The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-08-05


showing sAs AAvaasssss - Dsnssr~iae
lican Rule.
When the Republican party came into
power III 1868 the State debt, including
bonded and foaIog, amounted to $751;
's5o.e5, exclusive of $4,000 bonds in
Indian Trust Fund, to Offset which lhe
State has an admitted claim against the
United States more than sufficient to
cover the face of these bonds with inter
est, and = when they turned the gov
ernnlert over to the Democrats in Jan
uary, 1877, the State debt, floating and
bonded, was 81, 4,5e4.64, after deduct
ing 1872, 900 bonds in Indian Trust
Fun1, shove referred to, showing an
actual increase in the State debt of IL
1872, 1919, notwithstanding the fact that
the Republicans assessed in eight years
81 ,O27, 476.4O more than has been assessed
by the Democrats for the same time.
On the first day of January, 1884,
there was no floating debt, but a
cash balance in the State Treasury
of $oo,O33.2O, and the bonded debt
had been reduced by Democratic man
agement to $l,os7 100000, which, de-
Quoted from the State debt at the end of
the Republican administration-$l,52 4,-
56r.64-shows an actual reduction in the
State debt of x427 O64 "a
While this actual reduction in the debt
of the State has been made by Democratic
government it's credit has been firmly es-
tablished, and State securities have gone
up from fifty per cent. below par to twenty
five per cent. above par. Besides this the
Democrats have expended large sums for
charitable and educational purposes,
which the Republicans could not or
would Lot do. With an average annual
assessment of $l2e,43435 for State pur-
poses less than was levied by the Radi-
Gals, we have found means to apply
1874 $50. 7s 10 the maintenance of lunatic
asylum during the last eight years, and
to devote $4,000 to Normal Schools and
Teachers Institutes, and $4,000 tc a
Deaf and Dumb Asylum, making $222,-
659.7s the Democrats have been able to
apply to these charitable and educatio nal
purposes, while collecting 81, O27, 470.4O
less taxes from the people, and at the
same time keeping the State on a cash
basis. They have also raised for the
School Fund from the State school tax,
$50, l55.07 more than was raised by the
Republicans in the same time.
The increase in the taxable resources
of tie State have aided in making these
things possible, but that has been brought
about under the auspices and encourage
ment offered by the evidences of good
government inviting immigration and in
vestments in the State, and by dissncum-
berilg the Internal Improvement Fund,
and thus leading to an Unprecedented in
crease in railroads lover 700 miles hav-
ing been built since January, 1881, as
against 537 miles built in the whole IRE
vious history of the State,) and other de-
velopments, all adding largely to our
taxable resources
1t may be proper to add that provision
has been made for meeting the expenses
Of the next Legislature and Consti:u-
tional Convention when called.
The Democracy Of Florida are before the
country with the record also of having by
wise and economical administration of
the financial affairs of the State reduced
the State tax from $l25 on the 10000,
to 40 cents on the 10000, or less than OF e.
third the amount assessed by the Re-
publicans.
In order to appreciate more fully the
benefits of Democratic administration let
us recapitulate:
Actual reduction in State debt ~ $427 o64 a
Actual saving to the people in the re-
duced assessment of taxes for eight
years 1927, 476 10
z IA