New-York tribune., 1879-10-28

former, because when he had n chance to nut
lify the laws he bad sworn TO execute he re-
Trained from doing so. This, il seems to us,
is very unsatisfactory reply; 1t ignores all
the most important statements in the cOnpit-
hcnsve letter published by TIE TRIBUNE. and
the one point which il notices il only evades.
Let Us look at the truth of the case again
In 1874 the State tax was S15,727 1872;
in 1879 IL was S1i,2OG, $50; the next year it
fell to -. .520,174; last year it was T7.94l.-
297. II these reductions were cgused 10y thc
adoption of n Democratic financial policy. or
the economies of Democratic admluistra-
ton, the Democratic party is entitled TO the
credit for them; otherwise not. Ii has been
shown that almost the entire reduction-to
wit, abont 5000, 600 II the annual tax-was
caused by the cxtinguishmcnt of the bounty
debt under Republican administration.
From 1868 TO 1872 the Democrats were in
power. During that time they raised about
%l6,OOO,OO0 Ivy tax To meet the principal ana
interest OF the bounty debt, but instead OF
applying il honestly to that purpose they di-
yert.d most of the money to the payment OF
cxtravagant current expenses which they
were afraid to put in the tax levy. Thus IN
four years they spent 81, 3S3, ,467 beyond their
income they depleted the sinking fund until
twO-thirds of il existed only on paper; and
they reduced the bounty debt by only about
$1,000, 900, or One-third of the amount raised
by tax for that purpose. The Republicans
then took control of the State, with General
Dix as Governor. In four years they made
good deficiency of $i1. 900. 900 left by their
Democratic predecessors, and paid off no less
than 19.500.0 900 of the bounty debt, leaving
only S700,000 to be provided for, so that the
debt was completely extinguIsbed the next
year,-and Mr.. Tiden promptly claimed the
credit for it
There are several minor items of debt ex-
tingUshed by the Republican administration,
and then we come to the reductions effected
by the Constitutional Amendments. These
are three,-one reforming the system Of canal
management, one reforming the prison system,
and the third prohibiting all taxation for
canal expenditures. The amendments were
carried by Republican votes IN the face of
determined and long-cOntlnued Democratic
opposition. Proposed first by the COnstitu-
tiOnal Convention, two OF them were de-
foated at the polls by a solid Democratic
vote. Submitted again by the Constitutional
Commission, they were ratified by the Re-
publican Legislature of 1873, and defeated by
Democratic hostility in the Legislature of 1874,
receiving III that assemblage only one Demo
cratic vote. The next year they were again
brought forward by the Republicans, who
finally secured their adoption. The third
amendment. prohibiting taxation for the
canals, originated in the Constitutional Com
mission, and like the Others was a Repub
lican measure. 1t went into effect the day
that Governor Tilden entered Office January
/, 1870. Under the old system, and in years
of Democratic misTule, the taxation for canal
purposes ranged from $2,000,0O0 to nearly
$1,OOO,000. This was cut of by Re-
publican reform, and the expenditures on the
canals were strictly limited to the amount OF
the tolls. The consequence was an immediate
reduction of about $2.000,O00 in the taxes
and the Democrats claimed all the credit of
reform which they had Obstinately opposed.
Thus we have accounted for the entire
duction of winch Governor RobinsOns friends
are dishonesty boastng, and we have shown
that every bit of it was brought about by Re
publican administrations and Republican
measures. The true test of Governors econ
omy is in a comparison of current eXpendi-
tuIes for over these the veto power really
gives him some control and if we apply this
rule for a series of years, find that the
current expenses Of the State have been as
follows: