Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-10-11

Taken as a whole no state now sur
quality of her public Institutions.
The Constitution requires that not less
than one-fourth of the public revenue
shall be set apart and distributed for
public education but more than twenty
years ago a Democratic legislature en-
acted laws requiring that one-third, in
stead of one-fourth, of the revenue
should be so appropriated. Under Demo
cratic management the public school
fund was augmented until Missouri be-
came the proud possessor of the largest
cash public school fund of any American
state, the interest Upon which was, and
still is, annually distributed for educa-
tional purposes. Higher education re-
eeived the constant and fostering care
Of the party. From being little more
than a village high school the university
has been enlarged in construction and
equipment until today it ranks among
all the Union, being richly endowed and
supported, and annually opening its doors
to more than two thousand students.
But better far than all these. which
made in public affairs under a Demo-
cratic administration the old intolerable
restrictions upon the ballot were re-
moved. The ballot was made free again
in giving untrammelled expression to- his
will was restored. Once more We had
not only a great Missouri, but, infinitely
better, we had also a free Missouri.
Under these benign and uplifting influ-
ences, can you wonder that the state
grew apace and soon forged to the
front? From the eleventh state out of
thirty-six Missouri rose to be the fifth
state out of forty-five.
REPUBLICAN SANDERS.
That is the Missouri we foolishly
turned over to the Republicans two years
ago. Upon the superb picture of that
Missouri you can look without shame,
but that is the handiwork of Democratic
craftsmanship. Mark the contrast, and
remember, what you know to be true.
that this great work was accomplished
not with the patriotic assistance of the
Republican party as an organization,
but against it's opposition and in spite
of obstacles it threw with traitorous
hands across the pathway of our prog
ress. During that period when this
triumphant work was under way the Re
publicans more than once, aye frequent
y, in county, district and state conven-
inhospitable, laggard, and far ehind the
surrounding states in material and in
tellectual growth. The state was made
the subject of endless TRADES by Re-
Day after day, month after month, year
after year, they showered jibes, epithets,
and d%enunciations upon the state. 1t was
advertised as a "Robber State" and its
government and people were libeled and
eXecrated in a way almost unparalleled
in American history. OF course. these
VICIOUS, partisan ana Sldnu6rOuS ATTACKS
were wholly unwarranted by the facts,
for the facts were exactly the reverse
and because the facts were the reverse
the mystery and meanness of the as
the state were all the more inexplicable
and indefensible. 1t was pure, iniquit-
Gus, partisan m%alignity, INDUCED with
devilish pertinacity to the great detri-
rasping and mendacious libels the Globe
Democrat piled mountain-high on the
its s%ustenance?. Can you ever forget
the ghoulish glee, the satanic delight
that that old croaking journalistic vulture
found in befouling it's own nest? Yet de-
spite all this detraction and obstruction
the good old state, under Democratic
guidance, marched onward and upward
until she took her place among the
Her population more than doubled viii
lagos grew into prosperous towns, and
towns into teeming cities; her indus
tries We're multiplied and diversified
and in valleys; agriculture and horti-
culture expanded until the state became
as one great garden; mines of coal, lead
and zinc We're opened and developed to
rank as one of the first mining states in
the Union; rich quarries of stone and
beds of clay We're likewise opened in
great number, giving employment to i'm
bers of workmen; manufactures were
augmented in number and variety to
such an extent that Missouri was CLASH
ing states Of the Union; railroad con-
struction was extended into almost every
county until the state became a veritable
being increased from two thousand miles
in 1870, when the Republicans lost the
state, to over ten thousand miles when
the Republicans carried it again two
l Nnnr re n on N chnrf Nvhhn tho ntII6
leans Won that unexpected victory and
took possession of most of the important
offices of the state, they received from
opulent, powerful and influential state
free from debt, with a high credit, low
taxation, splendidly equipped institutions,
with all its varied industries in a high
three and one-half millions of unfettered
freemen, among the finest and happiest
people on the globe. It was a very diff
ferent Missouri from that we received
lican party thirty years before.
Need I say that these great achieve
ments could not have been wrought if
been honestly and wisely administered?
1t was SO administered. During the
whole period of thirty years of Demo-
cratic ascendancy there was but one de-
falcation by a state official, that of the
state treasurer. That delinquency, was
speedily discovered through the vigilance
of Governor Francis and the official was
promptly suspended. The amount of his
of experts appointed by the governor,
headed by the late Charles Parsons of
st. Louis, a, prominent Republican and
one of the most noted financiers of the
state, and the full amount with interest
was promptly paid into the treasury by
the bondsmen Of the treasurer; and the
treasurer himself was indicted, convicted
and punished. That is the only instance
of official m~alfeaSance ever brought to
the door of a Democratic state official.
DOODLE SCANDALS.
Three or four years ago the state was
swept by a storm Of scandal growing out
Of bribery preferred against members of
the Municipal Assembly of st. Louis and
members of the state legislature: This
afforded a golden opportunity, for the
truth itself was bad enough, but the
facts were egregiously distorted and ex-
a~ggerated. The, very depths of perdi-
ton were raked to find some circum-
hurtful to private character. With men
dacious ingenuity the Republican press
Of the state sought to saddle RESPONSE
bility for all these nauseating scandals
on Democrats and on the Democratic
party. To read the Republican papers
of that day and since one would suppose
that there, was not an honest official n
but few honest men in the Democratic
men, justly, incensed at the exposures,
were misled and swept from their feet
in the maelstrom of Republican misrep-
resentation. What are the facts? And
Republican exultation? Let us see, st.
Louis was the storm-center. It was there
that boodling grew as in a hot-bed.
thrived and reached its perfection. It