The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-04-24

sum.
Naturally. the question would ariss
AZ to the cause which led the lcgisla
turr 20 add over S5,OO0.o0o TO the bur
iieuS NJ the people.
Carrapt FHHd Issd.
The facts csmc out In a suit In the
United States court IN the case NJ
James NJ. Lamb IT 81. W. The Missouri
Pacific Railroad Co., in which the eTi.
dcnce established the fact that a cor,
ruption fund of si91. $3.50 had been
used by the managers Of the Missouri
Pacific to pass the bin relcs slgg the
road Of s1,Tsola0a and fastening that
sum ON tss people.
Mock sale Of thn Frisco.
But still there were other pro.
moterS and political favorites a. be
taken carc Of. The Frisco owed the
! state s6,500,0o0. Another mock sale
was held. and the road, with over a
million acres =! land. knocked on for
81 600. .OO0
After the purchasers paid s3ej. 900,
they concluded the state conld he
beaten out Of the remainder, and this
same legislature generously passed
an act relieving the purchasers of the
payment of thr remainder Of their
bill.
by this last act the state had fast.
encd upon II an additional debt Of
81, ,77O.
These are all matters Of record.
They constitute one Of the darkest
chapters in the history II the CON.
monwcalth.
Riotous corruption held high Ger
nival in the Legislative halls Of the
state, q condition more appalling. IL
possible, thRi that which has 81 re-
Gently aroused the honest citizens
Of 81. Louis Co the need for heroic
action IN dealing with Official boud-
IerS.
Contract Vaaer nrnaO-raey.
Eos some unknown rrason the Han
nihai a st. Joseph railroad did not
take advantage Of the prevailing cor
rupiion tO rid itself uf its three mill
ions NJ indebtedness st the expense
of she .-=ppysrs os the state. This
road, after the democrats came into
power, paid the entire amount Of its
Indebtedness. ~ith interest.
In face Of these record facts, can
there he any question a. Ia who is
responsible for this debt Of twenty
five millions Of dollars?
Ia the fRcr Of the inaugural mes
sage Of a republican governor. that
the roads ARE ample security ruT the
amounts advanced ;o them respcc-
lively can any honest republican to-
day hold that his party did not put
debt of ss,760O00 on the people.
when for 100000 t released the
states lien against the Wabash for
the entire amount Of that roads Ia
dvhtcdness?
Can amy republican face an intrlii-
gent audience and hold that the Tr-
leasing Of the Missouri Paciiic's loan
Of Ss.7s0.000. in tho face ~ the re-
port OF the legislative committee
(made at thc same E~Ssioni. that the
road was worth over twelve millions
of dollars. or the sale Of the Iron
Mountain 10 fhe lowest bidder. or
the giving away Of the Frisco with
over a million srres Of land for the
paltry sum Of S125,OO0. was an honest
transaction?
Csavtaefaa Facts.
No salr-mipded. Intelligent Missou-
rian, whatever his politics, can 60
over these records and fail to be con
vinc~di
First that the democrats In loan.
ing the credit Of the state In aid Of
the construction OF these railroads.
took ample security 10 protect the
state against the loss Of a single dol
security which the republicans
themselves, through their own gov
ernor and legislative committee, pro-
nouneed ample.
Second-sThat these securities were
corruptly sqaandered by republican
officials.
Third-Thmt the sanandering of the
securities fastened b direct debt upon
the people ~ $esyoa0.0oe.
After the republicans had thus sad.
died a direct debt Of s5.000.oo0 upon
the people. they reduced this total.
before retiring from power, ;s ssO,-
$50 COO.
This reduction was effected by nsc
of funds received from the federal
government TO reimburse the state
for moneys advanced hy Missouri IN
the prosecution Of the war. and by
the collection Of miiitery and other
taxes lrvIea directly on the people.
Under The liberal rrpahlican admin
istraiion Of Gov, Brown the debt was
Increased ss79,oso.
wk~s nes.serass Tesa HsIa.
20. when ths demcerats came into
power In isT9 they found the state
debt 90 be ssi res. 900. hearing 8 and
7 per cent. intcrest. and the bonds At
a discount.
The tax rate dariag the Gin years
the republicans ~ese IN power aver
aged 20 cents ON the sf63. and incine.
stl. besides dnrias the years 1865 and
1896. une-doilar revenue pail tax
aud y two-dnisar military poll tax. So
whstever reduction the republicans
made In the debt. exclusive Of the
arnorat reces-ed from she federal gov
srnmemt as war indemnity money.
was taken from The people by the
nsnss cxerssiye and bursiensome taxa.
tiou ever known ousHide of the ear
pes-hsg ridden sfmtrx Of the saush.
The democrats bexsn a reduction
Of the state debt hx restoring the
credit of the ecsnncawesish. which
eaahlsd shSm 10 refaad the tcnas ss
. rate af inzessst practically half Of |
what the p<aPie we're Required 90 pay |
under republican management.