The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-03-07
The Coming State Campaign.

promises fair To be the warmest
one conducted In Missouri for
many years. The Republican par
ty should stand firm and make its
fight upon State issues alone.
The people of Missouri know but
little Of the past record of the two
parties In Missouri. The Demo-
cratic candidates for State Offices
are In the habit Of making a thor
ough campaign of the the State
prior to the nominating conven-
tions In which they abuse the Re-
publican party with fraud and
corruption during the period when
IL was In control In Missouri.
They poison the minds of the pco-
pie and excite the prejudice of
many by accusing the Republican
party with disfranchising the vo-
tiers and destroying the credit of
the State. These charges go un-
challenged and without denial
because the Republican party has
no campaign prior to their con-
vention. just rs soon rs the
Democratic convention meets and
nominates q ticket, both parties
adopt platforms, issues are joined,
and the campaign is made and
confined to the issues. Hence the
charges made by Democrat candi-
dates prior to conventions go with
out denial and the Republican par
ty loses many votes thereby. The
truth Is that at the time the dis
loyal vatcrs were disfrnnchiscd
not single Republican held office
In the State Of Missouri. This law
was passed by the Missouri Lcgis-
laturc in 1862, fostcrcd and sup
ported by such wcli-known Demo-
Gratis as Judge Philips, of the Fed
cral Court, James o. Broadhcad.
Willard y. Hall and others, whose
speeches In behalf of such meas
ure can be seen In the journal OF
the proceedings of the session of
the Missouri Legislature Of 1862.
And again, at that time the State
had no credit, her bonds were SELL
ing nt less than 80 cents on the
dollar, and buyers could not be
found even at that price. Later on
a conntitutional convention was
called to meet In 1855, aud one of
the objects set forth in the call for
the adoption Of a new constitution
was TO ANYBODY therein the dis
franchising clause, coupled with IA
test oath. This call was made by
"A Democratic Legislature, but
when the election of delegates to
the constitutional convention took !
place a large majority OF the dele
gates elected were Republicans.
So when the constitutional con-
ventlon assembled II placed the
DISTINGUISHING clause and test oath
In the constitution, carrying out
the object and wishes Of n Demo-
crat Legislaturc-no more, no less.
This law remained upon the stat
ute books for n period OF six years,
and finally was repealed by Re-
publican Legislature, well know
ing at the time that II would enable
the Democrats of Missouri to elect
the entire State ticket, thereby
rclegating the Republican party to
the rear for many years to come.
Yet in the face OF all this the
Democratic politicians of to-day
see tit to attempt to poison the
minds of the people against the Re.
publican party by charging them
up with what they have done
themselves. How different now,
many years after the disfranchis-
ing law was repealed by Repub-
lican Legislature! We see the
Republican party steadily gaining
and the Democratic party losing,
and for fear of Republican success
they enact such laws as the Ncs-
bit law. and by using the power of |
an armed force in the city of st.
Louis, driving people from the
polls. stuiilng the ballot boxes
with fraudulent ballots, and seal
Ing them with he stamp OF a DEM
oeratic Supreme Court, forever
closing them against the rights OF
the people, thereby thwarting the
will of the majority, under the
cry of "the secrecy of
the ballot shall remain inviolate."
This should be true, but 1t should