The Holt County sentinel., 1900-10-26

Pub. Administrator. NJ. ID. Walker.
Judge 1st District Gilbert w. PuIleu
| Judge I'd District, Joeeph Wise.
| Brazen Falsehoods.
| The St. Louis Republic has priule
the following falsehoods concerning tn
school debt. They will be given iu ol
der, with such official references as wi
enable any one TO prove their falsit,
The Republic said in It's tissue OF mer
dacity:
Tell the people that when the Demo
crotic party last came into power it res
cued tor the schools of Missouri som
$500, ,0OO-the complete state school fun,
at that time which had been misap
piled by the Republican party and tu
tally wiped out as fund.
When the Democratic party came in
to power 10 Missouri in 1870 the eniir,
fund was 10 the state treasury in tn,
form OF cash assets. In March, 1870
after the Republicans had retired from
Office, the state supreme court declared
as can be sem on page 535 OF the report,
Of the court: 1T is agreed by both par
ties Ito a pending suit) that the stat.
has appropriated and set aside fol
school purposes the full amount il
cash. "These cash assets, when the Re
publlcans quit Office, we're faithfully and
fully delivered TO their SUCCESSORS. The
Republicans had passed law to con.
vert the school assets into United States
bonds, but litigation delayed the trans.
action. Democratic siste officers and a
Democratic legislature took these cash
assets belonging to the schools, spent
the money as general revenue, and On
July ], 1872. Issued the first certificate
Of state indebtedness to take the place
Of actual school property. These cer-
tificates are exclusively a Democratic
invention, and there is nothing like
them in any other state.
The Republics second falshood is the
following:
Tell the people that this same state
school fund has, under Democratic man.
agement, increased to over S4,0OO,OOO;
that it is the largest and best invested
school fund 10 the United States; that
it is secured by the credit OF the solvent
and prosperous State OF Missouri; that
the income derived from II for the main.
tenance OF the schools of Missouri is
generous and certain.
There is no school fund and no school
investment left in Missouri. State GER
tificates Of Indebtedness have replaced
the fund. Not cent of income 10
yielded by these certificates, except what
is paid 10 annual taxation in Missouri.
The total amount Of the school debt. &C.
cordinR 10 Auditor Seibert's figures, is
q 1888, 1882. The interest amounts to
s250.OOO year and taxpayers furnish
this interest when they pay their taxes
each year. The generous and certain
income" is raised by going once a year
into the pockets Of the taxpa, ers. IT.
this is an Investment then all deb, is an
Missouri could bs folb4d
Of q. 3OO, ,OeO and its credit would still be
good. But the same could no. be said
FOR the party despoiling ,t.
The Rspublic's third fslsehood IL 10
these words:
Tell the people that the seminary
[und. the interest Of which is used to
support the s.ate university and similar
schools, has beeu increased under Dem
,crstic rule from s2OS. 100 IN 1873 to 81
80, ,S34.42, it's total on July I8 last.
The increase Of thus item represents
now but increased annual taxa
ion. In 1873 the people received inter.
'st from an investment OF school fun,t.
But now they pay at least 5 per ceut All
,ually on the 81 ,235. 5.s34.s2. II the peo.
pie want to pay twic' as much interest
he seminary and university fund can
% doubled by the stroke Of q pen.
)nce the seminaries had cash assets to
he full amount of the large sum named. |
Those assets were converted into cash |
md the money WIS spent as general
eyenue by Democratic legislatures and |
tate officers. All that remains is the
of debt based wholly on cur
snt taxation.
The Republics fourth falsehood is the |
already exposed by citations
rom the decisions OF the state supreme
'ourt. which are open to every ssarcher
or truth:
And then, finally, tell the people the
ruth OF Republican mIsrule 10 Missouri;
hat the Republican party has been the
nly party to misapply school funds.
At the end Of, the last Republican ad.
IN Missouri every cent OF
he school fund was 10 the state treas.
lry in form declared 10 he cash by the
highest court in the state. The subse.
uent Democratic administration epeut
all and hnys spent over 100000
nore in the same way. Wherever there
7as cent Of cash, or of securities con-
ertible into cash, belonging 10 the
chools it has been spent in this man.
er, and q certificate OF debt written out
D represent the positive values that
The Republic blusters about Demo-
ratio financial management in this
late in nther respects. Its figures are
u OF kind. But il shall not mix up
ne school debt spoilation with other
uestions and skulk out by confusing is