amounts cents on the hundred dollars
valuation for State revenue aud 10 cents for
the payment OF State interest The State
revenue tax as stated is at this time but /;
cents on the hundred dollars valuation, and
curing the last fourteen years of Demo.
cratic rule one-third of this levy has beer
appropriated and distributed to the counties
Tor the support of the public schools. leav.
ing only 10 cents on the one hundred dol.
lars valuation to pay all the expenses OF
the state government including liberal sup
port OF eieemosynary, educational and penal
pubhc buildings Under Republican rule
only one-fourth Of the income from the
state revenue tax was distributed In aid al
the public schools
Lowest Tax Rate in the Union.
democratic Missouri enjoys the lowest
.S .aA rdte OF any state of the Union. In 1895
me reports Of the Auditors of the States
Tor the support of the State governments
ana maintenance Of the eleemosynary ana
penal institutions. exclusive of the tax fol
support OF public schools and for payment
of State debts. were as follows:
Illinois. SO cents on the 500 valuation.
iowa, % cents on the 500 valuation
"a, ,arkansas. 225a cents on the 500 valua.
Kansas, So cents on the 500 valuation.
ms exhibit, my felow-citizens, is more
eloquent In vindication of the honesty. abil.
lty ana economy of the fiscal management
OF Missouri affairs by the Democratic party
than any words Of mere eulogy. however
well chosen.
1t IS also the occasion of real pride tc
Know that the Democratic party has not
only erected the large reduction of the
Sta,e debt to which have .Gverted, with
a decreasing rate of taxation, but il has
enlarged and rebuilt many of the State in.
Stltutfons. established others and Increased
the endowment for the support of the pub
iic schooIs and of the State University.
Number of State InstitutIcns,
In 1870, when the liberal Republican sd.
ministration of Governor Brown drove the
radical Republican party from power ouI
asylum S No a Fn1oh sGnsstsa School o fd1 a
and. Dumb. at Fulton, School for the BLIND
IN st. Louis. State University at Columbia
sSr,lal Sobani ~ schooi No. at Kirksv'le, Norma
tute tcoloredl at Jefferson City and the nen.
itentiary at Jefferson City
All these institutions, except the two nor.
MAJ schools and Lincoln Institute, were es
!aolshed by the Democratic party before
the Republican party secured control OF
our 9amasra STATE g99yernment Since that time
following State Institutions: Normal Schon
No. at Cape Girardeau, School of Mine.
at Roila, Lunatic Asylum No at ST. 10
sseph' sep' in Lnnaic Asylum No. 9 at Nevada, Re
FORM School for Boys at Boonvlle Indus
trial Home Tor Girls at Chiiicothe. Con
IIeoerate Home at Higginsville and tn,
f9aerai Soidiefs' Home at st. James.
IN ADDITION to these new institutions. tn,
state University at Columbia has been re
built; Lunatic Asylum No. at Fulton ha.
been refitted and enlarged: Lunatic Asylum
structed;, the corner stone OF a spIendi,
iruit and experimental station located a
,hVufitaln Grove was recently laid: tn,
ed at Marshall are under contract and con
structon and the Capitol at Jefferson Cit,
has been improved by the construction O
Two iarse wings at cost of about s25O. .OOC
Expenditures for Education.
The State has expended Sc. ASP, ,Gs2 % for th
support and maintenance of our elee
mtaosynary tay and educational institutions sine
In addition to this liberal expenditure. /
expended 81, 1896 81 during the same perio,
buildings to which have referred.
The taxpayers cannot be too freuuentl,
reminded that this comnendable use of pub
| lie money has been made for those worth,
| ,hnsutuuons, although the tax rate ha
| But, my fellow-citizens. this Is not all n
| the, splendid financial record of the Demo
cratic party. On January l, 1873. the casl
| 10 s25'o,1oo; on July IS of the present yea
| IT aggregated S,15S, 900. The interest upol
this handsome cash endowment fund large
I than any other similar fund of any Stat
| of the Republic. goes to educate our chil
! dren.
The seminary fund. the interest of whic
! Is used to support the State University, ha
also been increased from sos. 200, as It wa
! on the lst of January, 1873, to S., ,23S5 49,. 1
on the 18th of July. last. The total amoun
,,rn OF money raised raised - by taSation ,Sati from a
tenn in 1871 was Sl,6S',571. The total amOurl
raised for this purpose in 1899. under Demo
| cratic rue, was S.,Uie,uZl.34.
| In 1863 and 1870 the last years of radica
| Republican rule in this State, there was dis
| tributed foR the support of public school
S633, 3,I14.Sl, an averaGe of S3l6,Sjl yearly. l
1889 and 1900, the last two years of Demo
cratic supremacy, the State distributed fo
, the support of public schools s1,914 429. 81
an average of s95I PA. IS yearly. The nun
ber of teachers employed to educate tn
white and colored children has increase
| from 1000 in 1871 to 7S in 1899: the amour
of wages from sss7,Ol9 to A,74s, ,35s 81: til
average length of term of public. schoo