The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1888-02-09
OUR STATE FINANCES.
FACTS THAT WILL MAKE MORE
AND BETTER DEMOCRATS.

1
munication to his own paper, telling
all about it, so proud is he of his in
fant--s.n in fant only equalley by some
of those infant monopolies which the
Signal is so anxious to "protect,
We have never before been called
on to comment on such Il wild, harum
scarum article as that on which Mr..
Harris apparently lays such stress. It
| is very true that figures always "tell
/ the tale" but those of Mr.. Harris are
so awfully mixed that they carry no
message whatever to the sound and
healthy mind. We have not the
space to take up seriatim all of his
fancies and expose his fallacies; but
! a few quotations will serve to explode
the boom he has labored to produce.
He says, comparing the figures of
the State Treasurer for those of 1886
with those of 1876, they stand
Expense. decreased ,223.Ss
Increased expenses 3es'loo-o4
Increased expenses and excess of
taxes
What a jug bic is .here.i WhaI
does it all signify! WHAT'S that $685.
010.oS! Mr. Harris plaialy means
that the State is now annually raising
1895, ,010.68 by taxation more than it
ought to do.
Yet as a matter of fact, our Stste
taxes amount only to $691 600.
The t.tsl of expenses under Brog-
den, he tells us. was..-..............S3S2,75S 10
While under scales it is..........-.... s9e,sl39e
A Democratic increase, he says, off, 3os,l55s
During tale Scales administration,
in 1885, the State has paid s114, 104
interest on our 4 per cent bonds,
which was not formerly paid /; asd al
so has paid $150,000 interest on the 6
per cent bonds, which formerly was
paid by Mr.. Phillips out of the States
dividend on the North Carolaa Rail
road.
For this purpose Mr.. Phillips re-
ceived $4,000 81 year, and faat
ought to be added to the expenses
"under Brogden,' making them S772,-
75S.15. Add new the interest on the
4 per cent bonds, and we have 1885,
862, which leaves difference of 81 900
increased expenses Of Scales admins
tration over Brogden's. In the mean
time, the Democrats are maintain
ing new asylum for .thelinsane at
Morganton for the negr,s 1asane at
Goldsboro, and for the negro deaf asd
&umb and blind at Raleigh; give
$4,000 annually to poor soldiers, and
nA@e additional expense appears to be
Harris where is your boom.
Mr.. Harris made up some big fig
ares 10 tie way of Receipts" The
inference is that the figures show re-
ceipts from taxation; as a matter of
fact the figures paraded as receipts i'm
clnde the amount on hand at the be-,
gifsning of the year, and the reeeipta
of the educational fund" as well as
Of the "public fund" and the receipts
freen dividends cn stock in the rail
road. For instance, for the year 1884,
when the State had no taxes from real
and persona, property, he has the re-
ceipts at Sd sos, ,93S. That Is the
year shen the people were suffering
msost, according to Mr.. Harris article
the Very year when there were no
taxes! What u ridicattus mas !!
But says, Mr.. Harris, look at the
ssrpltls In the wear 1884, ne says,
there was II surplus .f $947, ,06S 21-
the very year that ITO taxes were rails
ed os property! The RAILROAD com
pany paid into the treasury 100000,
and that made the bulk of this ''sur-
plus." 1t was because of that the
people were relieved of the burden of
State taxes for year.
The rate of taxation was in 1876
.9a cents; it is now 20 cents
These are the figures that tell the
tale If there has been any surplus
left over from year to year, it has
been because the Democrats have had
control. When THE Republicans had
control, there was never any surplus.
The Treasury suffered from an aching
void. 1t had sort of disease under
Republican rule which prevented the
retention of anything valuable within
the vaults. A little money in the
Treasury is very hurtful to the con-
science of the average Republican.
And this brings us to comment on Mr.
Harris statement about 'sthe amount
expanded by Gov Brogden in 1876
What in the world did Gov. Brogden
have to do with it Z The Democratic
Legislature of III and '72 took charge
of the finances of the State, and this
body has steadily administered the
finances ever since The special taxes
of the Republican Assembly were
rather more than the people could
stand, ard since then the Democratic
Legislatures have reduced taxes stead
lily. Gov. Brogden, we suppose, sign
ed his name when he drew his salary
that was all he had to do with it.
We have said that tbe State take q
in '86 were s691 800; of this sum. th e
fertilizer tax goes to the Agriculture
Department. It amounts 70 Sal 900.
TEe iicensc and drunlnners taxes
a1aount to Sl43, 1862. Aust of this
goes n, pay irt. est on the Per cent.
ssoatds. The bile TAX snouuiS only
eRn7 <37s fTtx. Ssf.a4sss S . a. xrs-fi