Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1922-01-20
Missouri Wanted a
Change and Got 1t
Speech Delivered Jackson Day Banquet H. in
City, Mo, by Sen. JnO d. Taylor

fairs in the hands of honest citizens
and that they might have an efficient,
competent and honest administration
OF governmental affairs. This propa-
ganda was infectious and took with
a lot of people in this state and they
took up this Republican battle cry
missouri Wants a Change" and my
friends they got it,-that is they
got the change. But lets see whether
they got what was promised them.
Did they get the affairs of the govern
ment Of this state into the hands of
honest, competent and efficient men,
and are they getting an honest, COM
petent and efficient administration
OF governmental affairs?
The promise made at the beginning
by the Republican Governor elect was
that most rigid economy would be
applied in the expenditure of all state
funds, that taxation would be reduc-
ed to minimum, and that no men
would be appointed to official posi-
tions in this state except those who
possessed special qualifications for the
office or position to which they were
appointed. Shortly after the election
in November, 1920, a meeting of the
Republican leaders was had wherein
it was pledged that the expenses of
the legislature were to be reduced to
a minimum and by keeping down the
expense of the clerical force, and
other expenses in connection with the
Legislature, they would show the peo-
rla of +bi, ctofa bou avfraxya orontI1y
Democratic legislatures of the past
had been spending money.
1t is fair illustration of the items
of expense to take the last Democra-
tic legislature in Missouri, that of
1917, when both houses were under
control Of the Democrats, and the
1921 session of the legislature when
both houses were under control of the
Republicans. In 1921 the total ex-
pense of the legislature was $780,
600; in 1921 the total expenses incurr-
ed by these gallant reformers and
honest. men was more than S461,-
600; an Increase in expenditures of
more than s150,G00.
The Democratic legislature found
that with reasonable application to
business and reasonable attention to
duties encumoent upon them they
could transact all of the legislative
business of this state in a total of rs
days, and if any person will question
the accomplishments of the Democra-
tic legislative body l refer them to
the Session Acts of 1917, and chai-
lenge them to find anywhere in The
history OF this OF any other State
where a legislative body dSalt with
more stupenduous problems in a
more intelligent manner than
was done at that time. But his haL-
est, efficient and capable Republican
organization that clamored to give
the people of the state of Missouri a
change, elected legislature that has
found it necessary to have three
sessions of that body in the first year
of Republican administration at a
cost of approximately one-half mil
lion dollars to the people of the state,
and challenge that organization or
any of its members to point to sin
gle piece of legislation that indicates
progress, thrift, economy or political
integrity.
True it is they put over one stu
pendous piece of legislation that
ought to have attracted the atten-
ton of everybody, and centered the
eyes of the civilized world on the
progressive legislative methods en-
ployed by the solons of the State of
Missouri. 1t would be beyond the
mind of any man or any party of
men to conceive of a more remark
able progress in and necessary piece
of legislation than that which have
in mind. They did introduce and
pass a bill during that session of the
Legislature abolishing the offices Of
justices of the peace in Jackson coun-
ty. Unfortunately the Supreme
Court of the state did not take the
same view of this stupendous piece
of legislation that these lawmaking
wonders of the world did, and held
that the law was null and void. A
harsh, unkind and unprogressive Su-
preme Court it must be. True they
passed number of bills during that
session of legislature abolishing old
departments of government and
creating new departments, having in
mind two things, of course. One
to concentrate all Of the power of the
state government so far as possible
in the hands of one man, the Govern
or, in order that he might build up a
political machine, such as was never
known in this or any other state in
our great union. The people of the
state have already in measure
shown their opposition to this char
acter Of legislation by tying up most
of these bills under the referendum
section Of our constitution and pre-
dict now that the indignation Of the
people Of this state against this pro-
posed plan will be shown at the next
November election by the most over
whelming majority that such propo-
sitions have ever met with in Mis-
souri. The other purpose the good
Republican brethren had in mind in
passing these bills was to give Demo
Gratis an Illustration Of their idea OF
political integrity. There were men
in many offices who had been select
ed by the people, had been appointed
\ to hold these offices under existing
provisions of law, and their terms
had not expired, and these bills were
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