Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-10-09
State, County and Municipal Debts in
the United States.

We make the following extracts from
the recent address of Hon. ]. G.. Blaine,
of Maine, before the Northern Wisconsin
Agricultural Association at Oshkosh;
There are in the United States sixteen
cities having each population exceeding
100000, and an aggregate population Of 4,500-
900. Each is city with special advantages
which cannot be taken from IT. each, In the
language Of the day, has large future; each
has abundant wealth and still larger pros
pective resources. They embrace, when taken
collectively, the trade OF Atlantic and Pacific,
of Gulf and Lake coasts, besides all the great
interior rivers Of the continent and the con-
verging traffic of thousands of miles Of rail-
way. Surely one would think that@ each
might bide its time and patiently await its
well-assured prosperity without being com
PEELED to borrow largely, in some cases almost
reclllcssly, OF the future. And yet, taking
these sixteen cities together, we find their
municipal debts amount to $3.50, ,000, 600 being
$50 per capita for their entire population, and
presenting In the aggregate an amount which,
prior to our war experience, would have been
considered large burden for the nation. II
would be n gross injustice, however, TO leave
the inference that the average debt of these
cities is over 100000, 900; for indeed n single
city, the commercial metropolis Of the nation
presents a debt embracing nearly one-third
OF the entire amount, while several OF the
insignificant proportions
The class of cities next in size to those just
referred to-those having each population
exceeding $1,000 and less than 100,000-are
twelve in number, having an aggregate popu-
lation OF about 750, 600 Their total debt does
not exceed $50, 900 600, which gives about $40
per capita for the whole list.
Taking the next class OF cities, having each
population exceeding 10000 aIrd less than
$1,000, find there are, in all, some ifty-three
in the United States, with total population
Of something over 100000. Their total debt
cannot be less, think, than SI5OOO,OOO, or
$50 per capita.
Interested as I have been in making these
Investigations, / included one more class
within the scope of my inquiries, and took
the cities and towns throughout the United
States having populations between 10000 and
~, 900 each-a list which l found to embrace,
in all, 105 cities and towns, whose aggregate
population amounts to nearly 100000, and
whose aggregate debt is something over S33,-
600 600, or about S22 per capita for the whole
Adding these four classes together it pre-
sents a table which embraces the cities and
towns of the United States having over 10000
inhabitants eaeh--of which there are, in all,
1856, with an aggregate population exceeding
! 7,OOO,0O0, and total municipal debt OF about
S49O,OOO,000.
The towns having less than 10000 inhab-
itants each have not been able to classify
with the approximate accuracy of those
have given, but feel well assured that the
aggregate of these debts would reach $780,
| 00O,0 000-making the total municipal debt OF
the country about $510,000OOO
Added to these municipal debts proper we
find the county debts Of the entire country,
amounting to about S1S0,000,000, and the
State debts TO about $500, 900 ,000-making a
| grand aggregate of 81, ,140, 100000 Of public
| debt Of States, counties, cities and towns.
This sum. total is nearly $500, ,OO0, 900 greater
| than that given in the census OF 1870. The
| addition, however, has not been made within
the four succeeding years, but part is due, ]
think, to incomplete returns made to the
| census officials. | have been at some pains
| by original investigation and inquiry, to get
| at the aggregates Of State, county, and mu.
nicipal Indebtedness, and, while do moi
| assume to give details or vouch for absolute
accuracy, think the total have given may
well be taken as approximate reliable state
ments. The difficulty in attaining perfect
exactness OF statement results from the i'm
perfect manner in which statistics are gath
| cred in the several States. | have found, in
| deed very few States where the State officer,
were authorized by law TO keep anything o
record in regard to debt except the direc
obligations of the State. In Massachusetts,
| where great attention is paid to accuracy o
statistics, have been enabled to get precis'
! information; and the entire footing OF tina
commonwealth, of State, county and munici
pal debts, shows a grand total Of $g7, 900
subject TO a sinking-fund deduction OF sll,
100000, leaving 1856 100000 as the net debt o
that State. A very large burden, il would
seem; and yet such is the wealth OF the Stat
that the entire debt does not constitute NOR
| that per cent. of Its valuation, and probably
not 21f per cent. of its actual wealth.
The State debts in many instances, both il
the former and the latter times, have beer
contracted without due caution, and, as a nat
ural consequence, the money realized from
borrowing has been oftentimes expended Will
an extravaganza which would hardly be tol
Grated in the disbursement of moneys raise'
by current taxation. l do not desire to maxi
my remark so sweeping as to include thos
States where loans have always been ncgO
tiated with care and the receipts eXpende'
with economy. But venture the assertion
based on some scrutiny into the facts, that
taking the aggregate of State debts as the
stand to-day, there has not been realized ol
the average fifty cents Of palpable, permanen
value for each dollar raised and expended. Il
some cases the improvidence has led to evel
worse results than this; and think, takin.
the country as Il whole, there Is no form c
public debt in which so much has been give
and so little received as in the direct obliga
tions of the States. l am glad, however, +
be able TO congratulate the proud and pros
porous commonwealth whose citizens | noN
address on the fact that their debt is yer
small and is rapidly decreasing, and that /
selves and assure to those who may cast /
their lot with you that an inexpensive go1
ernment and light taxation are your comfort
} ing prospects for the future. And what
true of your State is no less true of your siste
| States of this great section. Taking the seye
great States Of the Northwest, and, with a
aggregate population of more than 100000
and property worth over $S,0O0OOO,OOO thei
combined State debts are less than S25,OOO
900. Had these great commonwealths excl
cised as prudent a care against county an
municipal debt they would present to-day til
most flattering balance-sheet, | venture
: say, of any civilized communities on the fac
of the globe.
In regard to the aggregate municipal del
Of the country, it is not Of course to be il
ferred that It could all have been. wisel
avoided. Credit, prudently used and safel
: guarded, is one Of the great engines of mot
ern civilization and advancement, and wit
municipal governments Its use at tim'
seems lmperatively demanded. In many case
, the public health has required that debt
contracted for supplies of pure water aqd Il
: systems of drainage and sewerage, and occ
! sionally for other forms of public improv
ment essential to the growth OF the con
munity. But, In the main, / think our citi
. have been too ready 10 draw on the futur'
too ready to pledge the "lives and fortune
, of posterityto the payment of debt whiI
! the generation contracting 1t is unable to di
charge.
IT, then, we have not exercised suiIicie
care and circumspection in regard TO incu
a ring State, county and municipal debt in Il
/ past, what is the remedy? l answer, first al
: foremost, an awakened, active, well-balanc'
[ public Judgment which will suggest, demal
! and enforce wise caution and conservati
course on this subject. have no pate
remedy to pESeose, and yet / venture TO su
U gest that the Legislatures of many Stat
8 have altogether too large power to crea
C debt without referring the subject to the pc
pie for their primary consideration. Perha
a may entertain prejudgment on this pi
Il ticular phase of the question in favor of I
: stringent provision in the Constitution of .
own State, where the Legislature has
power to incur a dollars debt except for W
d purposes under the pressure of actual dang
y and where an amendment TO the Constitute
v proposed by two-thirds of the Legislature a
o then submitted to vote of the people, is
V prerequisite for pledging the credit OF
y State for any other purpose whatever.
y a.lN IL NN