Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1902-09-04

therefore, TO safeeuard the school fund
against the possibility OF loss. on the
and Phelps, the State also wisely adopted
the policy Of changing these negotiable
bonds. when purchased for the school
fund. into non-negotiable bonds, which
was done by capcellns the nesotiable
their stead non-nesotiabls bonds, payable
school fund. For the purpose of dstin-
gushing these two classes Of bonds in
the accounts Of the state and in publ c
fCt the school fund have been termed
certificates of Indebtedness" but they
are. none the less. bond obligations of
the state.
Security of the Funds.
This whole plan for the investment and
protection of the public school fund.
while distinctively Democratic measure,
had the unqualified approval of the most
AMONG these bens two !" Of G the
Republican candidates for judges of the
supreme court. and IL was indorsed by
in 1896
The wisdom Of thus investing the school
moneys In state bonds and OF changing
the form of the bonds fer the protc elton
OF the fund was never questioned untll
now, when the Republicans OF the state
ever seeking some excuse to malign the
statS proc pro%e,aim TO tnS world that MnS,
this assault on the credit and good nlme
OF the State vet treat II with contempt
for Missouri has grown too great TO be
Longer injured by partisan defamation.
This Is the answer we MAKE to the Re
publican charge of footing the school
fund"
Constitutional Amendment.
We heartily endorse the proposed
amendment TO our STATE constitution pro-
VidinG for the future Investment OF our
accommodating school moneys IN the Coun-
ty. township and school district bonds
Of our state and for the reduction Of
our state interest tax from ten cents
three cents. Under the present assessed
valuation Of tho state. q levy Of two
pay that interest tax. Unless this
amendment shall I've adopted under our
ten cents on the 500 viii have to be
continued. and the funds thus collected
from the, people for the payment of
The certificates Of Indebtedness would
bonds. which command high a
premium and bear so low rate
of interest that by such conversion the
principal ~ our SCHOOL fund would he
materially reduced and the annual in
come lessened moro than ono-hHlf
If this amendment Is adopted, tho on
tire levy for state purposes will hc re-
duCed to seventeen and one-half cents
on tho 500 for all purposes, ten cents Of
which would go to meet the current cx-
penses Of the State government. while
the rcma lining seven and on" half cents
would he returned ~ the people for the
support Of their public schools. There is
no other Stnto in the Union which takes
from the poOplo small n sum for
the maintenance of the States govern
ment. or which gives SO large proper
tion OF State taxes to the cause of cdu-
cation.
Impartial Election Laws.
Under Democratic rule. Missouri today
affords the people impartial and honest
election laws. We challenge compar-
son of the election laws OF Missouri with
those of any State in the Union. In Mis-
souri, the minority party is guaranteed
the same rights and PRIVILEGES enjoyed ny
the majority. The minority has equal
representation at the polls in judges.
clerks. challengers and watchers. Care
full provision is made for thorough and
honest registration and for the nrevcn-
all violations of the law.
The law governing elections In s..
Louis, as lists today is prpGtiGG1ly
| Federation Of that city and passed in
losO by Republican house and Demo-
cratic senate and approved by Demo-
| cratic governor It is M nearly nonpar-
! tisan as an election law can be made.
| The minority member of the board Of
election commissioners exercises equal
! powers with the ma jority members. and
/ has absolute control over the selection
| Of the judges. clerks and other election
| officers of his party.
When Republicans were in power in
| Missouri no Democrat was permitted to
serve as election iu, |e. clerk or other
election officer. The just and impartial
| laws of today are i'm striking contrast
| with the intolerant and nrOscriptivc stat
/ utes which prevailed during Republican
rule in Missouri, when through the most
| fragrant dsfranChisement of representa-
/ tive citizens, the will Of the people as
expressed through the ballot was con-
temptuously disregarded.
Republican Mrndacity.
The Repubucans inspired by a despor-
ate and INSCRIPTIONS leadership: have
| inaugurated compaicn unparalleled for
mendaCitv and hypocrisy. 1ney proceed
on the theory that falsehoods, however
vicious or absurd, II multiplied and per
| sisted in, may confuse and miSlead the
| people to the detriment of the Demo-
cratic party A striking example of this
mendactv is to be found in the attacks
! made on the treasury deDartmsnt The se
| attacks. often so absurd as to refute
| themselves-as. for instance, in the
charge that $4,000. 00o We're stolen. Of a
total collection Of 1852 OC0. 0Oo-a'e yet per-
sisted in. even after their fasity has
been specifically eXnosed,
The mendaCiOus character Of these at
| lacks is made manifest hv the sworn
| statement Of the State auditor. indOrsed
by the governor. ana by renorts of ex-
pert accountants who stand at the head
| Of their profession and have national
! reputation for p"ob'tv and high alb litv
" ho declared. after an exhaustive exam
| lnatiou OF the original books, vouchers
! and accounts OF the treasury depart ment
. and its fiscal agents that every dol al
collected and received had been honesty
/ accounted for
The falsitv OF these attacks is further
shown by the reports of Joint Legislative
/ committees. appointed in pursuance OF
law at each session OF the general Assem-,
| bly, composed NJ both Democrats and
| Republicans, who thoroughly examined
| the books. vouchers and accounts of tht
| auditor and treasurer, spending months
on the work at each examination, and
who declared In every instance that nj
the affairs Of the department had beer
honestly administered in accordance with
the law.
We denounCe these partisan calumnie'
as vicious and unwarranted assaults or
the credit of the state. and we declare
that tho party guilty of them Is alike
unht and unworthy to rule this srea
commonwealth.