The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-10-01

Bro sawyer q bewildered. lie has
been bewildered ever since hin advent in
Florida. The occasion Of his bewilder.
ment Just now 10 the abreast work Of
figures that " Brother Dyke !" recently
threw up-a breast work " which Bro.
Sawyer win never scale. Figures are not
his forte J; investigation is not in his line.
We are sorry for it, but Commiseration
viii not help the matter-his bewilder-
ment is hopeless. He looks 1t the ''6g-
ures and finds that the taxes assessed for
1915, 1T, and 20, amounted in gross to
$685., 4s9.7O and the appropriations for
the same years to $50s, 5l7.so-diference
$4ss, ssl. 9O-and he is puzzled to know
what has become of this difference, with
other sums which he adds els it in the
treasury" he asks, and in reply we are
obliged to answer in the negative. For
many years before 1879 the appropri0-
tions did not show the eapenses This
fact, if Bro. Sawy er was of an investiga-
ting turn, he would have discovered from
the official records, but these are sort Of
"pons Gsinorum to minds 80 easily con-
fused as his and his ignorance must there
forefore be excused. These records, how
ever, show that while the taxes assessed
for 1876, for illustration, were $3.50, SOS.69
gross and the appropriation for that year
was $l65, 4sO.s7, not 1855, 4sO.sl as he
puts it, Treasurer Foster paid out dur
ing 1876 $26O,ls7.l9 and Treasurer
Gwynn paid in 1877 the further sum of
$l7O,562.62, making $3.50, 1881 in all for
what might be called expenses of 1879,
which included of course the sums paid
on account of the bonded debt by Mr..
Foster and such other sums as usually
run over from one year to another, but
does not include over $40, 900 of back
interest paid by Treasurer Gywnn. Here
then we have s43o, 749.sl paid on account
of 1876 against an appropriation of only
$l65, 4eO.s7. And so for the two follow
ing years, the amounts paid were far in
excess of the appropriations. AS has been
explained before, it has not been the GUS
tom to appropriate money on the bonded
or school account, the interest coupons
being treated as warrants on the Treas
urer, and the school tax being paid direct
to the County Treasurers and not going in
to-the State Treasury at all, and this is the
reason why the warrants drawn By the
Comptroller have not shown the expenses
and why the latter are so much greater
than the appropriations.
We do not know that these explana-
tions will relieve the darkness which en-
velopes Bro. Sawyer's mind on this sub
ject, even surprising him capable of en-
lightenment. However, we can give him
ideas the sense to understand them
must come from higher power. One
thing he can comprehend, and that is the
difference between an administration
which received over $3.50, 900 year dur
ing the whole period of its rule and ruH
the State in debt over $lOe,OOO year
! besides and thus fastened on the people
an additional annual tax of more than
$5s, 900, and government which has re-
duced taxation from IL to mills, brought
order out Of chaos and inspired the tax
paying people of the State with hope for
the future. This difference is so patent
that an Individual with as small a head "
as our contemporary is provided with can
perceive it, If he can't his readers can,
and that is enough. He should not sup
pose that all the world is confused because
he is bewilderd.