The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-01-13
THE TALE OF A SORRY YEAR


Just about this time year ago, the
state was awaiting expectantly the
advent of new regime. The state
had given an unprecedented plurality
to Arthur M. Hyde, the Republican
candidate for Governor, and great
was the hope for the accomplishment
of wonderful things by this new
champion of the people. He was to
effect wise economies In our state adj
ministration. He was to improve our
efficiency, and promote the effective
ness of state activities He was to
simplify our methods of business. He
was to secure reforms that would ban
ish election frauds forever He was
to make Missouri over, according to
new and fanciful specification,
which had been spread before the. peo-
pie through many months Of arduous
campaigning.
1t is 1922; on January tenth it will
be one year, and what have we expe-
rienced? What new sensations agi-
tate us as we review the past twelve
moth of Hydeism?
These sensations cannot even be
described in print, for the people have
Just concluded paying their taxes
that is those Of them who could beg,
borrow or steal the money wherewith
to do that thing. Their minds are
stirred with vain reactions, mixed
with wrathfulness and that incom-
parable bitterness dwelling within us
when we meet with disappointments,
keen and penetrating. Their Ian
guage is beyond repetition. and the
shillelahs they carry would make T..
RS "Big Stick" or Mrs. Jiggs' roll
ing pin look pussy-willows.
One year of Hyde! Instead of econ
omy, the legislature has appropriated
about sixteen million dollars more,
during three sessions, than any other
| Legislature in the history Of the state.
Instead of increased efficiency, the
state offices are wagging along just
about as usual, filled with a lot of in
experienced persons gathered from the
roll of precinct workers kept by the
Republican State Committee-and the
list of the benefciaries Of the Lowden
fund True, the Governor did try to
consolidate lot of jobs and create
new ones under different names, at an
! increased cost, and with increased sal
aries plus augmented authority--but
the people circ1mvented that move.
Our methods of business are unchang-
ed, the only security in the state gov
erument being the necessity on the
part Of the state officials to adhere
to existing law, rather than depend
upon the expensive new laws enacted
by the Republican General Assembly.
They promised fair redistricting of
the state upon population, not a
partisan basis, and what did they
give us?
A judicial reapportionment so fla
grant that even Republicans refused
to become parties to a movement to
obtain a partisan advantage in the
circuit courts of the state. The ref
erendum suspended the bill, but the
legislature enacted another that will
be tested in the courts. The peril
nacity displayed by the General AS
sembly in thus re-passng a bill taken
into the referendum Illustrated the
depth of their extremeties.
A senatorial reapportionment--not
made by, the Legislature, but concoct-
eu Ill StdT CIdI1lDeT SESSION. OF JnTGe
state officers, with Gear" Hiram
standing over them with the basket
for the very good reason that it had
been promulgated by officials whose
authority had been suspended indefi.
nitely, by vote of the people of the
state.
A congressional redistricting bill
which put as many Of the big Demo-
cratic counties into as few districts as
possible and attempted to give Mis-
souri, ten Republican Congressmen
for ten years at least. This bill still
is with us, but its fate is uncertain.
The state hasn't been made over
except that taxes have been boosted to
the skies, and that, too, in time OF
the most distressing financial depres-
sion, when the means of the people
have fallen to the lowest ebb, with
farm products lower than they have
been in fifty years. And under what
pretext? Under the false assumption
that they were equalizing assessed
valuations "in proportion to actual
value" Thousands of instances
abound showing assessments at sums
greater than the owner could sell his
land.
And why? The Gardner admins
tration left surplus of nearly $5,000,-
900. If there had been any sanity in