Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-08-20
OUR STATE EXPENSES.
Hon. y. l.. Martin, Speaker OF the YER
mont House OF Representative
shows by Actual Figures and Careful
Comparison that It H. Not.

Ftcrs FOR THE 7HOUGHTFrL ITrENfiON
or EVERY FiIR-HINDED IO1EE.
The speech at Bratteboro last Saturday
evening by Hon. J. l.. Martin Of South Lon
donderry, Speaker of our Vermont House OF
Representatives, was devoted almost entirely
to State issues and the consideration of our
increased State expenditures, of which the
Democrats are trying to make so much in
this campaign. At the outset Mr.. Martin
took up the following resolution adopted by
the late Democratic State convention
Res0lred, that we denounco the policy of
prohigacy in our State government which has
raised the State tax from II to 40 cents in
the past 20 years and which has swollen the
strictly current State expenses which were
only SlGO, 600 in $50 and only S279O 600 after
the war, to nearly or quite 800, 900 now
The idea sought to be conyeyodby this reso-
luton, Mr.. Martin showed is utterly wrong
and fallacious, viz That since the years i'm
mediately following the war there has been an
increase of Sl21 900 in our current State ex-
penses No figures can be found in any aud
itor's report, or any other State document
which Justify the placing Of the State ox-
penses in 1866 or 1867 ut the specific sum of
S279, 600, and the only possible inference is
that the authors of this resolution either ig-
norantly or purpossly jumped at this round
sum Of odd thousands for the dcliborata pur-
pose of docciving the voters Of the State
To institute a fair comparison of the State
expenses in the years Immediately following
the war with the present time, the appropria-
tons made by two legislatures at that period
must be taken to match those made 10y one
legislature now, because then annual leg
islativc sessions were held and apIropra-
tions were made for n single year, while now,
under our biennial system, the appropriations
by each Legislature are for two years.
Taking, for the purpose Of such compari-
son, the years 1866 and 1867, the first two
years after the war, and placing the appro-
priations for actual State expenses in those
years, erc(u@co Of appropriations on account
of the State debt and interest thereon, over
against the appropriations for the years So
and 1850, made 10y the Legislature Of 1875
Mr.. Martin said that the appropriations for
those years amounted to SGlj, 600, and those
for 1879 and $50 amounted to SSH, 900, this
latter sum iHciudjHg the appropriation for
State debt and interest thereon. Here is Il
difference of 500, 200 year, our Democrat
ic friends say, which arises from theft, rob
berry and proAeacy on the part of the Repub-
mean party Dul let US Sec III WHAT tlllh IN
creased expenditure consists. The appropri-
alton for the House of Correction by the
legislature Of 1878 was $50, 900 and this in
sttuton, IT must be remembered, is an en-
trcly new one, and had no existence in 1866
and 1861 The increase of appropriation for
the Reform School was $50, 900: the in
crease of appropriation for the support Of the
insane was ; 900; the increase of expend-
itures on account of the increased number of
trials, convictions and committals to the
State Prison, Reform School and House of
Correction, the increase Of expenses pertain
ing to the matter of education and the print
lug connected herewith the increased pay to
town superintendents, and the increase of ex-
pense on account OF the agricultural depart
ment will exceed the sum of $50. 600 and
to these sums must be added an item of
$50, 900 on account of interest on the college
fund and floating debt of the State. These
several sums make total of SlG4, 900 for the
two years 1879 and lSSO-an increase for
each year of So, 900. In addition to this
there has been paid during the past year, on
account of the State debt. So. 600, making
in all the sum of SllS.OOO. Still further
than this, the treasurers report for the fiscal
year ending July 3lst, 1850, shows better
financial standing of the State over the year
ending July 3lst, 1873, by the sum Of more
than $4,000. Add this TO our previous sum
Of Sis, 900, and We have the sum Of SIR
900, which represents the increased expendi-
turt, IN the directions named, together with
the sum paid on account Of the State debt
and the improved financial condition of the
State. The amount of increased expenditure
per year which the Democrats asked US to ac-
count for was ; 100 900 but here is SIZE, OOO
accounted for, and this excess Of 81, 600 rep
resents the saving which has been made by
md RalR 9 !
Republican management in directions other
than those above enumerated
The total appropriations for the year 1866
were, in point Of fact, SGjs, 900, but of this
sum $3.50, COO was appropriated to pay inter
est on the State war debt and to apply on the
principal, and hence the latter sum is not
taken into account in this calculation If. in
this estimate Of expenditures for the past
year, the above naIued sum Of $50 900 for in
tcrest on college fund and floating debt were
left out, rs all similar items are left out in
the calculation for 1866 or 1867, the saving
in favor of the year 1878 would be more than
100000. Let it be here noted that the
Democrats in making their calculations, en-
braccd in the above-quotod resolution, ex-
cluded for the year 1866 all estimates for
State debt and interest thereon, as well as ex-
pendltures for reformatory institutions, and
included all such sums in their estimate
for lS79-a method which Mr.. Martin Justly
characterized rs emiuently unfair, demagoeic
and deliberately calculated to deceive the
people.
Mr. Martin also showed how the Republi
cans, in their desire for retrenchment and
the lessening of taxation, had reduced the
rate Of taxation from l2j cents on q dollar of
the grand list, which sum it reached in 1864,
down to - cents on dollar in 1876; but it
was found that this rate of - cents was too
low to pay running expenses; an increase
was necessary, and the rate was fixed at 30
cents for 1879 and 40 cents for 1880 II
should be distinctly noted, however, that
during this period since the war, when there
has been constant reduction in the rate of
taxation, Democratic war debt of 81 GOO
600 has been wiped out, in addition to the
payment of running expenses. And one
thing farther should be noted. During this
period OF low taxation before the war. of
which the Democracy attempt to make SO
much between the years 1856 and 1850,
debt was contracted which necessitated the
appropriation by the legislature of 1861 of
SjOOOO to pay interest on this debt and of
100000 to apply on the principal. BY
means, therefore, of this attempt to run the
State on rate of taxation too low to pay run
ming expenses, the State entered upon the pc
Rod of the war, with its extraordinary expend-
lures hampered by debt contracted by un-
wise management in time of peace.
If it is asked why there has been this in
creased expenditure, as quoted above, on ac-
count of the Reform School, the care of the
insane, the educational department, the agri-
cultural department, etc, the reply is that
the increase is on account of the larger and
higher demands which higher civilization
and the universal march of improvement
make on the people of Vermont in common
with those of all other States. Take the Re
form School for instance; A loud cry went
up from the Democratic party that the ex
penditures on account of that institution were
exorbitant. Responding to this feeling the
Speaker appointed as the Committee on the
Reform School in the House of 1878, Small
ey of Burlington, Billiard of Swanton, and
LLnNEoll 81 L.