Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-03-19
DEMOCRATIC LOVE FEAST.
Celebration of the Extinguishment
of MIssOuri's Bonded Debt at
the State Capitol.
CANNON DOOMED AND BANDS PLAYED,
speeches of Congratulation Made by Gov.
Dockery Lieut-Gov. Lee, Speaker
Whitecotton and Others-Hundreds of
Democrats From All Over the State
Participated in the Ceremonies.


tinguishment of the bonded deb
proper of Missouri was celebrate,
this afternoon in the hall of tn
house of representatives. An elab
crate programme of short and brigh
speeches, beautiful weather. a larg,
attendance of visitors and arrange
ments perfectly carried out were tn,
features of the celebration.
Although the celebration was de
nominated "bond-burning affair." We
this feature was not literally carries
out. Practically, they were Cancelled
and rendered absolutely worthless
The hall was decorated for the occa
sion.
Three old Mexican cannon boomec
from the Capitol Hill all day. Flags
were flying from the capitol grounds
and public buildings, and altogether
a gala-day appearance greeted the
visitors.
The jefferson club contingent, some
se~venty-five strong, arrived an hour
before the date for the celebration
to open. The club sent Ben Fritch's
military band of 25 pieces along. and
the first step made by this delegation
was to serenade Gov. Dockery at the
Executive Mansion. The band fur
nished music for the rest of the day.
Gubernatorial Candidates,
This gathering was q field day for
gubernatorial candidates, four of
them, Sam B. Cook, Mayor Reed,
Lieut.-Gov. Lee and Speaker Whitecot-
ton, being in evidence, Judge CAN'T,
who some think may conclude later
on to enter the race, was an onlooker.
There were other candidates pres
ent, among them being: j. NJ. Sallee,
OF Bethany, candidate for attorney
general; Judge James Cowgirl, of
Kansas City, for treasurer; Col. Walt
B~ronaugh, of Clinton, for railroad
commissioner.
Among the st. Louis men present
were: James kinealy, Judge F. NJ.
kleiber, James Hagerman, Jr., VIM.
j. Flynn, John r.. Butler, John P. Do
Ian, II. +. Combs, Thos. j. Ward, J.
S. Dunwoody, j. r. Waddill, John 1.
Martin, N. j. Winters and J. NJ. Sci
bert. Members of the democratic
state committee were also present,
as well as a large number of poll
tlcians from various parts of the
state. Altogether 500 visitors from
a distance We're here. Ex-Gov. GER,
of Oregon, occupied Il sea of honor
with the speakers.
There was some disappointment
that United States Senators Cock
rell and Stone and ex-senator Vest
we're not present. The two former
could not leave their duties at Wash.
and Senator Vests health
would not permit his presence.
1t va two o'clock when the pro-
ceedings opened with Fritch's band
Dixie" Gov. Dockery, Mayor
Reed and the other orators received
ovations when they entered The hall.
Representative Olive, of Cape Girar-
leau, raped for ORDER, and an
bounced that Gov. Dockery would act
master of ceremonies.
Governors speech
The governor proceeded at once to
iellver his speech. He said:
| desire to render my grateful ac-
tnoWledgments for the high honor of
having been called to preside upon this
suspicious occasion, which celebrates the
extinguishment of Missouri's
III taxpayers of the state are to be
congratulated that at last they are
emancipated from the burden of state
am proud that the liquidation of this
has been ACCOMPLISHED un-
Ter the sagacious financial management
the democratic party.
ears of 1851 and 1857. AT that time both
1issouri and the national government
we're AIDING in the construction of rail-
oaas. rms commonwealth then loaned
credit TO certain great railroad enter
rises and secured the loans by first
mortgage liens upon all the property of
ne roads, including 1884 34 acres of land,
men mad been granted by the national
in aid of their construction.
Elght OF these great trunk line roads
we're thus bond-aided by the state, The
mnIN G6st about $4,000, 600, nj were
I ~P Fly s s9a 7Si nd to to secure the payment
I their construction.
During the civil war, the roads. with
ne ae, exception OF the Hannibal & St. Joe.
n the bonds; but Gov. Fletcher, in the
oncluding statement of his inaugural
llessase, in a somewhat elaborate review
lod 9he nfina nelal condition, of the rail-
eclared that "The roads are ample Sc
lrity for the amounts advanced by the
ate to them respectively"
In 1868, under his administra-
on ina rDnJ1hlinDn 1n~f-1n .,DN -
authorizing the sale of the rail-
in which the state held liens, then
principal and interest, to $751;
., Sfo, to various republican politicians
) : 81! sl 60, 81 sum OIL '''i'i' 4O0' or a ne. loss ,
Securities s%quandered.
Ii this loss had resulted from mere err J
'rs in judgment. the darkest financial
OF the republican domination of !
n; The squandering of the states Sc !
.lrities, however, was due to the cor t
!!pt action of the republican Legislature. {
OF the shameful transactions by {
broad securities n the more than /
1000, 600 of bonded indebtedness imposed t
'on the. people. occurred under acts APP +
of Yea March MAJ hn u, l tSs EXCEPT Keep the release I,
allch was approved on the 31st of March, 9
IN support OF the statement that our +
curities were wantonly s~quandered, 1t .
only necessary to cite two or three of d
at time. u
rhe lien Of the state upon he Iron a
ountain road was eXtinguished by the a
rec of a public sale, the road having n
sold to the lowest bidder, The whole
being tainted with the in II
of debased nepotism and favorit- e
n. The highest bids were rejected. and fl
rec of the brothers of one of the COM s.
ssioners appointed to make the sale a
ire awarded the property, although r,
ey were the lowest and worst bidders. s.
Ie fact was developed by an investiga- Il
! committee of the Legislature at the S
ne that the possessions, all told, of Il
ese purchasers of the Iron Mountain Il
ad consisted Of a pair of Arkansas c.
and a spring wagon. BY this
more than Sc. 900, 600 Of the lie
Indebtedness, the payment of h
Itch we are celebrating to-day, was +,
;tened upon the state. II
he Southwest Pacific. now known as Sc
Frisco" was the subject of another d.
I'M sale by which more than 5000, 900 m
s added to the debt We have been pay ST
for thiity-five years. m
'erhaps the most shameless disclosure ia
the entire series of so-called sales was al
'eloped IN q suit in the United States