Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-29

been open and above board. There
has been no thought, no intimation
that the money was stolen, no inten-
ton to blacken the character Of any
one. So far as stealing is concerned,
these gentlemen stand fully acquitted
in our mind. So neighbor you make
no political capital out Of such tortion
OF our words.
In politics this question of expenses
is OF National, state and County i'm
portance. The National Democratic
administration has saved the country
$50, 900 900 annually by its economic
al methods of handling the public
revenues. In the State canvass the
fight made openly against Mr. Bart
lett is on the ground of his economy
in administrative affairs. 1t was this
very matter which brought the DEM
ocracy back into power. A beginning
OF good government was made in
municipal matters by a few strong
backed Democratic Mayors. Upon
these records the State governments,
and finally that OF the Nation were
wrested ont of the hands OF extrav-
agant Republicans.
For while, in the case OF our coun-
ty officials, we willingly acquit, and
never thought OF charging them with
stealing, the whole party has fallen
irretrievably into habits OF the most
reckl ess extravaganza in their polit-
| ical methods. This rule nowhere ap-
plies more surely than in our local
affairs. The figures show it-Coun-
tv taxes raised the first year they
were in office from 1851 600 to $780,
900, and city taxes from Sl95, ,2S2 to
1926. .l76. In the face of such facts,
we claim Il to be only fulfilling a
duty to the people to demand the
cause of this enormous raise in taxa
ton. 1t decidedly lies with our
brethren on the other side of the po-
litical fence to give reason for it.
No Juggling reason will suit the tax
PAYERS; the answer in the Tribune
will not do. There is no taxpayer
who reads their garbled figures who
| will not exclaim:
20, most lame and impotent conclusion?
The Tribune attempts utterly to
mislead, and challenges the HERALD
to give the people the figures. The
HERALD has given the people the
figures, and given them without
'.cooki ing" The books are in their
hands-they are very complicated at
fairs. The HERALD sent reporter
to look them up, who came back and
said he was unable to do anything
because of the obstacles put in his
way. Ii the Tribune wants the peo-
pie to know all the facts, out with
them! The only books in the hands
of the Democracy are those OF the
Treasurer. The HERALD has conned
these at will, and proposes to show
what they reveal. The garbled and
cooked" comparison showing a
seeming saving on the part OF the
Re epublican county government for
their first year in office is not to the
point. Show what was done with
that money, and it will appear that
the seeming surplusage against us
all went to public purposes and that
not a dollar was wasted. If dollar
was stolen, Mr.. Montana has the
Auditors books and will show who
took it. II it was wasted, the Irib-
une can get the freest access to the
books, and is welcome to bring it
out.
Be it remembered the first year of
Republican rule was one OF enforced
economy. The Democratic admlnlstra-
ton had made the tax levy at $36l,-
900 in good faith, expecting to spend
it, They did not, when the levy was
fixed, foresee the immense corrup-
ton fund which would be in the field
to buy up iellons to put their men IN
office. If our neighbor thinks the
HERALD dare not make charges when
| it knows them to be true, it shall be
enlightened. The election two years
ago in this State, was, ON the part
of the Republicans, one OF the most
corruptly conducted ever known in
the country. 1t took 500, 900 to $25 900
and all the power OF the millionaire
corporation to defeat one OF our can
didates. The sin of that felony lies
at the doors of the T'ribune's party.
The Democratic administration then
m aking SO moderate levy as the
amount they could run the county on,
enforced economy on the incoming
Republican administration. The fair
com parison, therefore, is to be found
in taking the levy OF their second
year-the first in which they fixed
the rates. That year they required no
less than $733, 900 for the county gov
| ernment. But that was not all the
revenue they had. The fgures-and
they are not garbled-are found at
the head OF our columns; the third
item in the indictment for extrava-
gance against the Republican county
government. By those figures it APP
pears that the total revenue for that
year was $s74,0 This was $5l2, 900
more than that proposed by the out
going Democratic government. The