The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-10-20

| water marx IN the state.
Republicans Looted School Fund.
This Republican cry of footing"
the school fund is a farce and is a
reflection on either the intelligence
or the integrity of those who make
the charge. Listen for moment-1
want to give you the record of the
| Republican party on this subject. That
party is the only party which looted
and took from the children of the
| state their public school moneys. In
1853, a Democratic legislature pro-
yided by law that onefourth OF the
general revenue Of the state should
be set apart to the credit Of the state
public school moneys In 1875, this
Democratic law was made a part of
the constitution of Missouri by the
Democratic party. Every year the
Democrats have been in power, this
law has been sacredly carried out, un-
TIL finally when the Democracy was
restored to power, it not only gave
one-fourth, but gave one-third Of the
entire revenue to the public schools.
Only once since the enactment Of
this law, in 1853, has there been any
looting of the children's public school
moneys That was during the years
from 1861 to 1S72-when the Repub-
licans ruled the finances of the state.
From 1851 to 1867, no part of the rev
enue fund was set aside for the school
children, Notwithstanding the Demo
cratic law of 1853. Every cent OF the
school moneys was taken, looted"
from the children for seven years and
xul1 fah AnA 81,
1867, the state received from the Unit
ed States, $6,472 ,2S9OO for war ex-
penses. Out of this, the Republicans
set aside $1,500,000 to reimburse the.
school children for the funds looted.
This still left, however, 1905, 47833,
not counting interest for all the years,
unrestored to the school children and
which was never paid to them.
From 1867 to 1872, the receipts into
the revenue fund amounted to $685.
1886. One-fourth of this sum, ST.
744,571,99, should have been given to
the public school children. The rec
ords disclose, however, that the Re-
publicans only gave $1,163, 053.32.
Thus, during these five years, the pub
lie school funds for the school chill
dren we're looted Of 1851, 518.67 by the
Republicans. This made total, from
1861 to 1872, of 1887 ,997 school funds
looted" by the Republicans and never
paid back.
But this is not all. The school fund
owned 1861, 96767 stock In the Bank
Of the State of Missouri Out of
this stock and dividends thereon GO
ing to the school fund, the Repub-
licans looted s25S, 564.60. Add this to
the total we had before, and we then
have the grand total Of s1,146,561 go,
school funds which the Republican
party actually looted. from the school
children of the state, and for which
they have never been reimbursed. Yet,
with this bold and gruesome record
confronting the Republican candi-
dates, we find them talking about
looted" school funds.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Clerks, Etc.
The Republicans both high and low
have screamed until they are hoarse,
saying the present Democratic admin
istration was extravagant, that the
revenues had been absorbed by extra
clerks, offices and jobs. But listen
to the facts. The increase in salaries
administration, was $254,9 30.S8, while ]
during the present Democratic admin
istration, the increase has been but
S21S,S 6763, or $l36,O6325 less than
the Republican administration.
OF this $218,S67.63 Democratic In
crease, however, about seventy-five
per cent of it was for the Public Serv-
ice Commission, to meet the salaries
of the commissioners, and the salaries
of Its officers, clerks and travelling
expenses. But, the Public Service
Commission has earned more than
enough fees to support itself, so sew
enty-five per cent of the Democratic
increase has been paid back and there
is really little or no increase Out Of
the remaining small part has been
created the highway department. So
the cry about extra jobs is "deader"
than the chances Of the Republicans
to carry Missouri. l am making this
speech and presenting these facts to
the people of Missouri, to the end they
may be aware of the attempted deceit
and fraud practiced by Republican
speakers and writer's for two yeags.
The Democracy is proud of the |
achievements of this administration,
and they will rank side by side with |
those of any which preeede. Not
only that, but they will rank with the
Democratic or Republican achieve
ments of any other. state in the Amer,
lean Union.
1t has taken less than nine per cent |
Of the revenue fund to pay all the
state employees at Jefferson City. It
takes less than nineteen per cent of |
the revenue fund to pay all the en- |
ployes Of the state of Missouri, in
Guiding our circuit judges, leaving
eighty-one per cent of the entire rev. |
enue to be used and devoted to edu-
cational and eleemosynary institu-
tons, ETC., and the advancement of
Missouri in other ways. Looking to |
the Republican city of st. Louis, we
find that the record discloses that
seventy-three per cent of the entire |
revenue of that city is used to pay
salaries, etc, leaving twenty.seven per |
cent for civic achievements, and for
city advancement. How do you like
the record?
EIeemosynary and Penal Institutions.
The eleemosynary institutions have
and are rendering a service to the |