The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-01-28

Bemio ntennial % Michigan o000 y
| State Prison ---------.-------. so'sso "
Total $i,T7o,2AT q
An inspection of the above list of appro-
priations will show several quite large
amounts that are for public purposes OF anew
Enthusiastically the Soldiers Home-but
which few men would say are extravagant
or unnecessary, and yet with all these new
and important matters, the amount of state
tax apportioned to this county for 1885 ex-
ceeds that OF 1888, the corresponding year
of the administration of the great and good
Begole, by only $2,771.25, while the total
state and county taxes spread in 1885, on the
taxable property of this county, il but So
0s8.O5 greater than in 1884, Notwithstanding
the fact that that was one of the low-tax years.
This is less than twenty-five cents increase
of state and county tax on each one thousand
dollars OF valuation. From this, it will read
lily be seen that if any of the taxpayers of
this county pay a materially increased tax as
compared with the taxes of 1884, il is either
because they have voted upon themselves in
creased local taxation, or because they have
greater valuation of property upon which
to pay.
There is one other point in the discussion
of this subject, to which we desire to call at
tention, and that is the responsibility of the
republican party for appropriations made
by our last Legislature. In order to deter
mine this question fairly, it should be borne
in mind that both the house of representa-
tives and the senate were quite evenly divided,
there being fifty-two republican representa-
tives and forty-eight fusionists; eighteen re-
publican senators and fourteen fusionists, the
opposition members in both houses number
ing but eight less than the republicans.
The largest appropriation $Ss2.40o, for
the general expenses of the state government,
constituting more than half the entire state
tax, was passed in the House by vote of
ffty-seven yeas 30 twenty-one nays. The
affirmative vote was republicans thirty-six.
fusionist twenty-one; negative vote, republi-
cans six, fusionists fifteen; not voting
lodging perhaps-republicans ten, fusionists
twenty one. In the senate there were but
five negative votes cast on the final passage
Of the bill, three republicans and two fusion
list. The foregoing analysis of the vote on
this bill demonstrates that there is no great
er responsibility for its passage resting upon
the one political party, than there is upon
the other. Were il not that it would make
this article of undue length we might pro-
coed to show that the same proposition is
equally true with reference to the other up
preparation bills. They were in no sense
party measures and both parties are equally
entitled to share in whatever credit there
may be in their adoption and must bear
equally the censure, if any there be.
That some of the appropriations might
have been lessened somewhat, without Sc
rious injury to the interests of the state may
or may not be true; the members who passed
the bills knew. or should have known. better
than outsiders who have not had the oppor-
tunity and means of investigation, but, on
on the whole. we feel sure that the intelli-
gent taxpayers of this county, and of the
state. when they come to investigate the
matter, will find little foundation for the
charge of extravaganza and reckless expen-
diture of the public funds which has been
sought to be laid at the door of the republi-
can party of the state. simply because the
last Legislature. in which that party had
bare majority of four in each house, made
the necessary appropriations to carry on the
government of this great and growing COM
monwealth, and provided the necessary
means for the prosperity and well being of
the several state institutions of which oil
good citizens of Michigan are so Justly
proud. The amount of political capital that
will be gained by such groundless charges
will be small indeed. Tho citizens Of our
state are too well Informed. too intelligent and
too sensible to be humbugged with such
contemplate political clap-trap.