The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-09-16
s From the Detroit Tribune
OVERWHELMING DISCLOSURES.

The Democrats made the State Debt
The Democrats continued making
the State Debt-Ihe Democrats neye,
ceazed making the State De6t-Ih,
Republicans diminished the Stat,
Debt The Republicans disburseo
the Surplus Funds for Public OF
jects-Comparison Of Payments a,ao
Expenditures Comparison of Iar
atiOn-AU sustained By the Record
Some of our readers may have for
gotten the details of the Report of the
majority of the Committee-of which
MIR. Kanter was the tail-appointed by
the Legislature of 1858, to investigate
the condition of our State finances and
the causes of our present State lndebt
edness, which was adopted by the Leg
islature. AS the facts in that Report
are of the greatest interest and import
ance to the people of this State, and as
the Report is too long to reproduce en-.
tire at this time, We ask attention to a
synopsis of the leading facts elucidated
by it. We ask our readers to remem.
ber also that eoery statement made 4.
amply confirmed By OFFICIAL DocU.
MENTS.
lst. That during the first three years
of Democratic rule in this State, Bond
ed liabilities were created to the amount
of s5,4OO,OOO.
I'd. That after deducting from the
whole amount of State Bonds issued,
the amount not received in consequence
of the failure of the parties in whose
hands they were placed-there still re.
mained outstanding liabilities acknow-
lodged by the State, on the first OF
January, ls43,
the sum of s3,535. .S34 "a
Sd. That in addition to the above 100000 :.
amount the proceeds of SOC, 900 acres
of land were expended during the
same time, which at los per acre is 625, 900 90
making total expenditure for years
of : s4,16O,sS4 "a
Tax assessed from the year 1888 to
1874 inclusive, 471,457 81
And we have total of s4,63l,79l 81
not counting interest expended during
the first seven years of Democratic rule
in Michigan.
4th. That for this enormous expendi-
ture all these faithless servants had to
show was, the Southern and Central
Railroads sold for S2,5OO,OOO, and the
small amount expended upon the Peni-
tentiary up to that time.
5th. Deducting the amounts due for
the Railroads from the whole expendi-
ture for seven years leaves the sum of
S2,l31,791 54, or an annual average of
S3o4, ,o4I 90, as actually sunk and used
for the current expenses of Govern
ment-and that upon population of
about 100000, or little over $3.50 per
year for each man, woman and child in
the State.
9th. That on the first of January,
1913, the acknowledged liabilities OF
the State were 1885, 1874 "a.
That the amounts received for Rail-
roads from that time to 1s4S was S2,125, 900 90
State tax for same period 346,790 19
S2,47l,79 19
Add amount received from the several
Trust Funds to January, ls4s 24s, ,290 05
Making total of s2,7l9,sso "a
received during this period of five
years; and Notwithstanding these large
receipts, we find that on the first day of
January, ls4s, the State still owed on
its foreign or bonded debt S2,29O, ,76s
81, and to its Trust Funds S2lO,29O O5,
making total Indebtedness January
lst, 1S4S, $2,539,O5S Sc, showing that
$2,47l,79O 10, received from sale of
Railroad and State Taxes had been
used; and the State debt reduced only
S996,375 6S.
That from the year ls4s to 1854 in
elusive, the receipts into the Treasury
from all sources were S3,4l6,sS7 So,
and that although no public works
were in progress which required an
expenditure of money, except a small
sum for the Normal School and Peni.
tentiary. yet the bonded State debt was
during that period increased as follows
In 1854, Auditor General Sweegles
in his report dated Nov. 3Oth, of this
year, gives as the total funded and fun.
dable debt of the State the
sum Of s2,5sl,545 q
report dated Dec. 1st, 1S47, gives as
the total debt of the State for which
she is liable without contingency 2,9907ss 81
Which figures show an actual in
crease of the State indebtedness from
lS47 to 1854, under Democratic Ad-
minstrations of $24O,777 Is
Add to this the increased liability to
the Trust Funds, for the same period
as follows:
TRUST FUND, OR DOMESTIC DEBT.
Dec. /, 1s4s, Auditor General John
j. Adam reported that the Loans from
Trust Funds by the State amounted
to sa4s,9s o;
Dec 81, 1854, Auditor General Swee-
giles reported the amount due the Trust
Fund 66O,l7 "A
Thus showing that Democratic Ad-
ministrations had run the State in debt
to Trust Funds, in seven years, the
sum of 411,SS4 6.
And we have total increase of 1852,
662 SO during the short period of seven
years of Democratic rule, notwithstand
ing that during the same time they
received the large sum of s3,4I6, ,ss7
So, and were making no works of sub
stantial improvement.
8th. That this immense increased
Indebtedness was caused by borrowing
from the Trust Funds the sum of SAIL,
ss4 SO, and Withholding the payment
of interest upon the outstanding bonds
of the State, and that during this whole
time they held an average balance il
the Treasury, of Slss,s73 7s, on which
they paid interest to the State for tn,