Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-10-03
"nty Fair.

tive. AS the Acknowledgement of the
state, l represent o~ne-seventh of the
Executive Department and an the le-
gal adviser of all the other executive
departments, as well as these govern
ing boards.
When the Republican party retired
from power in 1871 it left a record
upon the pages of M%issouri's history
which no one can or will now attempt
to defend. Under it's management the
rate of taxation was so cents on the
500 valuation, and the bonded indebt-
edness of the state $21,673, 600. Rail-
roads were not assessed and the state
received no interest returns whatever
on its public moneys. These were
some of the conditions confronting
the Democratic party when it came
into power.
By the splendid management of the
states business by the Democratic
party, and Under its guiding hand,
Missouri, in the march of progress,
has become one of the greatest states
in the American Union-a period of
legislative and business construction,
a period of progressive achievements.
By economy and business methods
the Democratic party reduced the rate
of taxation for state purposes from so
cents to Is cents On the 500 valua-
ton. 1t paid off and discharged the
bonded debt of $21,673,O00 which, to-
gether with the interest, amounted to
practically $40,O 200, 900. While it was
paying off this heavy indebtedness it
also reduced the tax rate. This was
a great business and financial achieve
ment, and Missouri is the only state
in the Union that discharged its bond
ed Indebtedness and at the same time
reduced the rate of taxation.
Public service corporations, which
were not assessed under Republican
rule, are now assessed at $185, 498 ,514.
The public moneys held by the State
Treasurer, and on deposit at that
time, gave to the state no interest
returns, while now the state receives
interest at the rate of 1923 per cent
IN it's daily deposits, or about $780, 900
per annum.
The Republicans during this period
IF Democratic construction cried from
he housetops that the public school
sund had been looted and that the
books must be seen. The Republic
ans were successful in 1905 with the
exception of the office of Governor,
and had charge of the books until
1909, and during that time found the
school fund had not been looted, but
haG grown from $500, 900 to $4,-
100000, and that the books were in
perfect balance, and we now no long
err hear of any charges of wrongful
doing during all the period covered by
Democratic rule. We discussed over
$500, 900 1000 in managing the affairs
of the state, and that without the loss
of a single dollar. This has been the
way of Democratic achievement in
Missouri. 1t is and has been a party
of progress and is in touch today
with the progressive spirit of the age,
1t established for this state a public
school system not excelled by any
state in the Union. 1t established a
great State University, five normal
schools, homes for the ex-confeder'
ates and federal soldiers, five hos.
pitfalls for the insane, schools for the
deaf and dumb and blind, homes for
the feeble-minded, industrial and re-
form schools for the hayward youth,
a sanatorium for sufferers from tuber-
~culosis, a fruit experiment station
and other worthy institutions, all OF
which have been literally supported
and sustained. Such thrift and pro
gressive accomplishments are I'M
equaled in the political history of any
other party in this or any other state.
A public office is a public trust and
the public servant must give a strict
account of his stewardship. The man
who has served in public life who
cannot place his hand upon some
thing accomplished for the benefit Of
the people has served in vain. AS
one of the executive officers of the
state, I wish to tell you how your
business has been transacted at the
capitol by your Democratic executive
servants.
State Board of Equalization.
The State Board of Equalization is
composed of the Governor, Auditor,
Treasurer, Secretary of State and At
torney-General, four Democrats and
one Republican. In the discharge of
it's duties it has written a record of
which it can justly feel proud. In
equalizing the assessments among the
various counties in the state as to
personal property and real estate and
in assessing the properties of the pub
lie service corporations, it has endeav-
ored to and has done as lea as pos
sible equal justice to all.
The real estate of the common
wealth is bearing its full burden of
taxation. The state board, in equaliz-
ing the values of real estate, one
county with another, has not in
creased the values upon this class of
property, but has left same as re-
turned by the assessors or board of
assessors, or reduced the values so
that the values in one county might
be properly equalized with the values
in the other counties of the state. In
equalizing, a whole county is the unit.