Mexico Missouri message., 1902-10-02
COCkRELL ON STATE ISSUES.
Great Speech by Missouri's Disting-
uished Senator
HE IS PROUD OF DEMOCRACY.
He Declares that Not One Dollar of state
Money Has Ever been Wasted, stolen,
squandercd or Misnppiied During Demo.
cratic Control In Missouri.

last week, outlined the position Of the
Democratic party with respect to the
trusts. the tariff and other questions.
Then he spoke at length concerning
state affairs. After reviewing the his
tory of the State school fund the Sen
ator said:
The legal liability Of the State to pay
the certificates and interest is eX-
actly the same as was the legal liza
bility to pay the bonds No new debt
or liability was created, and no evil
dence of new debt CT a il.ty. They
are simply evidences Of existing debts
and liabilities payable to bearer and
transferable by delivery made payable
to the State Board of Education and
non-transcerable.
The issuance or substitution OF the
certificates in lieu Of the bonds was
simply "A rofundinE Of the bonds. pay
able to bearer and transferable by de-
livery into new bonds. called certifi-
Gates, payable to the State Board of
Education and nCntransferable in any
manner. to prevent the possibility of
any loss of them by theft, robbery,
fraud or otherwise.
Now listen 10 the charges n the Re
publican platform adopted at Jefferson
City, which says:
we declare that the conversion of
the School Fund was unwarranted by
the Constitution and wrongful act
for which there was no excuse. 1t
was kept concealed from the people
and was never fully admitted until the
evidence If the fact was forced before
the public. And we INSIST that the
proposed amendment to the Cjnstitu-
ton to Tehab.litatc the School Fund is
an act Of as great WI ong as the origin
al conversion; while opposing this
amendment, we are IN favor of the
restoration Of the School Fund thu;
sQualdered by the Democratic party"
What can such language mean? 1t
can only mean that the issuance Of
the certificates # ind It In IS, by the
laws | have quoted. was a conversion
Of the fund, Unwarrluted by the Con
stitution, g wrongful act. without cX-
Cuse. and was concealed from the peo-
pl"-ione secretly, ,landostinely, and
never admitted, and squandered the
fund.
They make these false. slanderous
and infamous charges with full knowl-
edge of the official records which re-
flute them. Thus they denounce the
Republican Senators in 1872. who ini-
tiated the policy and voted for the is
sue Of the first certificate ever issued;
and all the members of Their party in
the Senate and House who voted for
the various laws in connection there
with, as well as Democratic members.
They charge Republicans and
Democrats alike-w.th uncOnsttutiOn-
al and wrongful acts; sQuandering
wasting the School Fund, and then
with cOncealing tire facts, shown by
the public laws of the State, published
and distributed in every county in the
State, and accessible everywhere to all
alike. Then, in the face of the rec
ords, the sane convention ncminatos
Edward Higbea and Whybark, who
voted for the certificates, for Supreme
Judges, and thus vOuch for their in
tegrity, legal abilities and fitness for
such post ons, and thus refu,e their
own falsa. slanderous and infamous
charges. If the Republicans who voted
for these laws did right, then the Dem
ocrats SO Not 'ng id no wrong. | can
not believe that the intelligent, honest
masses of the Republican party can or
will indUrse their selt-constituted lead
ers in making such charges. How can
these leaders make such charges and
appeal 10 the honest, intelligent Re
publicans of this great State to believe
them?
1t can only be upon the theory that
they can mislead them and by iterating,
reiterating and reiteIating these SLAM
derS. these falsehOodS, they can make
them believe they are true and act ac-
cordngly.
School Amendment.
Honest, intelligent Republicans
should be ashamed of such leaders. In
view of the fact that all the S ate
bonds and indebtedness. except the
p''"OSa "iih' VIII NC paul bll VII ull al
few months, we have proposed a con-
stiutional amendment to continue the
existing School Fund obligations. Just
as they are to-day and to authorize
the investment Of any such funds CON-
ing into the Treasury after the eXtin-
guishment OF the few outstanding
bonds in registered county, municipal
or school district bonds of this State
OF not less than par value. and to re-
duce the annual tax of 10 cents on the
800 valuation from 10 cents to not
exceeding 3 cents, to Fay the accruing
interest on the school funds for the
support of our schools.
This becomes necessary by reason OF
the provisions CT Cur State Constitu-
ton, which requires an annual tax suf-
fcient to pay the interest upon the
bonded debt and to reduce the pTinci-
pal annually by not less than $250,000.
AS there will soon be no bonded debt
except the SchOCl Fund obligations it
would be necessary, as many persons
,halieye IN continue thiS annual tay