Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-05-27


BY a..comparson of this statement made by Cover
nor Barry little more than year ago, in which he
makes the of the State exceed its labili-
ties by the sum of S72,s22 81, there will be little
difficulty 10 coming to the conclusion that the late
administration was either grossly ignorant of the
financial condition of the State or that there was
intentional effort to deceive the people to the
true position of their affairs, and thus hide from the
public eve their own buders and mismanagement.-
And from the manner In which the leading journals
and parsans of the administration persisted in ad
herring to these mis-statements even after their I'M
truth was manifest to be a common remark, the
latter can hardly be said to be unfair inference.
Such being the financial condition of the State the
question will naturally arise, what is the extent of
the burthens TO which the people of the State must
submit in the years to cone? For the purpose of
answering this question, and bringing near as may
be into our view, the whole amount of taxation here
after to be borne annually by the people of Michigan
merely to keep the wheels of government in motion
and pay the interest on that portion of the public
debt remaining unsatsfed after the disposal of the
public works and all other available resources, we
present the following table, calculated for the year
1916:
Amount of State tax, S72,3O5 %
County l59,753 "a
road I" 1S0,789 20
school "(estimated) after
the school laws of this session shall take
effect $4,000 90
Amount of township tax, (estimated) $4,000 90
Interest on $2,OO0,OOO at 6 per cent 100000 90
Total $64O,SI8 81
al TO- IIc
every dollar of the assessabe property of the State
will still require to be materially increased the pres
ent year, for the purpose of defrayng the expenses
of the Revision and publication Of the laws. We be-
!eve this to be higher ratio of taxation than paid
by any other State or country for the support and
maintenance of local civil government. And when
there is added to this private contributions for school
and other purposes and the required to be paid
by individuals, in consequence of the complicated
state of the laws for the support of the various Off
ces and professions, amount exceeding that which
appears in the above schedule of public taxes you
| can no longer be at loss for the causes which
weigh down the prosperity and paralize the industry
of the people.
| Such was the condition of our affairs as State
when the Legislature of 1916 assembled; condition
! too, it will hardly be Denied calling most loudly
upon the Representatives of the people for their
nest and active interpostion to the State from
future dscredt and at the time avert at least
mitigate the burden of an impending taxation, likely
to become insupportable. That the undersigned, a
minority composing less than one-third of the most
numerous branch of the Legislature and only sin
gle member of the Senate, could alone accomplish
any such objects, of course out of the question.
But, that we might not fail in the performance of
duty which was in some degree at least imposed up
us, and in the hope that might not stand alone
support of measures for the relief of the State
took occasion early in the session. and at all proper
times during its continuance, to urge upon the con-
sideraton Of the Legislature a system of measures
which was in opinion best calculated to remedy
existing evils. That system was based upon the
idea Of just extension of political rights and prvi
leges: considerable reduction in the expenses o.
every department in the State, together with rigid
economy in the administration of the samoa brie
outline of the details of which, is as follows:
lst An immediate sale of the public works for the
highest price they would bring, and the application
of the proceeds the liquidation of the public debt
4 Cd. A reduction of the pay of members and Off
GERS of the Legislature to an amount corresponding
with the rewards of labor and the the ability of the
people to pay.
Sd. A like reduction in every department OF the
state county and township governments, and the
abolition of unnecessary offices.
4th. The restoration to the people, of the inner
cnt right of selecting all the officers of government
instead of the anti-republican system of appoint
ment now in use-with rigid accountability impos
: ed upon every such officer.
n 5th A modification of the tax system involving tn
complete destruction of the central power at the cap
ita whereby the public press is subsidized to tn
support of party, at the expense of the people.
n 9th. The division of the State into single repre-
: sentative districts.
7th. A reform in the judiciary system which shout
make its ad minstraon less expensive to the severa
counties, while it placed justice within the reach
every citizen without unnecessary expense or delay
" 9Th. The posponement of the revision of the laws
and short session of the Legislature.
These the leading measures, the adoption of whic
we have endeavored to procure with what success
brief outline of the business of the session will bes
demonstrate.
Bills for the sale of the public works have becom
laws, and should the sale be actually effected, an
payment received according to the provisions of tn
several acts, about two and half millions fthe pub
lie debt will be thus cancelIed-the losses incden