The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1902-04-03

NUS ihNh dhn kuufuNs
Mr. Cook makes the rrpgblieHu cry
Of ''ruor O,a Missouri" the subject oi
his opening chapter,
CHAPTER l.
eft IL dinicult to comprehend the
spirit" says Mr.. Cook,"Nhjrh prompts
republican party leaders IN Missouri
60 continually dctamc thciT own state
Legitimate party criticism is a0'
only allowable, but Is proper and ben
etcial to public interests, Hut re-
publican party leaders are not con
tent with this. Instead, they seize
upon every possible opportunity on
the stump and In the press tu pirate
~ 'pOnd uld Missouri. and hold their
state up Ia ridiculr
"This policy would bc bad enough
" there was some foundation for
such talk. for ns the old ma kim goes;
'lt is a dirty bird that hcfouls les own
nest but to dcfame the state without
a shadow 81 justification is infamous
in the eyes ~ every loyal Missourian,
no matter what his party preferences
may he.
Party politics Is one thing. state
pride another Republican, party lead
crs have become 50 consumed with
the former that they have apparently
lost al the latter $50 iar has this
spirit gone among the faithful who
are shaping the republican party poi
lcics that She term. Poor Old Mis-
souri, has become the republican bat
tie cry Every expression of drrision
and contempt agninsi the state, how
ever basrlcss aud unjust, ar wherever
made by, il hailed with approval by
republican party leader. md by the
most prominent republican Journals.
~ ease directly IN point. At the
banquet given ~ Kansas City IN Feb
ruHry by tho Young Mems Republican
association. state organization ~
which both Col Hercns aud Chairman
AkinS are members. Hon. Henry J.
Allen, II Kansas. made use uf this
language
I'm Missouri are many remote
communities. untruvrrscd by rail
roads. unIighted by electricity unyis-
tied by newspapers. The people who
were born there and who Vet live
there are hereditary democrats. The
problem there can be- solved only BY
the slow proce-- nf education
Strike from Mr. Aliens language
the word democrat, aud substitute
the word republican," and even then
such q slandcr on the state would
have raised storm of Indignation in
any democratic gathering
And vet This Slandcrug. attack on
the commonwealth WIS applaudcd by
the 800 republicans who ,Bt around
the banquet board. aud was published
with approval 10y -" leading rcpub-
lican papers oi thr state.
"in an that audience ~ republican
party managers there was not one
who did not sink his state pride be-
low the level Of mere partizan poll
ties.
I'VE have nu quarrel with Mr.. Allen.
He has evidently been reading Mis-.
souri, republican newspapers aud lis
tening 10 Missouri republican orators,
and his conclusions were the direct
and natural result ~ the Information
he had thus received
III il not surprising that people
away from Missouri who read rcpub-
icnn newspapers form The opinion
that the state has many remote com
muniiirs. untraverscd by railroads.
unlighted by electricity and unvisitcd
by newspapers
Hut " there had been loyal Mis-
aouTiRn present, he would have said
to Mr.. Allen that he had been grossly
misinformed az to Missouri That Of
the rs counties In this state. all but
five are travcrEcd by railroads nd
that these five, instead of being peo-
pied by democrats. are overwheim-
inRiy republican, and have been su FOR
the past 90 years.
'He wcuid have informed Mr.. Allrn
further that the numhcr Of communi-
tics 'unnghted by electricity were
much fewer In Missouri than In his
own state Of Kansas. He could have
informed bin, further that there IL no
rodnty In Missouri that has not one
or more newspapers. while in his own
state of Kansas there arc five eoun-
ties which have no publication al all
This loyal Missourian could. had
he been present. nave said further 20
-. ~ -
Kansas there are just the same mum
her Of counties 'untraversed nv rail
roads a. In Missouri, and that four
of the five hear the COED republican
names of stsntoa, Stevens, Morton
and Grant.
"Ihen this loyal MisKnurian conld
have gone further and informed MIR.
Alien that the state he had so grossly
slandered has tire largest permanent
school fund Of any state IN 9hc Union,
agurcgating trer Sfg. g.0o0lD0, thHt. In
addition 90 the :nirrss on this H.sg-
nificent sum. Missouri distributes TO
her district schools onr-third Of her
rntirr state revenue, amounting 60
over million dollars annually.
"He could have said 10 Mr.. Allen
That the tax rate in MlaNouri FOR
state purposes Is less than half what
4 Is in his own state of kanaas; fur
lher. that the Missouri tax rate is the
Iusrss ~ any state 10 al she union.
''rhen this loyal Ailasourian could
nave gone stiII further and Informed
sfr Aiiel that Missouri assesses cor
peratr property 60 per cent. higher
han his own state of Kansas. and
hat. 10 addition. sasr fses and special
Iaxes collected from railroads and
,sher corporations In Missouri more |
Ihan pay tine entire expenses Of all
he state iepartmenss-a ernsllsion
fevx unlits that II hi4 own state OF
keasez.