Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-04-30

lence of the operators OF such corpora
tions. Experience teaches that Il n
not prudent 10 trust the generosity OF
the owner OF a monopoly; and every
public service corporation has a mo-
nopoly. With the enormous growth OF
public service corporations Il has be-
come necessary for some governmental
agency 10 regulate their charges In
order to prevent extortion. There Is
no necessity for regulating the charges
OF individuals or corporations that en-
gage in ordinary lines OF business open
to competition. The law of competi-
ZION fixes their charges upon a reason
able basis. With a public service mo-
nopoly, the public must either pay the
rates fixed. or do without the utility.
In such instances the law should step
In and supply the regulation that ordi-
narily Is done by competition. The
municipalities OF the state already had
the power TO grant franchises. but they
had no power to regulate the rates
charged by the owners OF these fran
chlses. They had the power to create
a monopoly. but no power 20 regulate
the monopoly after Il was created.
They were given the right TO create.
but were given no control over their
~ "a kAAg 10 kbta NAetNh ~
a public utility corporation 10 operate
in and good enough for such corpora
ton to make money In, Il should be
good enough 10 regulate the rates
charged the public for the use of such
utility. Believing that the cities and
towns should have that control, / rec
commended the passage OF an act, In ac-
cordance with the democratic platform
OF 1906. comforting full power upon
municipalities to regulate the rates OF
street car companies, lighting com
panies. and all public utilities operat-
ing in such municipalities. This act.
was defeated at the regular session or
1907. Immediately after the close OF
this session. an extra session was
called. for the purpose OF passing this
act and other important laws, with the
result that the extra session enacted
a law, whereby each city and town In
the state IL given the absolute power
TO regulate the rates OF public utilities.
and Is thereby enabled TO protect its
citizens against injustice or inequal-
tiles. Under this law each city can
fight It's own battles, settle It's own
problems. and succeed or fail on It's
own merits. II any city In the state
does not secure full information and
proper regulation of public utility cor.
porations operating In such city, the
people OF that city alone are 10 blame,
for they have the remedy placed in
their hands II they will only use 1t.
state Primary Law.
In the campaign Of 1904. urged that
man should not only be free as
birthright. but he should be free pollt'
ically. and that all men should not only
have the right OF suffrage. but the
right to aspire to positions OF trust and
honor without the consent OF any one
other than the people. Believing that
! that government Is best which Is near
est the people. and more efectually 10
| place the government in the hands OF
| the people. advocated a statewide
| primary law The first session OF the
general assembly during this ndminis-
| tration failed TO enact such measure,
| although IL was one Of the plnnks IN
| the democratic platform OF 1904. Again
I urged IL before the people. and again
II was placed In the democratic plat
form OF 1905. and the democratic gem
Under this primary system. which has
| been sustained by the supreme court the
| power TO nominate oil state onicerS -
| placed in the hands OF the people Under
| IL a primary election will BE- held all over
| the state on the same day, by all politlcal
parties. with the same number OF polling
| places rs IN a general FlrflARNs anu NlAH
| expenses 10 be paid In the same manner.
| Penalties are provided for illegal voting
| or fraud on the part ~ Judges or clerks ne
| In general elections. This law dispensed
| with The political boss and the vote %
| the hurnblest counts as much rs that OF
/ the highest. Under the old system. the
political boss usually a man ~ strong
mentality and feeble morality. could ma
| nlpulatc things 50 ns TO thwnrt the VIII
| 81 the people. The professional politician
| delights IN having many conventions ara
! 40 THO ord Citizen inter Mt
tending one or two conventions or priuia-
rirR. becomes weary and gives MS htten-
ton 10 other matters. leaving the FIELD -
those who hav" nothing else 20 do but %
attend 10 politics. The result has been
that unless the people are intensely
aroused nominations have been made. not
some selfish interest 20 serve. With this
statc-wid primary law, the nominees ot
The people. Under this system two days
VIII he devoted by the ordinary citizen 70
| politics one 10 go a. the prima ries. ana
General election day The state primary
law Is a triumph of popular sovereignty
over machine rule and bossism
T6S ni5 msnSs STa re' s6opSG Wit qn'
still further In giving the people power 10
run their own government.
Education.
In order that democratic government be
effective the people must be alert and In
| telligent In proportion as the education
| OF the people becomes more general their
| capacity for self-guverument II enlarged
| IL Is a wise policy Tor state 10 educate
its future citizens. not only IN the elc-
| ments Of knowledge. but u become leaders
| of thought The people u Missouri have
| always been generous in their support
| 81 a broad and liberal public school sys"
tenn. The school funds. state, township
and seminary funds. amount TO more than
| thirteen millions dollars. This ~ more
| than the total amount of the school FUNDS
| ~ IN. Say,f England states aud more than
| EQUALS those of Ohio. Michigan and Wis
| cousiu combined The percentage %
| school attendance IN Missouri. according
| TO school statistics. q greater than that
| ~ any other state. while the percentage
! ~ iulferacy Is less by nearly fifty per cent
| than the average IN the United states.
frhere IL n school house within reach %
| every child in the commonwealth, Dur
, Ing This administration the appropriations
for the state University have been double
what they were four years ago. Two nsw