Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-05-05
STATE FINANCES.
Record of the 64th General Assembly
How the State Debt is being Paid
Without Increase Taxation.

Record of the 64th General Assembly
How the State Debt is being Paid
Without Increase Taxation.
Since the adjournment of the Legisla-
ture DIR. James Scott, the venerable and
watchful financial head of the last Gen.
eral Assembly. has been examining into
the expenditures of the present Republi-
can administration. and comparing it
with the Democratic regime which pre-
ceded it. To an interviewer, who WAS
anxious to give the public the result of
his examination, he said he had been
spending day or two in the Auditor of
States Office looking over these matters.
and was willing to give the result of
his Investigations:
"What were the appropriations and
expenditures of the Democratic admin
istratiOn of 1S7S-79 as compared to the
Republican appropriations and expendi-
lures for 1SS0-S1?'
well, the appropriation made for
school purposes under each of these ad-
ministrations were the amounts col
lected on the old mill levy on the
State duplicate for that purpose. The
amounts appropriated for the payment
of the interest on the public debt were
the amounts of interest falling due in
these respective administrations, and of
course comparison between these two
administrations in these particulars
could have no significance as to the
economy of either party.
"a party can only show retrenchment
and ECONOMY in its appropriations for
State institutions and general expendi-
lures of the State"
COMPARISON.
DR.. Scott continued:
"The Democratic administrator Gu-
ring the years lS7S-79 appropriated for
the benevolent, penal and cOrrectory in
stitutions, S2,S9O, 164 IA; for the Leg
islature, salaries of State officers and
other expenses of the State, 81, ,624,1 ,197 rs.
At the close of this administration it
was found that the deficiencies in APP
preparations amounted to S309,645 81,
which had to be provided for by the Re-
publican administration of 1SS0-Sl. 1t
will be seen 10y these figures that the
total expenditures of the Democratic
administration of 1S7S-7s was $4,S24,-
OO1 p.
"The Republican administration of
1sS0-S1 appropriated for the benevo-
lent, penal and correctory institutions of
the State, S2,S06.60S 81. For the Legis-
lature, salaries of State officers and 9th
er expenses of the State, S1,2S5,323 So.
As the appropriations for the present
were made with the view of meeting as
fully as possible all the legal demands
on the State, l am sure that the deficien-
cies on the 18th day of February next,
the end of the year for which the APP
preparations are made, will not be any,
thing like 100000; but that there may
be no mistake in this comparison, l will
place it at 100000.
"By this showing it will be seen that
the entire expenditures of the present
Republican administration amounts to
"a, l91, 1872 "a, should the full amount of
S10C 900 be consumed by deficiencies at
the close of the year.
"By this showing,all of which is taken
from the books of the Auditor of States
office, except the estimated deficiencies
at the end of the year, it is apparent
that the excess of expenditures by the
Democratic administration in 1S7S-79
over the Republican administration of
1sS0-S1 amounts TO S632,O74 95.
In addition to this there was in the
treasury uneXpended balance coming
over TO the Democratic administration
when they took charge of the State gov
ernment, $3S4,614 II from the former
administration passed over to the credit
of the present Republican administra-
tion unexpended balance of $25I, POS 81
"a difference of SI33, ,405 81.
"Have there been any payments made
on the public debt by the Republican or
Democratic parties during these two ad
miniStrationS 2"
The Democratic party paid nothing
on the public debt during their admins
tration. The Republican party appre-
priated last wiuter S1,272640 80, which
will be paid on the redeemable debt of
the State on the 30th of June next, leav-
ing only balance of S2,SO0,O0O of that
class of our debt. Last winter proyis-
ion was made for floating that part of
our debt at per cent interest. The
debt now draws per cent interest.
"The Republican administration of
1S7677 paid 81, ,474, ,207 43, of the public
debt. This shows that the Republican
party is not only in theory but in prac-
tice in favor of paying the just obiiga-
tionS of the State.
81 have purp0sely not included in this
comparative statement ntapprOpriatiOnS of
S36, ,442 for the expenses of the State
Board of Equalization, and $3.50 for the
expenses of Presidential election, made
by the Legislature of 1880 81, as no COR
responding appropriations were required
to be made by the Legislature of
1S7S-79.
"By the economy of the Republican
party in appropriations for the General
Revenue Fund, the fund from which all
the expenditures of The State and State
institutions are made, the Republican
Legislature last winter was enabled to
transfer fruln this fund to the Sinking
Fund S272,640 30, which is applicable to
the payment of the public debt of the
State and will be used for that purpose
on or before the 3Oth of June next"
How, in your opinion, are our State
institutions run under the present ad-
ministration compared with the Demo
cratic administration of 1S7S-79?"
"Well, think their management is
very much improved and their expendi-
lures reasonably cut down. 1t will be
seen by the comparative statement Civ
en- by above that it costs much more un-
der Democratic administration than
under Republican administration to
run these institutions, while on account
of the increased number of inmates
maintained therein under the present
administration over what was maintain
ed therein four years ago, the present
cost should be greater than it was three
>or four years ago, under the same man.
agement. think our State institutions
are now reasonably carrying out the ex-
pectations of the people and the purpos-
es for which the benevolence of the |