Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-12-14


The chief argument for Gov. Tilden is the
claim that he has reduced the State taxes. The
State tax for 1875 was Sl4 FOG ESQ Gil for 1876 il
is SIS, 1858. The reduction IS thus $6,0l8,-
l07 81. and Gov. Tilden's friends exclaim; "Be-
hold what Gov. Tilden has done; he has saved
the State six millions a year; look upon the
great reformerl" If this claim be true, it is a
strong argument; If untrue, il Is brazen piece
of false pretense which stamps the fiagrant dis
honesty of the pretender. Now, We ask atten.
ton to plain statement OF facts.
Before taking up the direct question OF the
taxes for 1875 and '76 it is necessary TO follow
the course of the State debt. The Democrats
carried the election of 1867, and assumed full
control Of the financial administration on the
lst of January, 1868, aud retained it until the
lst of January, 1872. At the beginning OF that
period of four years the bounty debt WAS S25,-
S07, SOCIAL our figures are taken from the
official reports-at the close it was $50, 260.-
755 81. Thus the reduction OF debt for the four
years was as follows:
DEMOCRATIC REDUCTION OF DEBT.
Bounty debt January /, sol. 500 90
Bounty debt January ], 1917 u. zsy.755 81
So,5l6,s4i w
Through the Republican success of 1871, by
which the Tammany Democratic Ring was over
thrown, the Republicans took control OF the H.
nancial administration of the State January j,
1872, and retained 1t till January l, lS76-a pc
Rod of four years, the precise length of the pre-
ceding Democrotic rule. At the begin
ming of that period, the debt
was as the Democrat had left it, s20,-
260.755 9l-at the close the means had been pro-
vided to pay the entire amount except $685.
9S2 35. The reduction was therefore as follows:
REPUBLICAN REDUCTION OF DEBT.
Debt unprovided Tor January j, isas.... 7O5ssi IS
- =
SIS. 554 173 Sc
Thus while Democratic admin istration in four
years reduced the debt about five millions and n
nalf, Republican administration in the same
length of time under the same laws, and with
the same requirements, reduced it nineteen mill
lions and half, or nearly four times as much.
More than that, the Republicans ct the close of
their administration, left the debt practically
extingushed, and SO relieved the people OF the
burden OF raising the amount annually exacted
by law to meet its requirements. The law re-
quired that n tax OF two mills should be levied
annually TO provide for the bounty debt, and
there were other debt obligations which had to
be provided for. But when the Republicans, by
their fidelity had provided for all of the bounty
debt except sos, 1892 35 then it was no longer
necessary to levy the large tax for that purpose.
Now the reduction Of taxation this year is due
entirely to this reduction OF debt and not at all
| to any economies or savings on the part of Gov.
Tilden. Mark the absolute and irresistible
proof. The total tax for 1875 amounted to 6
mills, divided as follows: Schools IA mills,
general purposes rs mills, bounty debt mills,
canal debt Is mill, canal awards is mill, def
cheney and asylums ll-20 mill The total tax
for 1876 is liza mills, divided as follows:
Schools ~ mills, general purposes l7s mills,
bounty debt Il mill. Ii will be seen that the
tax for genera, purposes, for schools and for all
but debt requirements, is the same in 1876 as 10
1875 The tax for debt requirements in 1876,
| including the deficiency for the previous year,
was as follows: