The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-07-22

4
canvass. Judge Fox isaid substantially
~ follows:
81 stand before you to-day AS the
nominee of the Prohibition and Reform
party Of Kentucky for the Office Of
State Treasurer. This party thinks
that whisky is producing almost all the
crime, pauperism and lunacy in this
State, and through them fully nine.
tenths Of the taxation necessary to sup
port the State government except
what is needful for the payment Of SAL
aries. Taxation Is necessary to prose
cutue the criminals and to care for the
lunatics and paupers, and therefore we
hold that it is a fit subject for the ac-
ton OF government in the same sense
that the tariff and the currency are
political topics. But this subject is so
complex in its nature that il concerns
you most deeply as husbands and faith
ers, because it il also social in its opera.
atiOns. Ii it was exclusively social, it
would not interest you as citizens aud
taxpayers. Being both social and po/
| litical ia its nature and effects, adj.
dress you as taxpayers and citizens. not
as Democrats or Republicans, because
it comes home to you, not through your
party connections, but directly as
taxpayer. No matter what may he
your view of the relations Of the State
and General government, this question
does not touch them in any way. The
two great political parties sprang from
different views of the Federal cOnstitu-
ton and the administration of the Fed
eral government. This question finds
its source in the public demand for the
suppression of crime, pauperism and
disease, and, as legislation has failed,
rs education has failed, as the precepts
of religion have failed, to suppress these
great and terrible evils. this party pro-
poses to strike directly at the cause
which produced them. This object
sure will not antagonize the political
views Of any Democrat or Republican
in this intelligent audience in fact, it
is an object which deserves the earnest
support of every taxpayer in the State,
and the sooner this object is obtained
the sooner will the great burden of
taxes be lifted up, and poverty, crime
and disease lessened in our State. But
before discussing this subject as q mat,
ter Of taxation, desire 10 call your at
tention to the present condition of af
fairs in Kentucky when Gov. Knott
went into Office in September, 1888.
Very soon thereafter this State was
startled by the statement published in
u Western paper as coming from his
Assistant Secretary of State that
great scandal about State matters
would soon lie made public. An alter
cation Of words took place, but no duel
1t was adjusted In a way not discredit-
able to the parties. No scandal con.
vulsed the State. The trouble waters
became smooth. No one knows pre-
cisely to what the intelligent Assistant
Secretary of State referred. But the
General Assembly passed this law at
its last session (see acts, page 81
THAT the Governor, Auditor and
Treasurer be and they are hereby au-
thOrized to fund the debt of $500, 900
now owing by the State to the banks,
for which amount they may issue
bonds of such duration and bearing
such u rate of interest not exceeding 5
per cent. as may be found to be to the
best interests of the State" 1t took
effect in April, 1884.
This law is adroitly drawn, evidently
by a skillful hand-it does not state nor
does it pretend to state what is the ex-
act amount of the entire State debt,
nor does it authorize that debt to be
funded. 1t does not state nor does it
pretend to state the entire amount Of
the dsbt owing by the State to the
banks, nor does it authorize that entire
debt to be funded. 1t simply admits
that the State owes the banks 500, 900,
but how much more it does not state.
Why did 1t not state the amount? You
have believed that you were free of
debt. Yonr State expenses have been
increased and so also have your taxes.
You have thought that your taxes paid
expenses. You are greatly mistaken.
1t Is known that you are i'm debt at
least 100000. How much more you
do not know. Can it be possible that
the great scandal of 1888, so smicably
adjusted, had reference to our State
debt? Who borrowed this vast sum
from the banks, and where and for
what purpose and upon whose author
ity?
What has become of the large
amount received from the Federal
government To what was it applied i?
Our taxes have steadily and regularly
increased, but they have not increased
fast enough to pay even the current
expenses Of the government. We are
entitled to an examination of the
books. You all remember Mr. Thomas
Page and how long he held office. AT
one time his name was the synonym
for honesty and his reputation the
standard by which the characters of
men were compared. But when his
! books were examined he had conducted
for a series of years system of book
keeping by which he had embezzled
an immense sum of money. We must
have a look at the books.
II our financial affairs are in "a bad
condition, the administration of justice
i'm some portions Of the State is in a
worse state. There is war in Rowan,
blood flowing like water in Knott,
murder stalking in broad daylight,
personified, on the highways in Bell