The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-05-10
Slnnderinp Missouri.


Facts which are being presented ir
interesting form by Secretary Of State
Cook leave no doubt Of the h~ypocricy
Of certain republican politicians whC
are trying to drag the schools into
partisan discussion. The mere echo.
ing Of opinions and SANDERS uttered
by a misinformed and malicious party
organ has put the republican platform
makers Of certain counties in an un.
enviable position, says an exchange.
An instance noted by Mr.. Cook is
to the point. Stone county republic
cans adopted a platform in which it
was stated that ''we deplore the con-
dition Of the once magnificent school
fund Of this state, which has been
looted and p%lundered until we now
have only a lot of worthless certif-
Gates Of indebtedness"
This is fine material with which to
enter a campaign. 1t is hard to
believe that a solitary republican in
Missouri places credence in such a rank
~perversion of facts. The great mass
of republican voters-the voters who
will refuse to indOrSe at the polls such
misstatements-can do nothing but
pity the partisan blindness which
permits patronage-seeling politicians
to malign the interests of the state
in such fashion.
1t is particularly %unbecoming any
citizen of Stone county to voice such
sentiments. The "looted and plum
dered'' school fund has paid into the
treasury of that county during the
past years more than twice what it
received during the six years when
republicans had control of the fund
In Phelps county the comparison is
equally enlightening, as the annual
distribution Of school moneys during
republican administration was only
about $500, while it is now over SO, 500.
Moses Whybark is a candidate for
the republican supreme court nomi-
nation. In 1884, with his republican
colleagues in the legislature, be voted
for the issuance Of the certificates of
indebtedness.
Ben F. Russell, now a candidate for
the republican congressional nominal
tion in the sixteenth district-in
which Phelps county is situated-cast
his vote in their favor.
Farmer" Wade, when in the gem
eral assembly, took similar action and
was afterwards elected to congress by
the republicans.
Major John L. Bittinger, appointed
consul in Montreal by a republican
national committeeman, was lined up
with his party brethren for the GER
tiicateS of Indebtedness.
Such republicans as Wells H.
Blodgett, Louis %Gottschalk, Anthony
Ittner, Joseph T. Tatum, James S.
McGinnis and Samuel P. Davidson
were in favor of this plain business
propositions,
AS Mr.. Cook remarks, it has re-
manned for a bitterly partisan organ
to make an issue of the question.
Facts have been perverted, motives
Questioned, honorable men maligned
and the state slandered for the sake
Of an tissue" Though republicans
imposed a state interest and debt
reduction tax of 25 mills on the dollar
md democrats have reduced the tax
70 10 mills, a few politicians have
themselves together for the
purpose of fooling the unthinking.
The proposition to reduce the 1O-mill
to about p mills by the enact
nent of a constitutional amendment
S made a political issue in the hope
hat by some hook or crook people
will ratify the position taken by the
Inscriptions. 1t is the sort of
which seems to be encouraged
~ politicians whose chief end is the
distribution Of federal patronage.
The people of Missouri are ready
gain to put the stamp of dlsapproyal
lpon such tactics, just as they did
,wo years ago.
Bernard Corrigan has been elected