The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1913-07-17
Pa:tisanship at the State Capital.

here who are close polltl'ai ouSel'e's'
have lately indulged rather freely in
comments upon the essential difference
between republican ard d mocra'ic
administration. Comparison has been
instituted along several lines, but the
chief difference remarked is in the
partisan spirit permealing the depart
ments.
No, until 1905 had the men OF the
present generation seen or known any
thing but a democratic state govern
ment. The republicans had several
times controlled the lower house OF the
legislature, had twice elected one OF
the three members Of the boaId oil rail-
road and warehouse commissioners,
had elected superintendent olschools'
and twice elected members oil the
supreme court. In 1904 they elected
all Of the state officers except the
governor. Jos. w. Folk, whose democ'
racy was seriously questioned prior to
his election and during his entire term,
A, least it was not the standard brand
Of democracy recognized at the capital
Of Missouri for forty years. Messrs'
John E. Swanger, secretary Of state,
w. W. Wilder, auditor, and Jacob +.
Gmelich, treasurer, were the state
officers who assumed charge Of the sew
eral departments, and Frank A. Wight
man became railroad and warehouse
commissioner when Folk became gov
ernor. They we're republicans OF the
highest type, we're elected upon plat
form expressing republican ideas AID
theories Of state government and were
expected 10 do things their democratic
predecessors had never undertaken.
Throughout the four years they did do
things quite different from the estao'
Ished democratic record in each de-
partment. They were handicapped
by the opposition Of democratic SEN
ate and lacked the political sympathy
and in many matters the corporation
Of the democratic governor, and were
compelled to do business with appro'
priations and under conditions con-
trolled by an unIriendly Legislature;
yet the spirit manifested in each de-
partment under republican control was
the spirit Of progress, improvement,
economy and faithful public service.
In the discharge Of Off ,ial duties the
men who represented the republican
party in the state govcromeut treated
the people as their masters and acted
like faithful public servants, making
the interests OF the state paramount tc
all political party considerations. They
injected new spirit into Missouri pol
i,ics. They lacked the power to reform
election methods, which remained un
der democratic authority, else thei
successors would have been repub
licans.
In 1903, the republican attorney
general was elected governor and th
republican state treasurer was electe'
lieutenant governor. Mr.. Swanger
secretary OF state, was appointed BAN
commissioner, Mr.. Wilder, auditor, VA
appointed beer Inspector, and severa
others who had served the state in III
departments, were appointed to Office
under the control OF the fist republica
governor elected in forty years, an
aided him effectively in further estat
fishing the rule OF efficiency in tn
public service and in further develop
ing the new spirit in state politics
although all we're handicapped BY
unfriendly Legislature and an extremeI
partisan administration Of the chi
state Offices, which had been restore
10 the democrats. Throughout Il
four years administration Of the repul
lican governor what has been apt
called the new spirit permeated Il
entire state.
In 1912, because Of an unfortuna
political situation that arose in q
nation, the Missouri republicans We
divided and democratic state admi
istration throughout was elected. |
TO this time that administration b
demonstrated a spirit exactly opposl