Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1920-10-28
RECORD OF JOHN l.. SULLIVAN
As SECRETARY OF STATE

JOnn Il. sullivan OF SeNaIla, DeInO-
cratic nominee for reelection. has
served one term of four years. dur
ing which he has been subject to
more or less criticism. because OF
his record as Secretary of State and
also because of his record as a men,
Der of the State Board of Equali-
cation.
Newspaper editorial comments on
Sullivan's administration have at
times compared his with the admin
istration of the State Auditors Of
flee OF John p. Gordon, who was
overwhelmingly defeated in the 1915
election because OF his record.
Accused Of Trading Atkinson or.
Sullivan and Treasurer George H.
Middelkamp, who is this year the
Democratic nominee for Auditor,
are making a campaign Of the State
together. largely Independent OF the
remainder of the Democratic ticket
and in some counties Democratic
newspapers which Sullivan has IA
favored by large printing contracts
at the expense Of the taxpayers Of
the state have, while supporting
Sullivan and Middelkamp actively
opposed John NJ. Atkinson, the De-
mocratic nominee for Governor.
This has given rise to charges by
some Democrats that friends of Sui
Ivan and Middlekamp are seeking
to trade Atkinson to the Republicans
for votes for them.
His Appeal To The Farmers
Practically the only argument ad-
vanced by Sullivan in his campaign
this year is that as a member Of the
State Board of Equalization he has
refused to ~equalize assessments of
property throughout the State, and
by those means prevented the in
creasing of the taxes of the farmers.
AS a matter of fact the record shows
that assessments have been increased
almost if not every year since Sui
Ivan has been a member of the
Board of Equalization. and that the
increase have applied to nearly all
the counties of the State.
+, In this connection attention has
been called to the fact that wasteful
expenditure of public funds in the
Secretary of States office during
S%ullivan's term has cost the tax
payers of the State large amounts
of money and that economy in ad-
ministration in his office would have
meant a large saving. Some of Sui
livan's critics have said that his
campaign argument on taxation does
no stand up when his record is
shown.
Let Auto Plates to Highest Bidder.
SOoh after Sullivan entered office
he let a contract for the making Of
automobile license plates. without
dohiiS ioi ulus VII Tie WOIk, " d
new corporation formed by Con p.
Curran of St. Louis. The price
agreed upon in the contract meant
a total expenditure of approximately
$4,000. = Another st. Louis concern
which had had this work under the
previous administration asked to be
permitted to bid, but its request was
refused. At its price the work would
have cost the State $4,000 or $19-
600 less than Sullivan contracted to
pay for it.
Shortly afterward he left to a Cur
ran company the work of supplying
cuts for the State Blue Book. A Kan
sas City Concern sought the work
but was refused the right to bid on
il. and its prices we're not even con-
sidered.
Amendments Let To Favored Papers
More recently Sullivan has let to
n Democratic newspaper in each
county in the state. the publication
of the constitutional amendments to
be voted on at the November cleo
ton. The law requires this publ
cation and fixes the rate to be paid
the newspapers at not to exceed 81
per $50 ems or 81 for something
less than each one column inch in a
nGWSnanar Tho lnuy lnns NOT rn
quire that this work be let at pub
lie bidding, but it does say an off,
ficer having public printing to let
shall obtain the most advantageous
terms. In the letting it has been
shown Sullivan made nc attempt TO
let the work at the best price to the
State, but let it to favored news
payers. which will receive the maxi
mum price permitted by law.
Attacked For Alleged Extravaganza.
The Rev. Father John Fugel, pas
tor of the Catholic Church at Vienna
Mo-. and publisher of a Democratic
mot church) paper there, recently
charged that each paper publishing
the amendments would receive ap-
~proximately $1,000. He wrote to
Sullivan asking that the work be
let at bids. He said he would will
ingly do ii for 5000. Father Fugel
estimated that if the same condition
existed in all counties Of the State
the taxpayers under Sullivan's sys-
TEN would pay out something like
800, 600 more than II would be nee
essary for them to pay IL Sullivan
had callnd for bids He showad that