The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-03-15

Democracy Accepts Challenge.
Republican leaders in Missouri have
elected to make the coming campaign
upon state issues. The democracy
cheerfully accepts this gage Of battle
The essential prizes for which The
republicans contend are the control Of
the supreme court and the election Of
a United States senator. The issue
upon these lines OF battle cannot be
doubtful. Democracy will triumph
with an old tine majority, says the
st. Louis Republic.
Democratic candidates win go into
the contest with substantially a fault
less record of party administration to
present. The state will pay of, at
the beginning OF the coming year, the
last bond, exclusive of the school
certificates, imposed upon the people
Of Missouri by corrupt republican
administrations.
Democracy has given to the state
honest election laws and an honest
prosecution of yiolaters.
1t has administered our fiscal affairs
with most exacting honesty and
economy.
1t has built up a school fund, in
vested in the states securities, unsur-
passed by any state of the union.
1t has fostered and developed an
educational system that has no
superior.
1t has taxed all forms of property
upon a uniform and equitable basis.
1t has required the railroads to
meet their just share of the expenses
of government, although the repub-
lican party, while in control, did not
exact n cent Of taxation from these
public service corporations.
1t has punished crime, and gener-
ously fostered public enterprise.
1t has greatly enlarged and extend
ed the states institutions for the care
of the unfortunate classes of the
people, while at the same time re-
ducing the tax rate below that Of any
other state.
1t has distributed one-third of the
taxes for revenue purposes to main
tain the public schools, while the
distribution by the republican party
amounted to only one-fourth Of the
revenue.
1t has increased the principal
OF the school fund, and has never
diverted a dollar to any other pur-
pose, while the republican party inn
properly used a part of this fund for
the payment of the public debt.
1t has never Inundated the people
by the election of the agents of great
corporations to the senate of the
United States.
No s~enatorship has yer been put
upon the auction block since the
democracy regained control of this
state in 1878.
With this record the democratic
party can confidently expect the
approval of the people. The old
guard of the democracy, which has
never yet wavered in times Of battle,
can be depended upon now to be true
to the splendid record Of the party.
The democracy, however, is con-
fronted with an INSCRIPTIONS foe, led
by a great railroad magnate who is a
candidate to succeed Missouri's gifted
senator, George Graham Vest. All
the influences Of the republican rail-
road lobby of Missouri can be depend
upon to promote the candidacy Of
Colonel R. G. Kerens.
This lobby will be and even is now
reinforced by one Of the lobby
lists Of the state, who has heretofore
claimed to be a democrat.
The combination seems to be pow
but when the people fully
understand the forces behind the re-
publican party and its candidate for
senator they win overwhelm the COM
bination and the conspirators with the
force Of an aroused public opinion.
The county committee, at a meet
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