The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-06-02
STATE TAXATION.


ton for Governor of Illinois, that he would,
Ia the canvass he proposed to make, pay
a large portion Of his attention to home
affairs and especially to the enormous In
crease of taxation during the last decade
In Illinois, has not little alarmed the
Republican leaders, who, fully aware OF the
weak points of the State administration Of
that party, are already beginning to set up
works of defence in anticipation Of the
Generals assault Thus the Inter.Ocean Of
Tuesday devotes over column to defence
of the extravaganza of our State rulers, and
the Ottapa Republican taking Its cue from
the %, reiterates Its line Of apology.
The substance of II Is an admission of the
facts. but plea In justification and
mitigation. Firstly, 1t Is stated that the
taxes are higher In 1887 by ten cents on the
800 than they would have been but for
the failure of the previous Legislature (the
one that reelected Logan and was therefore
also Republican, to make q sufficient levy
to cover the appropriations for the next
year, and, therefore, there was a deficiency
to be provided for. Admitting this, the
tax of 1897 and 1888 is still A per cent
against % per cent in 1876, when the State
was making heavy annual payments on
her debt, But secondly, say our apologists,
anyhow the taxes in lSS7iare not as high as
they we're In the year 1869 of Gov. Pal
mer's administration, when they were
81 30 an the 800 The shameful conceal
ment, however, Is made in this last state
ment, that the State In 1869 was paying off
war debt of some 100000 that had
been contracted few years earlier, besides
making heavy payments on the older
State debt.
OF course this kind OF balderdash fur
nishes no light whatever In solution of the
problem why our State taxation since 1876,
when the State debt was unextinguished,
should have gradually risen, year by year,
from % to AZ cents on the 500, though
since 1880 the State has been entirely out
of debt. As neither the Iuter-Ocean or
Republican offers any solution Of this i'm
portant fact, let us see If light ON the sub
ject cannot be obtained from some other
quarter.
We have little brochure before US,
printed under the auspices of the Demo-
cratic State Committee, containing simple
OF figures from the books of
the State Auditor, without note or COM
ment except In way of necessary explana-
tion of the State expenses for the last
decade. From this we take few figures.
First as TO the
Governor. The Governor OF Illinois is
allowed salary Of $4,000, and no more
but the figures show that In the last decade
he has managed TO work In quite little
pile Of perquisites under the guise OF ex-
pendtures on the Governors Mansion. In
1876 the appropriation to this object was
$2,llS02; from that year to 1886 the ap-
for the same object amounted
to 1874 1927 49, and for the year 1887 alone
ga, 705 IA. To show the necessity for this
Increase 1t only need be stated
that up to 1875 the expenditure for the
Governors Mansion were wholly confined
to necessary furniture and fixtures for the
house and expenses In keeping up the
grounds. But the bill of Gov. Oglesby for
1886 includes items like these: Dry goods,
$50; playing cards, $1,000: toilet soap,
S25 %; saddle horse, $50 private servants,
over 5000, with any amount of sundries,
&c, &c.
Secretary Of State. In addition to the
5ecretary's salary, the expenses of the
office In 1876 were 81, S21 81; in 1886 they
were $4,000.
Auditor. On the other hand IL cost TO
run the Auditors office In 1876 $5,37S 80,
while In 1886 1t cost but $4,724 Why this
differences
The attorney Generals office In 1876 was
run at an expense of $3,l21, and in 1886
at $4,275-only fair increase.
But the biggest leak Is In the various
Boards and Commissions that have grown
up, the only real object of which seems 70
be to increase the power and patronage of
the Governor. Thus we have
Board Of Health. 1t was established
in 1876 with few simple, inexpensive
duties, but in 1878 already managed to get
81 ,660.15 out of the State treasury. BY 1886,
Its annual expenses ran up to 500, $40. 10,
and the same rate OF Increase, without
some violent check, will doubtless be kept
up for the future, II is an Institution that
has no more apology for existence than
State Board of Lawyers would have. Con.
gress In 1880 created like board, with an
appropriation of $5OO0OO but by 1886 the
appropriation ran down to $4,000 and next
year the board was abolished as nuisance.
Board Of Statistics. 1t was estab-
lished In 1879, with an appropriation of
az mn ny To-,