Fair play., 1902-05-10
MORE ABOUT THE STATE SCHOOL FUND.
Secretary Further Shows Up the Fallacy the ko
publican Attacks on the School Fund Certf0.
Gates OF Indebtedness.

is larger now than at any time IN the
history of the state; that il is Sc
cured by the sacred pledge of the
state which no party would dare to
violate, and that the benefits their
schools receive from the state under
democratic control are vastly greater
than they received when their own
party was in power.
1t is not the purpose of this article
to give a history of the origin and
management of the school fund OF
Missouri. This is thoroughly and ac-
curately done by State Auditor Allen
in his report to Gov. DOckery, made
last year.
Suffice it to say that the policy for
the management of the school fund
was never made a matter OF party
difference until the last state cam
paign. The republican party, through
its representatives in the state legis-
lature, without exception, joined
hands with the democrats in inaugu-
rating and maintaining the present
policy.
The first certificate of Indebtedness
was issued under the liberal repub-
lican administration of Gov. b. Gratis
Brown. This certificate was for $780,
600, and was to make good to the
school fund moneys which the rePub-
lican administration of Gov. Fletcher
had used in the reduction of the state
debt. Party lines were not drawn in
consideration of the measure. Re
publicans, democrats and liberal re-
publicans were united in its support.
Later, when the democrats came in
to control, other certificates were is
sued and the states obligations to in
dividual bondhOlders correspOndingiy
decreased.
The same conditions prevailed in
the legislature of 1895, when the re-
publicans, who had a majority in the
house, authorized the issuing of an
additional certificate.
The policy was universally regard
ed as wise and for the best interests
of the schools. Gov. Hardin, whose
business judgment was concededly OF
n high order. and who gave literally
of his private fortune for the cause
of education, was an earnest advo-
cate of this system, which hsa steadi-
ly increased the annual appOrtiOn-
ment to the public schools and be-
come as fixed and stable as the exist
ence of the state itself.
Such prominent republicans as
Wells H. Blodgett, Louis Gottschalk.
Anthony Ittncr, John l.. Bittinger.
Joseph T. Tatum, James c. McGinnis.
Ben +. Russell, Samuel p. Davidson
and Farmer" Wade were among its
most Jealous advocates.
Moses p. Whybark, now candidate
for the republican nomination for SUI
preme judge. who, in 1888. was .
member of the house from BOllinger
county, voted with his republican col
leagues in support of the measure.
So did Henry c. Brockmeyer, then .
member of the senate.
There is not a representative bank
er or a business man of recognized
standing in the state who will not say
that the transaction was for the beet
interests of both the schools and tho
state, and that the investment of this
fund in government bon Is would be
an inexcusable business blunder.
Never until the campaign of 1900
was the sacredness of this obligation,
or the wisdom of the investment ques-
toned. 1t was left for the republican
party managers, under the lead of an
INSCRIPTIONS partisan journal, to
drag the schools of this state into
partisan politics.
These same republican party man.
ayers know that to pay of tho
81 1893 ,S39.42 now held in trust by tho
state for the public schools, it would
be necessary to levy a direct tax on
the people for that purpose. They
know that the interest which the
state pays on this fund goes to tho
people for the support Of their
schools and that not one dollar of it
is or can be used for any other pur-
pose.
They know that if this tax was
levied on the people and the school
certificates paid that the fund would
then have to be invested in United
States bonds, which would not pay
an interest exceeding +wo per cent.
I They know that this difference be-
tween what the schools now receive
and what they would receive under
an investment in government bonds
would have to be made up by direct
tax On&he property of the school dis
trict, or the schools would be forced
to suffer the loss.
They know that under the constitu.
tiOnal amendment to he submitted to
the people this fall, the tax rate for
state interest and indebtedness pur-
poses, which was twenty-five cents on
the 500, under republican rule, and
which has been reduced to ten cents
by democratic business methods, will
be still further reduced to two and
One-half cents.
They know that Missouri distribut-
ed, last year, over a million dollars
to the district schools alone, the larg-
est amount in the history of the
state, and this sum will be increased
this year over 100000.
They know, further, that to charge
that the school certificates are
worthless" is to assail the credit snd
integrity of the state itself, and to
charge that this fund, which is now
larger than at any time in the history
of the state. has been looted and
"plundered" is shown TO be false by
the records of every public school in
the state. many of which would be
unable to hold regular annual terms
but for the state aid they recefvoL