The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-09-09

| ''''s N'a' tpNfh vi tiU bhil. tii'
welfare af the state. We want all o
the decent elements OF the party unit
ed, hut We do not want harmony viii
the corrupt elements. and we must no
give up any OF the principles 10
which we have contended These prin
ciples of right and justice are the fOun
| datiOn Of true Democracy.
MANAGEMENT OF THE STATE.
The Democratic party has been II
power in Missouri for thirty-one years
| Has the management OF the state By
| that party been good or bad? Our op
ponents sneeringly say that afte
thirty years Of Democratic rule, W.
now proclaim that the eradication o
corruption IL the paramount Issue 1
Is true that the Democratic party pro
| poses TO stamp out corruption, and ha
| made It's cure the paramount issue %
/ his campaign. | am proud to beloni
| o a party that Is courageous enough
| to do that DO our opponents mean Il
charge tho Democratic party with re
| spJusli!ity for bOodling Of lndividu
ais In Jefferson City? II a party is re
| spOnsihle for the currupfion that goes
on under its administration, and fo
boOdling done by individual member;
Of that party, then there should not b,
greasy spot left OF the Republican
party. under the administrat on oi
| .tl th.. al ,,F
| ishcd IN 81 Louis St, Louis boOd!inl
compared with the boodling at Jeffer
son city was as IL cyclone to a sum.
| mer's brrc csc Both were bad enough
to slartlo IN" world, and should arouse
| every honest citizen 10 the necessity
of stamping bribery out l}u! to charge
| either party with the responsibility fol
the shortcomings OF individual mem
bcrs Of that party Is Il mere bandyine
| " words do not like to hear men
say there have he1n So many Republi-
can buUdlors and ~ many Democratic
h"odlrrs. The boOdler iB neither Dem
ocral nor Republican,; he Ia Grim
inal The counting Of boodle noses
serves no practical purpose The main
question Is. under which fag are they
marching now. | will tAko up this sub
icrt later On Suffice II 10 say al pres
ent that neither party As such is re-
sponsible for boodling. but there Is
honor due the party that stops IT, This
the Democratic party is doing.
RECORD OF DEMOCRACY.
What has been the record Of the
Democratic party during It's lease Of
power in this sta,c. The people are
partners in the affairs OF state. aud 1t
is We'll enough tu take aiuch nov and
,hen t. let them know how their nj.
fairs have been managed. The Dem.
0cralic party must Civ" an account OF
its stewardship. Here Is the record
When the rcins OF government were
put In thc hands OF the Democratic
party thirty years ago, Missouri was far
down IN the list OF states Under a
careful fostering of public enterprises.
encouragement of Industries and eco.
nOmiCal government. Missouri has be
come the fifth state in the Union in
population. and first as producer OF
al, things necessary to the happiness
and comfort of man.
STATE DEBT
The state debt thirty years ago was
S2l .7GS 900 This has al. been paid, to.
gcthcr with interest amounting to $22. =.
OO0,UOO. The last hund was taken up
and cancelled under Gov Dockery's
administration The only outstanding
financial obligations OF the state are
the school certificates. amounting to
si,l3S.00O, which are In the nature OF
an endowment for the cause OF
education In the state ] am not one
of those who would hold "A party OF to.
day responsible for things done by
that party thirty years ago. ! do not
believe In living In the past. but in the
present. | do not think II necessary
10 go into the infamies OF the Drake
constitution. whereby women went to
prison for praying. lawyers and doc.
tors for practicing their profession
and ministers for preaching the Cos
pei Every fairminded Republican
now admits the injustice OF that in.
strumcnt, and classes II with the mis-.
taxes Of the long ago. The following
statement In the state Republican
platform, however. renders It neces.
sary. In order to be Just and fair, to
examine briefly the origin Of the state
| f,llAntInn
from the Republican platform:
WHEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
RST CAME INTO POWER IN THIS
STAlE, THEY INHERITED a DEBT
OF 3G,OoO. 900. EVERY DOLLAR OF
1T CREATED BY THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY IN SIX YEARS THE RE.
PUBLICAN PARTY REDUCED THIS
DEBT TO s2l 200 900. WHILE IT HAS
TAKEN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
THIRTY YEARS TO PAY OFF A
PORTION OF WHAT REMAINED
From 1885 to 1857, while the De-
mocracy was In power. the states
credit was loaned To certain railroad
companies, to aid in the construction
OF railroads. II was common practice
at that time for state governments to
do this. and the federal government
encouraged railroad construction by
donating enormous tracts Of govern.
ment land The custom was vicious
one, and our state constitution now
prohibits Il. II Is to the credit OF Gov
Sterling Price, Democrat, that he We
toed the various measures providing
for the giving OF aid to the railroads.
but the bills were passed over his
veto Various statutes provided for
the issuance OF bonds TO the extent OF
one.half OF the amounts actually ex.
pended by stockholders In construction
and equipment. The bonds were Sc
cured by first mortgage on the rail
roads and by more than n million and
Y half acres Of land that had been Civ.
en- by the United States congress- to
the railroads. Bonds 80 secured to the
amount OF $3l.735.S40 were issued.
This was the beginning Of the state
debt. The civil war came on. and all
at Aafa ,,lt