Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-10-19

lures. we nave got place Wnere We euu-
cate them by patient care and toll To read
with their fingers, the words they never
would have known except for blind asy-
lum. But this too costs money. DO you
want We should lock up that blind asylum
and let these children go ignorant ana blind
and afflicted through life do you want we
should tear out any Of these institutional
II you do, vote for Mr.. Burt, don't vote for
me, because | am not in sympathy with IL.
Now, fellow citizens. | am going To read
a little while. Mr.. Burt says that we used
up 100000 last year for pin money, or TO
the support Of the state government proper.
He says that $ll0,0O0 was used up right
around the capital, and not dollar OF II
went TO any institution. He repeated IT
a dozen times when l heard him make the
speech, and had a stenographer take down
the speech so that had an opportunity TO
refer TO il. He repeated IL over and over
again that of that 500, 900 not q dollar went
10 any state institution. He said in 1850
they run the state government for S5lS,OOO.
That is true. That we used up last year
S9lO.0O is true. That much is all 30. Now
let me show you. In 1879 the legislature
changed the law in regard TO the care OF
the INDECENT insane. There are old super
visors before me, and they know that pre-.
vious 10 that time the superintendent sent
the bills to the county treasurer.
Each county took care of its own in
digent insane. In 1879 that law was
changed so that after two years as county
patients they became state patients. That
law took effect in 1879. We are to-day sup
porting more than GOO of the ?, 40 insane
in the state institutions by the state instead
OF by the counties. That fund appears in
the general purpose fund right along with
the others. Now. Twill tell you what that
general purpose fund does. 1t pays all the
supreme court judges, and the circuit
Judges the expenses of the supreme court,
IN hn alar ri of oil tot Of
including the governors; it pays the sala-
rics of all the clerks; ii pays for heating
and lighting the capitol; il pays for all that
vast printing we have done; ii pays for the
care and decoration and furniture that
goes into the capitol; it pays If we have a
law suit and we have "A good many; il
pays all the expenses of law suits. | am not
certain whether | have embraced all that IL
paws or not, but in addition to that il paws
for the care of these INDECENT insane state
patients; it pays for conveying prisoners TO
the state prison. that used be done by the
counties, but was changed
Now, having told you substantially what
ii paid in 1880, and that is the year they
compare with, and the lowest state tax
year in sixteen years, we paid for the care
of the insane S9l, 80: we paid for conveying
prisoners, $1,000. These two items make
Sl05,3 We paid in 1887, 1888, 900 for the
care of the states insane patients; we paid
for conveying prisoners, SO, 800; we paid
for members of the Legislature 1--WE had no
session in 1850 Sl3O00O. These several
items make Sis9, 800 of the 100000. Deduct
ing the Sl05. 3s2, that we paid for these pur-
poses in 1850, leaves 1884, lis, paid in eX-
cess for these purposes than was paid
in 1850 That came by change of the law
and by the session of the legislature. The
difference between the expenses of
these two funds for the years 1880
and 1887 is 1891 80: deducting the
amount that we paid for the insane in
excess of 1850 and the session of the legisla-
ture, leaves the years state expenses for
the current or general purposes 81, S32 more
than it was in 1850, eight years ago, and that
is all. | pledge YOU my honor that this was
taken absolutely from the books in the audi
tors Office and can be sworn TO by hun
dred men.
Now, let us look little further. In 1885
the state tax will be S.g2 800 less than it
was in 1887. The general purpose fund for
this year, lSSS is 1888. 100. where for 1887, it
was S9l0,0OO. There was $3.50, 900, You know,
TO pay for the legislature out of that. De-
Quoting the add ION for the insane and
for conveying prisoners in 1857 over 1850,
$253,91S we have for the current expenses
of 1855, this year, the second year of my ad-
ministration, si99,S32, SlS,362 less than it
was in that low tax year of 1850.
Now, this is complete answer to all
this baderdash and stirring the people up
by A. ~ Files, who has shown his unfitness
for the high Office of attorney general and
he is corrobratei by Mr. Burt-but | will
not say anything about him any furt her
than that.
Now, say to you while thought at first
he was mistaken, | know now that he
knows better. He knows that he is falsfy-
ing the record, and | speak earnestly be
cause the case deserves it.
Now. the other part of the expenses for
N 81 W. In let
just three minutes and | am done-to the
university, SJ1 900 emitting the hundreds
more than we did III 1850 We paid in 1880
81 900 10 the university, and we paid in
1881 Sl55,OOO.9l more than we did in 1850.
We paid 10 the Normal school SOL 900 more
than we did in 1880 TO construct "a building;
we paid for the mining school, a new insti-
tuition, 81 800; we paid for the agricultur-
al college s II, 900 more than we did in 1880
making a tot VI to these four educational in
situations of 500, 800 more than we did in
1880. Now, it may be we have been run
ming strong for these appropriations.
am myself, as told you, eternally opposed
to raising more money than we need, but
we want 10 take good care OF these things.
Many of YOU know that | stepped in and
saved To the pcop.e of this state in one way
and another in this appropriation of 1887,
more than S3OO,000. Whether right or
wrong, this was certainly done BY YOUR
executive. We paid last year for the sol
dier's home $4,000. That is new insti-
tuition; IL was not here in 1880; we paid for
the prison in the upper peninsula, $l25, 900,
new institution; | say IL is IA new institu.
ton: there has been no new insti-
tutiops= whatever during my admin
istration. There were three establish
ed during Gen. Ayers and one or
two during Begolc's, bet so far we have
got along by adding these cottages TO the
insane asylums without any new institu-
tons. We paid for repairing and rebuild
ing the jackson prison sl05.OO0 last year.
Now, that had become "A re yular rat trap
and disease broader. Ard believe in my
soul we ought to have made that appropra-
ton. We looked il over very carefully
Now have got it down to sa3h,OO0. will
not follow IL any further | will say to you
that this addition OF S235, 900 went to the
Flint institution for the deaf and dumb,
the blind, the Lansing reform school for
girls little addition along the line for
this S2;,5, 90 that is added over and above
the expenses Of 1880, eight years ago.
Now, have gone through that statement
in relati on TO state tax. We have no De
Tense to make, we want YOU should come
up and examine. / will say to you frankly
give my entire time, except now when
am out trying 20 save the country, to state
affairs. 1 am the first man in the capitol
In the morning. | am the last one out at
night: am not "A hash ful man I wade dean