Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1902-04-03
ABUSE OF THE GREAT COMMON
WEALTH BY H, ]. ALLEN, OF
KANSAS. COMMENTED ON.
SECRETARY S. B. COOKS new BOOK
The Former Citizen of Mexico Shows
How Young Hens Republican
Club Applauded Defamatory
Utteranoes "A Noble De-
fense Of the State.

Secretary OF State Sam b. Cook Il
preparing a political handbook for
Missouri, which will be ready for
distribution in the course of a few
weeks.
Mr.. Cooks purpose is to compare
the records of the two leading po-
litical parties of Missouri, and also
compare the Democratic record in
this state with the Republican records
in the adjoining states of Illinois.
Iowa and Kansas.
The figures given are taken from
the official records and no statement
will be made which is not verified by
the records OF the respective states.
The assessment Of railroad property
in Missouri under Republican and
Democratic rule, and comparison of
Democratic assessment in this state
with that of the Republican states
named, make an interesting and i'm
portant chapter. The financial con-
dition Of Missouri and the earnings of
the state departments now as compared
with the Republican rule; the erea-
tion and the reduction of the state
debt; the management of the school
funds; the policy of the Republican
party leaders and party journals in
defaming their own state, the gold
brick" statesman whom the Republi-
cans have secured from the Democracy,
with other subjects, are all handled
in such way as to be. especially con-
venient and useful to public speakers
and newspaper publishers. Mr.. Cook
makes the Republican cry Of Poor
Old Missouri the subject Of his open
ing chapter.
Defaming Missouri.
"It is difficult to comprehend the
spirit" says Mr.. Cook, (which
Republican party leaders in
Missouri TO continually defame their
own state.
Legitimate party criticism is not
only allowable, bat is proper and
to public interests but Re-
publican party leaders are not CON-
tent with this. Instead they seize
upon every possible opportunity ON
The stump and in the press to prate of
poor ola Missouri, and hold their
state up to ridicule.
"This policy would be bad enough |
+ there were some foundation for
iuch talk, for, as the old maxim goes,
1t is a dirty bird that befouls
It's own nest. but to defame the state |
without a shadow of justification is
Infamous in the eyes of every loyal
no matter what his party |
preferences may be. -
Following is the opening chapter Of
'he campaign book, which will soon
De ready for the press.
"It is difficult to comprehend the
ipirit which prompts Republican
1arty leaders to defame their own
State.
Legitimate party criticism is not
lnly allowable, but is proper and ben
sficial to public interests; but Repub-
.ican party leaders are not content |
with this. Instead they seize upon
svery possible opportunity on thestump
md in the press to prate of poor old |
and hold their State mp to
"This policy would be bad enough /
4 there were some foundation for |
such talk, for, as the old maxim goes,
it is dirty bird that befouls his own |
nest, but to defame the State with |
1ut a shadow of justification is in
famous in the eyes of every loyal Mis-
,ourian, no matter what his party |
preference may be.
PARTY politics is one thing, State
pride another Republican party |
leaders have become so consumed with |
the former that they have apparently |
lost all the latter. So far has this
spirit gone among the faithful who |
are shaping the Republican party pol
Icies that the term poor old Missouri |
has become the Republican battle cry. |
Every expression of derision and con-
tempt against the State, however
baseless and unjust, or whoever made |
by, is hailed with approval by Repub- |
lican party leaders and by the most
prominent Republican party journals |
"a case directly in point At the
banquet given in Kansas City in Feb
ruary by the Young Mems Republican
Association, State organization of
which both Colonel Kerens and
Akins are members, Hen |
~ J. Allen, of Kansas, made use of
this language;
In Missouri are many remote
untraversed by rail-
roads, unlighted by electricity, unvis-
tied by newspapers. The people who
we're born there and who yet live |
there are hereditary Democrats. The
problem there can be solved only by
the slow process of education.
"Strike from Mr.. Aliens language |
the word Democrats and substitute
the word Republicans, and even
then such a slander on the State |
would have raised a storm OF indig-
nation in any Democratic gathering. |
"And yet this slanderous attack ON
the Commonwealth was applauded by |
the 500 Republicans who sat around |
the banquet board, and was published |
with approval by the leading Repub-
lican papers of the State In all the
audience Of Republican party mana
ayers there was not one who did not
sink his State pride below the level Of
mere partisan politics.
1--WE have no quarrel with Mr.. AL
len. He had evidently been reading
Missouri Republican newspapers, and /
listening to Missouri Republican ora
tors. and his conclusions were the
direct and natural result Of the infor-
nation he had thus received. Il is
not surprising the people away from
Missouri. who read Republicrn news
napers, form the opinion that the
State has many remote communities
untrnversed BY railroads, unlighted
Inv electricity and unyisited by news
papers.
But # there had been a loyal Mis-
sourian present he would have said to
Nr Allen that he had been grossly
as to Missouri. That OF
lie li5 counties Of this State all but
Ave are traversed by milroads, and
that these five instead Of being peop-
Ied bv Democrats were Overwelmingly
and have been so for the
iast FORTY years. He would have in
FORMED Mr.. Allen further that the
an,nher of communities 'unlighted by
Il. T. I