Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1902-09-04

~ Sll'hlu 10 u luutNtl VI W lht w
| every Missourian that this vast bond
cd debt has already been practically
I extinguished. while at the same time
[ the credit of the state has been fully
restored so that Missouri bonds have
/ commanded premiums in every market
/ of the world.
/ Notwithstanding the reduction Ct
/ the tax rate tn an amount onc-half that
/ levied Ivy the Republican party. tie
/ state has not only been able to- prac-
/ tically pay off its bonded debt. but it
J has contributed annually one third Of
/ its entire state revenue To the support
of the public schools whil' at the
sane time increasing cur state insti-
tutons from eight in number To tw, II
ty well equipped and progressive iusti-
tutions Our state university. nor
NAL schools. tie school OF Mines and
all our clcemosynary and penal institu-
tions have been the subjects OF gpncr-
GUS care by the state, and are in 'erior
to none of their kind in any state of
the luion.
The Democratic party has also in
creased the state cap tai school fund
to $780,. So9.42, which is two-thiIds
larger than when the Republican party
was driven from power. This in
crease includes 100000 restored To
the sch,ol fund, which had been di-
Vertcd 10 unlawful uses by the Re
publican party. Not only are we al
to note this gratifying increase of the
state school fund proper. but the on
tire permanent Sc'o,l fund. state.
county and municipal. now amounts
to the splendid total of Sl2 $50. 75S 40.
Ii may he also well to note in this con-
nectiun that under the cXisriEg school
fund system several Republican, com
ties receive annual y from tie state
for the education OF their children
very much more money than they
pay INTO the sta e treasury for all pur-
poses.
Tn" Democratic party has also
passed laws for the taNa' on of f3rcirn
insurance companies and the payment
of incorporation and other fees into
the state treasury, thus providing an
nually a fund of more than a half mil
lion Of dollars, which is sufficient To
pay the cnt re oXpru cs of the oNCcutiv"
departments of the state government.
THIS income has also been reinforced
hv laws requiring the interest on the
public moneys, amounting To about
$1,000 annual y, to be covered into
the state treasury.
BIT ! have not vet noted all of the
record Of the Democratic party in Ia-
sp"ct to its financial management
Tn" Republican party as hereto.
fore stated. did not 'cvy dollar of
taxes upon RAILROADS. although the tax
rate upon all other forms of property
was Cypress ~ ard cXurhitaut The
Democratic hnL
assessment of railroads ON nothing.
"a it was under Republican rule. to
now nearly ninety m Hons Of dollars
annually. This assessment is Is PER
cent higher than the assessment in
Republican Illinois go per cent higher
th;l the asse smcnt in Rrpubl G. II
Kansas. and 100 per cent higher than
III" assessment made by the Republ
can state of Iowa
Again, since the law was enacted re-
curing the State Board OF Equaliza-
ton 10 assess street railway property.
that b d has more than trohled the
assessment of this property as il was
made by the Republican officials Of
tn" city of 81. Louis
The Democratic party. upon it ac-
cessiOn to power. promptly rcpoa ed
the Draconian code of prcscriptlyc
election laws. and substituted there
for fair and imI ar ial election laws
which give to the Rouuhlican parN
the same number of judges the same
number Of ,l"r $, the SINE number e
challenR"rs aud other like privileges
that the Democracy have in the con.
uol Of our election machinery
1t is the OCCASION Of cXlltant pridr
that he ts, al "a Of