Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-09-26

We had compared them with the statiS-
tics of the similar institutions of Ohio;
and then pointed out that as the result
"a result that no Democrat can criticise
even, let alone challenge-it was shown
that Ohio stands not only at the head,
but a long ways ahead of every other
State of the twenty-five" Great ap-
plause.l
Hoadly and Foster could have said
precisely the same thing. Ohio has oc-
cupied an advanced position in this line
for many years. Old theories and cum
brous devices for the management of the
States unfortunates have been happily
superseded by more humane and less eX-
penSive methods. There has been a
gradual upward tendency which even
a partisan meddling Governor could
not wholly retard; but while this
Is true, it is also true that Foraker
has done more to injurc the disci-
pline of our asylums than any Gov
ernor the State has ever had. He has
never been content to attend to his
own business and permit the trustees of
these institutions to manage theirs. He
has compelled them to discharge good
men and accept instead inexperienced,
and often incompetent help. 1t has af-
forded him especial pleasure to ''bully"
superintendents and remind them that
it would take him ''less than five min
utes to appoint and commission their
successors" He has told them that if
they did not desire to obey his orders as
to the employment of his own hench-
men they had better ''get their hats and
get out" He has sent back to asylums
inefficient, mutinous persons who had
been properly discharged, and insisted
upon their retention. He has kept in
dividuals of notoriously bad character in
place against the protest of superintend-
ent and trustees. In short there is no
asylum in the State that has wholly es-
capped his pestiferous influence. The
Deaf and Dumb has but recently been
torn with dissensions because of his mis-
chievous intermeddling. The Central
Insane has been constantly annoyed.
The Boys Industrial school at Lancas-
ter; the Athens asylum; the Girls In
dustrial home in Delaware County; the
Orphans home at Xenia, have all felt
the withering touch of his partisan
hand.
W.
'The public bonded debt of the State
July /, 1886, was $4,220,OOO To-day it
is but Ss,7O6,OOO. [Applause.l 1 use
only round numbers. In other words we
have paid off, wiped out of existence for
ever, 81, 400, 900 Of the bondeddebt Of the
State; and that is not all. Would you
expect that we would be able to do that
without largely increasing the burdens
of taxation upon the farmers of this
State?'
That is Forakerism.
The Auditors report shows that
Hoadly in two years reduced the
| state DEBT. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. SoUS2oo
| AND that Foraker In three years
reduced it....... ,................." 6TS,664
In other words in November, 1888 the
| debt was s"....".... 4,S2S6lo
In November, 1885. S,T2O, ,S2s
Total paid under Hoadly ........ Ss02, 1856
In November, 1885 II was............."... a7202s
it was. ..."....,.................. so4o,eeS
Total paid under Foraker. ...... s61s, ,564
All this talk about payment on the
State debt, however, is deceptive. The
law provides for the levy; the people
pay the tax, and the sinking fund COM
missioners redeem the bonds as they
mature. Neither Hoadly nor Foraker
had any thing whatever to do with it.,
The debt has been Of progress of gradual
extinction ever since the war, and the
interest charge has in consequence been
diminishing until now it is but $s3,0OO
per annum.
"But we have also reduced the rate of
taxation two-tenths of mill, so that it
Is lower to-day than it has ever before
been in the State Of Ohio since the year
1910. This reduction makes saving to-
the farmers and other property owners
and taxpayers of this State of more
than $3.50, 900 in taxes for this year alone.
How have we done that? How could We
accomplish all this without increasing
The rate of taxation? We have done it
by exercising that commodity that
Democrats never seem to possess. We
have done it by exercising the co}hpod-
tty of good business sense. Applause.
That was ALL"
Here Foraker claims to have reduced
the rate of taxation two-tenths of mill
and thus saved to the tax payers $780,
BOO year! How and why was this done?
The Governor pretends to tell, but he
gives us Foraker instead of the truth.
The fact is the levy usually made for
the sinking fund was reduced two-tenths'
Of mill, and the $3.50, 900 which he
talks about as being saved, is simply
the amount which do not this year col
lect from the tax payers to pay on the
State debt. By Foraker's logic, the
man who postpones the payment of his
del BITS makes saving. What ridicu-
lohs subterfuge this is for Governor of
the great State of Ohio to indulge in!
If the usual levy had been made the
public debt would have been reduced
$350,OOO. 1t might have been an incon-
venience to the tax payer to pay this
amount on the State debt but no loss to
him. Why not tell the truth about the
matter and not insult Intelligent peo-
pie by palming off on them a Foraker
ism?
w.
"Most of that public debt was bearing
six per cent. premium per annum; lit
tie of it four per cent. The ANNUAL in
terest charge was 1913, 1000. We had to
pay out that much every year for inter-