The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-10-06
FINANCIAL POLITICS.

FINANCIAL POLITICS.
SPEECH BY THE HON. JAMES RYAN AT JEFFRR-
soNvILLE--A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF
THE WHOLE FIELD OF STATE POLITICS.
Ire Hon. James Ryan, of this city, and
Judge Durham addressed the citizens of
Jacksonville on wednesday night, on the
political history of the two par
ties of the State. OF the speech
of the former gentleman the Courier-Jour-
nal gives the following report: At the con-
clusion of Mr.. DuDham's speech. the Hon.
James b. Ryan, ex-treasurer of state, took
the stand. Mr.. Ryan, after a few introduc-
tory remarks, went right into business, as Is
his custom. He referred to the claim of
the republican party to economy, and pro-
ceeded to compare the expenses of the
State government under their administra-
ton and under the last democratic adj
ministration. When the democratic party
came into power in 1870 the levy for State
purposes was 10 cents on the 500 valuation,
and 10 cents for sinking fund purposes
Thinking that the State could be run much
! lower, the democI attic legislature, aftey con-
srSting with Mr.. VIC. DePsuw, myself and
others, reducing the levy from b TO 3 cents
on the <100. They, the republicans, said we
could not run 1t for that, but when the re-
| publican legislature met in called session in
1872 there was s1l6s0e0 in the State treasury.
1t would have been amply sufficient tC
have run the State, but Que first
thing they did. after meeting, lfwss
to see bow quick they could get away with
| that money. They paid. or commenced
paying the canal debt, which they had said
they never would pay. and then they said
they had paid our debts with the money.
Our debts! We owed no debts. there was
none left to pay, not - dollar. The canal
debt has cost us up to the present time over
800 OO0s and we are not done paying is vet.
| If this was our debt why didn't the republi-
can legislature CT 1885, of lS67, of 1859 pay it I?
No. said the speaker. My friends, Fhs5party
can not manage the finances of the State
as cheasly as we can. L don't charge that
| they are dishonest, but that they are bad
managers. We know tAst two partners,
| equally honest. may be conducting store
and that one can run it a great deal cheaper
than the other. Their management is de-
| fective. Why, it cost that party nearly ss
much TO run the State government for one
year, 1S7s, as it cost us TO run it two, and
| with the exception of a small extra amount
| to one of the asylums there were no ex-
traordinary expenses. Arethese statements
true? asked them in my letter, and they
HAVE NEVER BEEN ANSWERED..
and never will; Mr.. Glover told me that
thew were because they were from his own
report. Yet they say they are more eeonom-
ical than democrats. / assert that the State
government has not been run as cheap for
fifteen years, as it was daring the two that
our party was in power. We tried to run
it cheap. The State officers were close
almost to stinginess. MIR. Shoemaker ably
assisted me in turning aside every claim we
| could, and we saved good many dollars in
that way, besides saving expenses. The
| figures were mostly given in the
letter written by me a short time ago.
When the next republican legislature met
/ thew pot the levy back to the sum vf l.
cents and said that We bad only reduced it
| for political effect. They not only increased
| the lew, but they increased the assessment
over $500 100000; so that instead of collect
ing five cents on 100000 600. they collect
| - cents on S9O0,000eO0. Mr.. II. then COM
pared the relative valuation of taxation
| thereon, in the republican and demo-
| cratic counties in this State, in which
ne clearly refuted the statements made
by the Indianapolis Journal and by
Senator Morton, that the counties
| under democratic rule were more burdened
| with taxes than those under republican. He
| gave the figures for his statements, and de-
fed contradiction. He also ex posed their trick
of picking out a few counties here and a few
counties there, which they do in their news
papers and on the stump, and then claim
that they have proven democratic extrava
gsnce. L tell you, said Mr.. Ryan, whenever
a man. high or low, says that We did not
run the State cheaper than the republicans,
they know they are lying. He spoke of the
republican legislators raising their own
salary, and said it was robbery. He
| rompa1ed the expense of the State house
| repairs, expense of the asylums, of the leg
stature, and various other things under the
| administration ofthe wo parties, and W Thin
the last few years. and showed wherein we
| had saved the peoples money. My republi-
can friends, said the speaker, how Go yoa
referred briefly to the infamous manner in
which the party in power had distrieted she
State for congressional and legislative pnr-
poses, and how many oeinoerats
had been virtuslly disfranchised
| thereby, and said that the lsen who
STOLE THEIR VOTES
would steal their purse. A man can recover
stolen money, but franchise lost, is gone
forever. Yet these very men have the Inn
pertinence to claim to be honest. And som.
Of the orators and papers have the brazen
ness to charge that Gov. Her dricke signed
that very spportlonment BILL when the fac
lis, Gov. Hendricks did not come into ofBe
J for month after the bin was passed. III
told his friends that we were gaining OF tn
republicans In the north part of the State
aud cautioned them not TO lie
personal chickering's, jealou.ies o
E eTen an honest difference OF opinion
on some particular question at issue divid,
them here in this third district, the Gibral
E tar of democracy. he said there was onl,
1 one thing that would make him vote agains
democrat. and that was ii ne thought hin
dishonest; said be had voted for men that h
/, was not on speaking terms with. becsus
S they represented bis pinciples. and illus