The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-11-28
Tur Wbitewater RaoiStar will

IHE whitewater Register with Sllgnt
manifestation ofimpatience explains"once
for ALL that as a state tax is one levied
to meet the expenses of government and
public institutions and incidental de-
mands," no tax of this nature has been
levied for years, and hence the secre-
tary is correct in announcing that no
state tax is levied. 1t admits there is
regular tax each year to pay the interest
on the school fund loaned to the state
during the war.
Let us analyze She purpose of the secre-
tary of state in announcing officially each
year that no state tax is to be levied:
Does that official believe that the general
taxpayers of the state will make that
nice distinction between a tax levied to
meet the expenses of the government
etc." and tax levied to pay interest on
a debt? He knows full well that the peo-
pie regad a state tax as state tax no
matter fer what purpose it is intended,
and that if his statement went uncontra-
dicted the people would understand just
what the statement was meant to convey
to those not familiar with the fund opera
tons of the state:-that there was no
state tax of any kind levied. 1t is the
peoples understanding of the statement,
and the knowledge of how it would be
taken, which make the annual announce
nfss fn4n w Il al nd q
snare and a fit subject of contradiction.
Take 500 Of 1000 tax payers and tell them
they have paid mo state tax" and in their
mind the exemption will include every
item from which they are not exempt.
Let them look at their receipts and no
strained and technical distinctions will
convince them they have not paid state
tax. Knowing how the people will ac-
cept the statement, the secretary of state
is guilty each year of deliberate attempt
to deceive and thus popularize the state
administration. Even with the 1istinc-
tion-which at the best is overnice-the
secretary's statement is consciously false
because it is known it will be accepted,
if at all, as meaning no state tax of any
kind. 1t is the popular acceptation of
the statement and a knowledge on the
part of the secretary of what this will be
which demonstrate that he is a falsifer
He may hide behind phraseology but it
is thin disguise.
There might in this connection be some
comments offered as to the disposition of
the school fund. If it has been returned
to the state as some confidently assert,
then there must have been some wild
extravaganza on the part of republi-
can officials which more than offsets
the glory of economical management
of state affairs so that large and
increasing revenues derived from rail
roads, express and telegraph companies
and various other sources" are sufficient
to cover expenses.
In all candor, would it not be nice
stroke of craftsmanship for the secretary
to remove all contention regarding
the common school, university, normal
school and agricultural college funds,
by publishing some authoritative state
ment regarding their present loca-
ton? If the general government has rot
returned any portion of this loan, then past
republican administrations have been
wronged by suspicious I'M
charitably entertained If the loan, or
any portion of it, has been returned then
the people have been defrauded and the
state tax" which by republican interpre-
tation is s'no state tax but species of |
financial what is it ?" is steal annually |
upon the people. This is a |
matter upon which the people should be |
informed. Either remove or Justify the |
suspicious. The state finances should be |
so managed that their condition could be |
at once ascertained, not left to the deter |
of a process of editorial reason |
ing on insufficient facts. The trust funds |
belong to no party and to no individuals. |
The pecnle have right to know their /
present whereabouts. Ii they have been
squandered, let them be restored by taxa
ion and quit this cant about economi- |
al administration and no state tax. We |
want our trust funds restored. They |
we're largely the gratuity OF the general
and were set aside for edu-
,ational purposes. They were sufficient
% meet all expenses for educational pur.
poses and If preserved would spare US
he inf1iction of a state tax which is called
10 state tax. What has become of these
unds?