The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-07-17

ernment was free from the iniquitous
dominion of Democracy. That it was
increased to forty cents on the hun
dred dollars, just one hundred per
cent more than the Democrats left it
when they went out of power. In
1857 it was decreased to thirty cents
again. In 1869 fifteen cents on the
hundred dollars were added for COM
mon school purposes, making the rate
forty-fivc, at which it remained until
1873 when another Democratic ad-
ministration again reduced it to for
| ty. In 1877 it was put back to forty
| five, 1879 a half-cent OH the hundred
dollars was added for the benefit of
the State college, and in 1881 two
cents additional was voted in order
to give the negro pupil children of
the Commonwealth an equal pro rata
of the common school fund, making
our present rate forty-seven and one
half cent on each one hundred dollars,
twenty-five and q half cents Of which
is for educational purposes. Deduct
the taxes which have been voted un-
der Democratic administration for
the promotion of this grand object
and the tax of the five cents on the
hundred dollars which the Demo-
Gratis found in existence when they
got control of the State, and we have
for all the ordinary purposes of the
Government only twenty-five cents
Just ten cents less on each hundred
dollars than was assessed for precisely
the same purposes in the blessed year
1865. So far, therefore, from their
having increased the rate of taxation,
the Democrats have actually dimin-
ished it, for every purpose save that
of education, twenty-five per cent.
since they got control of the State.
THE STATE EXPENDITURES.
But it is said 'that our cxpcndi-
lures have more than doubled" How
1t was possible Tor any man or set of
men, to make an assertion so utterly at
rance with the truth is absolutely
vaincomprehensible.If they had sim
ply taken the trouble to examine the
source of information which is ac-
cessible to every citizen of the Com
monwealth, they would have seen
how totally indefensiblc such wildly
exaggerated statements are. Now
the Auditors report shows that the
total amount drawn from the Treas
urer from October 10, 1865, TO Octo-
Der 10, 1866, was 81, ,OO2, 1888: while the
amount paid for the fs ,ial year ending
October 10, 1881, was $2,27l, ,2l5,show'
ing an increase of $263,3SS. If you
will examine these reports a, little
more carefully you will find, howev.
er, that more than twice that sum il
covered by the increase Of our com
mon school fund, and the increase IN
cost of maintaining these benefcen,
public charities which have long re.
hected such ellviable credit upon oul
Commonwealth. c an increase owing
almost entirely to the large increase
in the number of those unfortunate
beings who are dependent upon !hcst
splendid benefactions. You will fine
that the increase of cxpcditures fol
our common schools alone amounted
to $50i, 1873, while that for the support
of various public charities reach $lS2
$50, amounting in all to $6S7,592, o.
$4l9, ,l0i more than the total lncreas,
of expenditures I have already men
toned, showing in point of fact
large diminution in the aggregate ex
penditurcs for the ordinary purpose
of the Government.
+ As an illustration of the diminutiOl
of our ordinary expenditures in som
particulars, while | admit that il
others there may have been som
necessary increase, I call attention tt
the fact that the expenses for Grim
NAL prosecutions in 1866 amounted t
1902, 1865 while in 1880 81 the.
amounted to $l79,S30, or about $25,
900 less. My distinguished friend
however, is in the habit of citing a
an instance of extraordinary extrava
gance that the Bush's Reports hav
cost the State on an average about 81
I per volume, but he forgets the fact,
he was aware of il, that the price O
that work was fixed by the Legisla
+ ture of 1865, and that since that Jim
the cost has been reduced by Demo
D cratic Legislation to 50 a volume.
THE SINKING FUND RESOURCES.
i But, again: 1t is gravely allcgt
:, that "the resources of the sinkir
Q fund have been violated again al
IS again by abstracting from that fun
It large sums of money to meet the del
i cicncies of the Treasury This, fe
Q fow citizens, is the same plate of col
s gander which has been set before Il
IS voters of Kentucky by our Republ
a can caterers in every State canva
l. from that of 1875 down to the presel
/ time. But what crime, legal, soci
j. or political, Is implied in this accus'
&c ton? Does it mean that the goverl
l. ment has, from time to time, mat
It use of position of a fund set apa
n for particular purpose, but lyir
A. fn.xao,,.., q. .x.l,.. 30 -, n