Mexico Missouri message., 1902-09-25

it."
Son: Under Republican manage
ment, how much did the state receive
in interest on state deposits-money
handled by the State Trea urer?"
Father: Il think under our arrange
ment the Treasurer was permitted to
pocket the interest"
Son: What amount from this
source s now realized under Democrat
ic management"
Father: IL see it stated, and
guess it is right, that last year the In
terest on state deposits, under Demo-
cratic management, amounted to
about s3SOOOOO"
Son: is it true that the Democraty
added 100000 to the school fund by
disposing of the United States bonds
in which this fund was invested when
they came into power"
Father: Il think about M a. amount"
Son: I'm what char acter of securi-
ii was this money then invested?'
Father: in Missouri state bones,
and later il Certificates of Indebted
ness"
Son: Was this change made. as
claimed by Democrats, because the
United States bonds were at that time
commanding a premium of Is per cent,
and the sale of the bonds would ma
terially increase the school fund. and
the investment in State bonds or Ger
tificates of Indebtedness would yield
greater sum in INTEREST,""
Father: at is so stated"
Son: We'll what is all this fuss
about?"
Father: "Why, the constitution pro-
vides that all money coming to the
school fund shall be invested in
United States bends or Missouri Sta g
bonds and nothing else, and the Dem
ocrats have this money invested in
Certificates Of Indebtedness. 4"
Son: What is the difference be-
tween a certificate cf Indebtedness
and a bond"
Fathe-: One is called 'cprtifirata of
Indebtedness and the other Missouri
state bond"
Son: DO you regard the certificates
Of Indebtedness good and valid and
safe?"
Father: well there you go again
| am net arguing the question"
Son: Did not two of the Republi-
can nominees for supreme judge
Messrs. Whybark and Higbee, and
prominent Republicans, Ike Wells H.
Blodgett. Louis Gottschalk Anthony
Ittner, John l.. Bittinger. Joseph T. Ia
tum, James A. McGinnis and Ben F.
Rus advocate these certifcates?'
Fatehr: Yes"
Son: Would you now favor aban-
doning the certificate plan and re-
investment of the fund in United
States bonds? Would not that policy
greatly reduce the revenue from the
fund and necessitate reduced county
apportionment and probably a reduc-
ton in school terms and salaries OF
/ teachers?"
Father: Republican that | am
have never discovered any excuse for
attacking the Certificates of Indebt-
edness,' which are in effect safe
/ londs. / am opposed to dragging the
/ public schools into politics. OF ecu Sc
to change from these certificates 70
United States bonds would very con-
siderably reduce the earnings of the
fund and economy would have to be
/ practced somewhere to make ends
/ meet"
! Son: Il see it charged by the Re-
I publican press that Superintendent
/ CarrinStCn is responsible for the pres
ent price of school books. Is it not
/ true that the text book commission as
last created was provided by a Re-
| publican Legislature and was COM
| POSED of Republicans and Democrats
/ alike? And is it not true that John
/ r. Kirk, a Republican, was State Su-
/ perintendent of Public Schools when
the present list OF books was Adopt
ed?"
Father: Il think you state it cor
reCtly."
Son: rs it true that the records
show that corrupt lobby expended
nearly $1,000 to corruptly secure
the release Of the States lien upon
the Missouri Pacific Railroad at a loss
Of six millions of dollars to the tax
layers, and that through corrupt lob
by influences the Iron Mountain Rail-
road was sold to the lowest bidders by
o commission appointed by a Repub-
lican governor; and is it true that the
Republicans sold our railroad securi-
ties for S6.131, 496, the State losing in
the transaction s25 ,6O4.344, entailing
an aggregate debt Of more than forty
millions Of dollars upon the people OF
the State?"
Father: "Yes, these securities were
sold at very great loss. but whether
corruptly or not do not know"
Son: did not Governor Fletcher
(Republican) state In his message that
these securities were ample for the
amounts advanced these railroads."
Father: Il think that Is true"
Son: II shall bother you with but
one more question: Taking the records
of the two parties as you admit them