The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-05-08
MORE ABOUT THE STATE SCHOOL FUND.
Secretary Of State Cook Further Shows Up the Faaey OF the Re-
publican Attacks the School Fund CertiA.
Gates of Indebtedness,

is larger now than NJ any time IN the
history uf the state; that IL is Sc
cured 10y The sacred pledge ~ the
state which nn party would dare 10
violate. and that the benefits their
schunls receive from the sts;s under
democratic control ARE vastly greater
than they received when their own
party was in power
II Is not the purpose ol this article
10 give q history OF ID" origin aud
management of the srhoui fund of
Missouri This h thoroughly and ac-
curatcly done by State Auditor Allen
In his report 20 Gov Duckcry, made
4 wear
Suffice II 90 say the She pVlicy for
The management ~ the school fund
was never made a matter Of party
difference until the last state cam
poign, The republican party, through
its representatives ia the state legia-
lnturc, without exception, joined
hands with the democrats In inaugu-
rating aud maintaining the present
policy.
The first certificate ~ indebtedness
was ISSUED under the liberal repub-
iican administration Of Gov. u. Gratz
Brown. This certificate WIS for $780,
OGO. and was to make good TO the
school fund moneys which the rrpuh-
licau administration ~ uov. Fletcher
had used In the reduction ~ the state
ars;- p-rty lines we've not drawn In
consideration of the measure. Re
puhli,aus. democrats and liberal re-
publicnns were united in iig support.
Later, when the democrats came In.
10 control. other certificates were is
surd and the states obligations to in
dividuaI boudholirrs cprrcspontingly
drcrrHsyd
The same conditions prevailed in
the Legislature ~ 1905. when the re-
puulicans. who bad q majority In the
house. authorized the issuing uf an
additional certificate.
The policy WAS universally regard
ed az wise and fur The best interests
nf the schools Guv. Hardin. whose
business Judgment was cunccdrdly ~
g high order. and who gave literally
uf his private fortune for the cause
~ education, was an earnest adyo-
cate uf this system, which hsa stvadi-
~ Increased the annual nppuriinu-
mcnt tp the public schools nnd he
come Co., fixed and ,talsc NJ the exist
encc ut thc state itself
Such prominent republican, aH
Wells H Bludgrtt. Louis tntt.chalk,
Anthony Ittncr. John g. Wttugvr,
Joseph e. Iawm, James g. NrGjnni-,
Zen b. Russell. Samuel T.. Davidson
and Farmer" Wudr were among It's
most zcaiuus nd,ncatrs.
Moses T. Why bark. now candidate
for the republican nomination for su-
prrmr judge. who, ip lssJ. vns a
member af this house from ilulliDeer
county, voted with hs republican, col.
irngurs iu support II the measure.
SO did Henry e. liruckmryrr. then q
member Of the senate.
There Is not a representative hank
or mr. q business man ~ recognized
standing In the state who viii not a8v
that the trausuriiou wa, for the best
interests 1f both the schools and the
state, and thHt the iuyrr tnrnt uf this
fund in government bon ls would bc
an iucNcu=rhl" business blundrr.
Never until the campaign ~ 1900
was the s8crrdncss uf this obligation,
or the wisdom ~ the investment qucB-
toned, II was left for the republican
party managers. under the lead of an
unscrupulous partisan journal, TO
drag the schools Of this state iutu
partisan politics.
These same republican party man
ayers know that tn pay Of the
81. .ag3, ,s3g42 now held in trust hy the
state for the public schools. II would
hc necessary so irgy "A direct tax on
the people for that purpose They
know that the interest which the
state pays ON this fund goes 60 the
people for the support of their
nrh0os and that not 80" dollar If 70
il or can be used for any other pur-
pose.
They know that II this tax was
levied un ;hc people aud the school
HfAfiH'NAtN tiiA tiaaA fht AAftV NhNAA
then have 10 I've invested In United
States bonds, which would not pay
an interest exceeding &wo per cent.
They know that this difference be-
tween what the schools uuw receive
and what they would receive under
an investment IN government bonds
would have 60 be made mp by direct
tax on the property of the school dts.
trict, or the schools would be forced
10 suffer the loss.
They know that under the cnnstitu.
tionnl amendment to bc submitted to
the people this fall the tax rate for
state Interest and Indebtedness par
poses, which was twenty-five cents ON
the sIO0, under republican rule, aud
which has been reduced to ten cents
by democratic business methods, will
be still further reduced 20 two and
one-hRlf cents.
They know that Missouri distribut-
ed, last year, over million dollars
90 the district schools alone, the larg-
est amount In the history of .h=
state, and this sum will bo increased
this year over Si00,nGn
They knew, further. that tn charge
that the school certificates are
worthless" Il 10 assail the credit pnd
integrity Of the state itself. aud to
elsTge that this fund, which Ia now
larger than at amy time in the history
of the state, has isveH ''lootcd" aud
''plsndercd" IN shown 20 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 receive.
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