The Butler Weekly Times Newspaper, September 4, 1902, Page 9

Gov.DocKery’s Eloquent Speech ine trm on the Issues in Missouri. Honest and Splendid Administration of State Af- fairs by the Democratic Party. Management of the Books Correctly Nept—Striking Contrast with the Extravagant and Corrupt Record when Republicans were in Power. Gov. County, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 14th, on Missouri. in full: I count it a high honor to be Gov- ernor of this splendid Democratic commonwealth, Under Democrat'c rule Miss-ur has grown great in ail the busy arenas of industrial Ife; her cred't is not in- ferior to that of the national govern- ment itselt; her fiscal affairs have been managed with consummate abi.l- ity; her books have been prope: ly kept, and balance to a cent; her edu cational system acknowledges no su- perior; her eleemcsynary and pena! institutions are of ‘the very best; her people are prospeious, industrious, in- telligent and content with a govern- ment administered without a doliar of loss, which protects life and property and encourages enterprize, at the low- est tax ra‘e of any state in the Amer.- can Union, It is true that in populat’on Missou | ranks fifth among the s.ates, but it 1s also true that in may of t e domains of enterprise she takes first p.ace, and at the World's Fair will marshal an exhibit of her matchless resources that will chalienge the admiiaticn of the civilized world. Notwithstanding all these facts, ad- mitted by every fair-minded Missouri- an, we are entering upon a campaign to maintain the honor and the credit of this great commonwealth. The Re- publican leaders are resorting to foul slanders, venorous abuse and intol:r- ant political methods characterist.c of heir rule in Missourt during the dark days from 0) ; Already the Republican campa'gn is but a continued rehearsal of oft-re- peated falsehoods, vicious calumnies and brutal epithets. Convicted .over and over again by the state records of slanderous accusations, the'r only an- swer is sinister repetition, on the obvious theory that falsehoods reiter- ated and persisted in will prove as detrimental to the Democrat'c purty as though the statemenis were true. With unblushing effrontery they charge the Democratic party with “looting” the school fund, juggling the public accounts, falsifying ther c- ords and stealing the people's money. These false accusations should be resented by all Missourians, without regard to party affliiations, who are proud of their state and glory in her achievements. The Republican policy tends to ke>p capital out of our s'a e; to halt im ni- gration at our borders, and co retard our growth and development. I am here today in no apologetic spirit, but I come to champion the splendid record of my patty during | the period of its control, and to de- nounce its defamers and the defamers of Missouri. Alex. M. Dockery addressed an immense audience at Missouri's Greatness, | It may be truthfully said, however, | that Missouri needs no defense. S ¢ has grown in her growth and streng- then din her strengta so mighti y ‘hat , the political defam rs in the Reyubii- can party are powerless either to be- | smirch the record of the Democratic | party or to retard the wond rful ro - ress of this wonderful state. M.ssouri is admittedly the greatest of the states west of the Mississipm! River, and destired at no distant cae) to take the third rank among tue states of the Republic. The census shows that in agricu'tural growth dur- ing the last decade Mlssourl ont- | stripped every o her s‘ate. But it fs not in agricultural growth alone toai | her greatest triumph Is recorded, She produces half of the zinc that sup piles the world’s demend—inde d, you, may sweep substantially the w: ole range of human activities and Mis- eouri leads the van. With her v st variety of productions and immense climatic range, Missouri! becomes at once the focus of our national indus- trial life, and the marve’ of the throb- | bing activities of the age in wiich we | live. | Stretching from the Ozarks to the Towa line, and from the Missi = to the Kansas border, she compre- hends within her grasp a wealth of agricultural, mineral —hert‘cultural, manufacturing, railrcad and otuer re- sources unsurpassed in American hit- tory. With her superb railway system, her | great rivers, vast manuiacturing indus- tries, great norticultural resources, farms and gardens that are a very Eden, thriving cities, beautiful towns and villages dotting this fair land like | ‘the stars in the blue vault above— with an enterprising and patriotic peo- p'e, loyal to the stite and to the na- tional government—Missouri is eas.ly the brightest jewel placed by Thomas Jefferson in the flashing crown cf our glorious Union. It is not fit, neither is it wise, that the destinies of such a siate should te again committed to a party wnos> leadership reviles our history, traduces honored names, and falsifies public records for partisan purposes. It is to me a matter of profound regret that cn the ‘threshold of the greatest exposition of ail time, soon Holt, Clay the issues of the State Campaign in The Governer spoke earnestly and eloquently, and aroused the peo- ple to frequent and enthusiastic applause. Foliowing is the Governor's address to be held at our chief metropol- itan city, the Republican leaders should have which compels the Democratic party to compare the Republican record of public affairs, both in the s‘ate and | in the city of ot. Louis, with the ree- ord made during the period of Demo- eratic control. For the honcr of my state | snould have preferred that the dark chapters of the Republican rec- ord, both in tLe state and in St. Louts, shou'd have teen forgotten. They de- serve the obliv.on of Infamy; but since we are challenged to a comparison of records, there is not a Democratic Mis- sourien wor hy of the name who hes - tates fur a moment to accept this gage of battle. Sons of Missourians who laid the foundations for our enduring and ever accelerat ng prospe.ity will not iike cravens pe:mit the administra- tions of their fathers, who were hon- ored with official trusts, to be slan- dered by the leaders of a party whiea dishonored the credit recklessly squander. d its resources and maintained a code of Draconian laws that would disg:ace the E.npire of Russia. Defends Democratic Record, T am here to defend the Democratic administration of Missouri's fiscal af- fairs from the days of Governor S'las Woodson until tis good hour, These administrations were characterized by integrity, economy and ability. y u'ntette of financial curios, and by certain Republican leade s, Democrats stole $34,000 000 collected for the payment of the public debt, it is proper to iden- t.fy the alleg d thieves, No hone t, intcll gent citizen be- lieves that avy cons derable: amount of money coulu have been taken from the pub! c¢ treasury without a knowl- ' edge of both the fact and the cu prits at the time. I challenge the Republican press and Republ can speakeis to name the men, if there be su h, wao have been thus faithless to public duty. The names of M ssouri's Democratic offic als, living and dead, are honored by Missourians, They include lawyers , of great ability, philanthropists of re- nown, friends of education, legislitors of high reput>, sold ers of distinct on, and business men of admitted sagacity. Who among these are responsible for the alleged “discrepancies” and the consequent alleged loss of money to the public treasury? I assert that there are none such, and no one is more: thoroughly convinced of this fact then the very men who make these fal.e charges. Republican State Record, The Republ'c n record in this state, and its more recent record in the ad- ministration of public affairs in the j city of St. Louis, 's a record of intol- erance, laismanagement and wanion waste of the peoples money. The rule of that p:rty in the state was a Jong nigat of terror for law-abiding and conse vative citizens. It wes then the Republican par- ty, which now prates of “honest elections,” trampled the principles of civil liberty under foot and a Repub- lican Governor controlled the entire election machinery of the state, deny- ing to Democrats the right of repre- sentation at the polls, either as judges, cierks or chal ev gris. It was then “Count” Rodman burned Democrauc ballots, in the vain attempt to conceal the infamy wiich depr.ved Ceneral Shields, Ccl. Switzler, and hundreds of other Dem- ocrats of the offices to which they had been elected by the people. It was then registrars and boards of review assembled at the county seats on the eve of elections, and, after a careful computation, siruck from the lists; the names of a sufficient number of Democ:atic vot- ers to insure Repub:ican victories. It was then General Frank P. Bla‘r, that kni h ly solder who, with conspicuous gallantry on many battle flelds, had upheld the Union cause, was disfranchised because he was a Democrat. It was then for the first time in American his‘ory that the principles of religious liberty were ruthlessly as- sailed by tie d nal to Fa.her Cum- mings and other ministers of the b'essed Master the right to preach the Gcspel wih ut tak ng a test oath de- clared by the Supreme Court of the United States to b> without precedent in vicious partisanship. It was then the sacred school fund was diverted to un awful us-°s, and the annul distribution to the counties made with partisan favor and dis-1{mina‘ion. It was then the fees earned ty the various state denartments were treated as the perronal perquitites of the state officers, thus adding large emounts annually to ther compensa- tion. It was then the interest upon the state moneys enabled state treas- inaugurated a campaign | of the state, | urers to amass great fortunes in &| tax rate can be still further reduced to It was then the 17% cents on the hundred dollars’ railroad and | valuation if the people shall determine other public service corporations were | at the coming election to continue the assessed not a farthing for the sup- port of the state, while farm values énd other property were struggling under the load of excessive taxation. It was then foreign insurance ‘companies and other corporations wholly escaped taxation. It was then “sand-baggers” rioted ip Finances Unassailable and the , '!!-80't’n gains at «. @ expense of legit- imate business interests. It was then al forms of tax- ation, both stat? and local, burdened productive industries. It was then Republican county courts, without leg.s ative restriction, ! imposed upon the people enormous | bonded debts, exereding twenty mil- lions of dollars, some of which have not yet been paid, It was then the average annual ! distribut on o° schco! moneys amcunt- existing investment of our school funds. It should be a matter of pride to every Missourian that this vast bond- ad debt has already been practically extinguished, while at the same time the credit of the s‘ate has been fully rystored so that Missourl bonds have commanced premiums in every market of the world. No! withstanding the reduction cf | the tax rate to an amount one-half that | levied by the ed to only $161,885, the per cap.ta dis- | | tribution being but twenty-eight cents; while during the present year we have | distributed $1,170,311.48, the per cap- | ita hav ng increased to $1.20. | It was then corrupt lobbyists de- bauched Republican legislatures and reveled in a wild saturnalia of riot- / ous Indulg nce at the expense of the people It was this then the credit of Republican party, t ¢ state has not only been able to prac ticaly pay off its bonded debt, but it has contributed annually one third of its entire siate revenue to the support of the public schools while at the sare time incre: shi g cur state inst! tutions from eight in number to twen- ty well equipred and progress ve inst!- tutions. Our estate university, nor mal schools, tle Schcol of Mines and all our eleemosynary and penal institu- tions have been the subjects of gener- / ous care by the state, and are in.erior imperial state was put to open shame— {in the markets of the world, and our | securities, although bearing high rates | of interest, found reluctant sale at enormous discount. It was then the management of the Missouri penitentiary was so flag- | rant a departure from honest and business-like methods that It provoked widespread censure and denunciation, It was then the lobby expended $193,648.60, as shown by the records of the United States courts at St, Louis, to cormuptly secure the release of the state's lien upon the Missourt Pacific road, at a loss of six millions of dollars to the tax-payers, It was then, through corrupt lobby influences, the Tron Morn ain Rail- road was sold (?) to the lowest ‘and worst bidders by the comm ssion- | ers appointed by a Republican Gov- ernor, one of the purchasers he'ng a brother to one of the It was then our railroad ties, which Governor Fletcher declared to be “amp'e security for the amounis ‘ sold for $6,121,496, the state being the | loser by these transactions in the ex- act amount of $25,004,344. This debt is a heritarve of Republican dishonss'y, exceed ng forty-six millions of dollars, princ!pal and interest, but | congratn- late the people that within a few short menths we will have paid every dollir of this Republican debt except the amount held in trust for the school fund. This, in brief, isa summary of the profligate wasie of the people's re- sources during the pericd of Republi- to none of their kind in any state of the Union, The Democratic party has also in- creased the state cap tal school fund to $4,397,899.42, which is two-thirds larger than when the Republican party was driven from power, This in- crease Includes $900 000 restored to the scheo! fuad, whieh had been di verted to unlawful uses by the Re publican party, Not only are we abl» to note this gratifying increase of the state school fund proper, but the en- tire pe.manent scio lL fund, — state, county and municipal, now amounts to the splendid total of $12,690,758.40 It may be also well to note in this eon. nection that under the existing school find system several Republican eoun- ties receive annualy from the state for the education of their children very much more money than they | pey into the sta’e treasury for all pu- commissioners, , securt | can domination trom 1865 to 1871—an | era cha‘acterized by a recent editori. | of the leading Republican organ es a period of “sp’endid finance’ The people may well as for a deliverance from a repetition of such “splendid finance,” inasmuch as it has required more than thirty years to pay the debts imposed by Republican methods of “splendid finan e.” Republican Regime in St, Louta, The recent record of the Republican party in the city of St. Louis is even more shameless than the record made by that party in the management of sa‘e affai s. Foul corrupticn, so rank ‘and flagrant that it sme.ls to hecv n, permeated almcst every branch of tue Republican city government. The revenues of the city were corruptly wasted, and some cf the pubiie ree- ords destroyed to conceal the evi- dences of crime. The appropriations for the support of the charitable and other institut‘o1s cf the e.ty were ut- terly inadequate, while many of the streets for a time were unlighted. _ how nearly ninety millions of dollars , cent higher than poses, The Demorratic party has also pissed laws for the tayaton of foreicn insurance companies, and the payment of ince poration and other fees into the state treasury, thus providing an nually a fund of more than a half mil lion of @olars, whieh is sufficient to pay the ent re expenses of the executive departments of the state government by laws requiring the interest on the pudlie moneys, amounting to about $46,000 annual y, to be covered into the state treasury, Pi But T have not yet noted all of the recard of the Democrat e party in 1e- spect to its floancval manigemont, The Repubhean party, as hereto fore sated, did not ‘evy a dollar of taxes upon railioads, although the tax rate upon all other forms of property was oppress.ve and exorbitant. The Democratic party has tncreased the assessment of railroads from nothing, as it was under Republican rule, to This assessment is 48 per the assessment in Republican illinois, 60 per cent higher than the assesment in Republe n Kansas, and 130 per cent higher than the assessment made by the Repnbli can state of Iowa. Again, sinee the law was enacted re- quiring the State Board of Equatiza- annually. | tion to assess street railway property thet Beard has more than trebled the assessment of this property as it was made ‘by the Republican officials ot the city of St. Lenis. The Democratic party, upon its ae- cession to power, promptly repea ed the Draconian code of prescriptive election Jaws, and substituted thore for fair and imyar ial election laws which give to the Republican party the same number of judges, the same number of cler’s, the sire number cf challengers and other like priviceges ‘that the Democracy have in the con F.anchices of great value to the people | were corrupi'y bartered. Impcriant legisla‘ion cculd be se ured ony by the means of Lithy bribes. The Mayor ‘was charged by the grand jury with embezzling public funds, and his pri vate secretary and many other Re publican city officials have dicted for bribery, perjury and other heinous onenses. Some of them have already been convicted; others are yet to be tied; vhl> yet others have fled to Mexico and otner fo eign countries to escape the vinzeance cf an out- raged public. I have cited Republican rule in the state, and in the city of St. Louis that the people may know how litile reli ance can be placed upon the pledges of the leaders of a party who have been thus recreant to public duty and faithless to the people's interests. Missouri's Democratic Record, In striking contrast with the ersen- ticl features of Re ub-ican misrule in Missouri and St. Louis is the rule of the Demociate party of the state. The Democratic paity succeeded to power on the Ist of January, 1873. The bended debt at that t me was $21,768.- 000, and the rate of s at» taration fifty cents on the hundred dollars. These bonds were originally amply secured by liens upon the rsilways, in whos? | aid they were issued, but the liens were corruptly re.eased by a profligate Republican administration. This enormcus bonded debt bas been stead. ily reduced by wis* Democratic man- agement until it now amounts to but $487,000, exclusive of the amount he'd in trust for the school fund. The re- maining bonds, now less than a hali millton do'lars, wll be fully paid at the beginning of the ¢ ming year. This splendid feat in finance has been ac- complished, although the Democratic party has stead ly reduced the tax rate until it ts now just one half the rate | levied by the Reputlican party. The ‘money. 1 been in- | | of state bonds cancelled. trol of our election machinery. It is the ovcasion of exulfant pride that the fiscal affairs of — the under Den.ocratie control, have been so faithfully managed that the people have never Iest a dollar of puodic assert without equivoca tion or mental reservat.on, and a personal examinaton of the books, that there has been no over-paymeat of bonds, no payment of bonds twice, and no over-payment of interest) on the bonds, as charged by reckloss Re- publican leaders. The records of tie Aditor’s office show that every doijlar of outstanding school certificates is represented by an equivalent number Any state- ment to the contrary issabsolutely un- true. state after Booka Correctly Kept. The books cf the s‘ate are correct-* ly kept, as shown by the sworn state- ment of the Auditor, and confirmed by experts (f a'miited int-grity and great renown in their chosen profession. The credit of Missouri was never higher than at this moment, and her resources ave ample to meet all the obligation incident to the development of this great and growing state. During the period of Democratic as- cendancy $41,112.990.64 has been ex- pended in the reduction of the bonded debt, and the payment of interest. Of this amount $18,301,395.85 has been expended for te 1etl ement of b nis, exclusive of refunding bonds, and $22,811.594.74 for the payment of !n- terest on bonds, ceitificates of indebt edness, premiums on bonds, pay of fis- cal agents and other expenses incident to the reduction of the public debt. There has recently appeared in the Republican press statements of five alleged experts, each showing alleged discrepancies in the state books, but each differing with the otters. These political emergency experts should re member that bookkeeping is an exact science, and if there is any discrep- SUPPLEMENT TO The Butler Times. Thursday, Sept. 4, 1902 BUTLER sees MISSOURI ancy on the books of the state it {ga fixed amount and consists of certain definite items Any business man will at onee confirm the accuracy of this starement. This fundamental fact, however, seems to have been ovelooked by these political experts, who have submitted exhibits absoe- lutely contradictory each of the other t Repubiican expert doctors sharply ¢ gree, The ludicrous ab- surdity of their so-called exhibits is manifest in the fact that if cach of the exp rs is correct then {it follows that the Demecracy ot the state has stolen practically thirty-four millions of dol- lars collected to pay the public debt. We venture to sugvest to Republican organs that it would he well to “as semble” these financial curios and pre- sent an “agreed exhibit’ with a semblance of plaus‘bility, if not of truth, If it is not practicable to “as semble” the “experts,” it might be well for the organs to elect on which one of the five disagreeing exhibits they propose to rely. Reduetion of the Debt, In thts connection | may say that the favorite Republican misrepresen tation is the assertion that the Demo cratic party has used “forty-four m1 licns of money to reduce the public debt from twenty-one milliona to five millions, and t!at at this rate fourceen millions will yet be required to ex- tingnish the debt.’ The transparency «t this falsehood is so obvious that it hardly requires answer, These Re publican partisan papers deliberately ignore the interest on the bonds and other expenses pa’d in connection with the public debt, which as | have just shown, exceeds the principal ot the debt. Their mendacity and hy- pocrisy, however, are conclusively il lustrated in the following exhibit. of the reduction of the national debt The bonded debt of the national government on the Ist of July, 1870 was $2,046455,722 On the Ist ef didy of the present year it had been re duced During the to $981,070 340 82 years to whieh T have just advert d paid on this debt $8813 414.140.07 Now, then, if | were disposed to emu- late the example of an unsernpul ous Republican press [ could make a fase showing by stating only part) of the truth and declaring that the treasury department at Washington had ous ( $3,800,000,000 of money to reduce the national debt) from $2,000,000,000 0 to $931,000,000 If I were to follow the exampl: of the Republican press of this state and make such a declaration it) wonld b absolutely false, because it would he a failure to tell the whole truth. It fs true that the amount of menoy to which I have referred was used by the general government to reduce the national debt, but it fs also true tat during the thirty-two years to which I have referred the nat onal trea ury paid $2,141,420,698 28 interest and premiums on bonds — purchased A failure to take into account the in ferest and premiums paid, either government or state bonds, is a dis on honest debt statement, whether it is state or national. This simple ex- hibit, however, of the reduetiin «ot the national debt during the Jast 22 years is a forceful illustration of the false charge that we have used $!4 O00,000 to reduce the state debt from $21,000,000 to $4.000,000, and of ot) r equally brazen falsehoods whieh ave daily appearing in the columns Republican press, id School Fund Amendment. As a friend of education and a loyal Missourian, [| oppose the efforts of Ke publican leaders to drag our magni ficent school system into partisan pol: ties, — The education of our children is a Sacred duty, and shonld forever be divorced from petty partisanship The proposed amendment to the Con stitution, providing for the reduction of the state interest tax rate from ten cents on the hundred dollars to uot exceeding three cents; for the future investment of school’ moneys and the continuance of the existing system of school certifleates has my most cor dial approval. This amendment d eg not contemplate a “perpetual debt.” as charged by Republicans, but expressty states that the certifleates may be re- newed from time to time, for such periods and such rates of interest as may be provided by the legislature. The investment of school moneys in our own securities has for more than thirty years had the solemn sane tioa of the most eminent offle.als in public life cf all parties. The ke- publican leaders have heretofore been its most ardent supporters, and the utter in ineceri'y of the present a ti- tude of the Republican party is dem- onstrated in the further fact that Judges Higbee and Whybark were re cently nominated by the Republican state convention as candidates for the supreme Court, both of whom sup ported and voted for the issue of the school certulcates when they were members of the legislature. If, as alleged in the Republican state platform, these certifi-ates are unconstitutional, why then, were two candidates nominated forthe supreme bench who avow ther constitution- ality? If the investment of the schocl fund in certificate: was, as ilicged in tir platferm, “con ealed trom tne peo -le, will the Repubdl can jeaers explain why Higher, Whybark, Blodentt, Head'ee, Itiner, Bettinger, O'Bannon, Wade, Peitijoin, Swarger, O'neal, Russell, Tubbs, Brewster, Kean sh, Mott and scores of other Republ can SUN creti x aan Statist heaps yun -" of) ne in a por te. * ®i ands 1 an 3 bs mall this or ¢ we t ave s rece a de tol ‘ying Gi es ‘res. ce-P’ r, ’, As