New-York tribune., 1891-09-24
REPUBLICAN ECONOMY.
VOTERS OF THE STATE INVITED TO LOOK AT
THE RECORD

THAN 1T HAS BEEN FOR THIRTY
SIX YEARS-How THE REDUc-
TIoN HAS BEEN Ac-
CoMPLIsHED..
sRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TEE TRIsUSE.l
Albany, Sept 23.-The Republican party the present
year has reduced the State taxes by the large amount
Of s3.433,oS II. That is the State taxes imposed
In 1890 amounted TO $s,62a74s II, and in 1891 10
only S5 666 reduction OF 50 433 oS1 n, wne'
was brought about incidentally by the economy Oh tne
Republican Senate, but mainly by the drawing lh'O
the State Treasury Of vast sums Of money oy tne
operation OF Republican taxation laws. What Detoer
ground could there be for the leaders Of the Repuo-
lean party 10 ask the voters Of the state TO continue
II in power at the State capItal9 The tax Is ue
lowest In thirty six years.
1t is among the Republican members Of the Legs
latue that refoqmatory measures originate; te oeno
cratic senators and Assembymen seem TO nave Ho
lnyentiveness In this direction, but simply eNcel as
pbstrlctionIss The taxation laws passed in the last
eleven years, which have steadily lesseheo ue 'aA
budens OF farmers and all other owners OF real estate
are striking proofs OF this statement. Every one VI
them fYst introduced by a Republican, Pusheu py
Republicans and finally was passed win kepuDileaI
name upon It's title page. But the reform Is hoV Se'
complete it needs Republican brains to hnlsh H. ihc
aim of all tax reforners is 10 extingush an .aAo'o
tor State purposes in the various Counties 10 nave an
the state taxes paid by corporations by 'he heHs,
legitimate objects Of taxation Thus freed from s'a'o
taxation the local taxpayers could pay much closer
attention TO their local taAes-as they should since
these form the bulk Of their taxes
II voters desire this reformatory movement TO con-
time they will elect Republican Governor ana a
Republican Legislature. All voters VIII ma IL worm
their while TO glance back over the history OF the
state for the last eleven years when they are 'hs
asked to give "a vote Of confidence" III the hePuD-
ucan party far as taxation measures arc oooeie'
1t was ON February 3, 1870, that the movement 10 re-
form the taxation laws began by the offering OF the
following resolution in the Assembly by James W.
wadSworth. Republican, then representing Living
stone County
Whereas There appears to be wide spread feehHg H
Of dissatisfaction prevalent throughout tds 1'S fbar in
relation TO the evasion of corporations IN eeNiis HIS
fair proportion Of the public burdens OF tle oIo %
devise and enact the measures necessary To remove all
such grounds Of dissatisfaction Qt any eood gTu gy.
therefor exist and with the view TO such leesIaIoh
~ any legislation on the subject is found TO be neees
Sary1 Il proper that this House should be informed m
early date as possible OF me iScUS FeA'e :" '''
Resolved that the Committee on WAYS ana Meals
q date as possible whether any. aud If so which Of
the corporations of the State does not bear ls ta anu
oto the Committee to inquire into and ascertain the
stock or padnP saP9i OF Sre any Cb Sorp5s @ IS
taxed the principle upon which such tax Is liO9To.
the amount Of taxation 1t has paid and what meseS
f any) are necessary TO just taxation OF each
company.
The resolution having been passed hr' Ndas"oI'''
who was a member of the very Committee on Ways
and Means thus instructed sent TO the State authorities
OF PENNSYLVANIA for copies Of their taxation laws ne
having understood that Pennsylvania State taxes were
all paid by corporations and that every other species o
taxation was local Mr. Wadsworth, having procured
copies Of these laws, placed them before his fellow
members of the Committee Ways and Means, OF
which the chairman George B. Sloan. But the
methods of taxation suggested in these Pennsylvania
laws were so novel that Mr. Wadsworth and Mr. sloan
were only able persuade their fellow-ASsembNmeh
who were members Of the Committee on ways ana
Means to report favoraby bill empowering the Coh
trOller of the State to obtain hst OF te corPor"'io"
In the state.
In the fall of 1870 Mr.. WadswOrth was elected Con
trouer the State, and assumed office January 1ooO
He bad forgotten his aim Of the previous WINTER
and therefore brought the Pennsylvania taxation laws
earnestly 20 the attention OF william b. steele, a lcI
publcan member of the Assembly from the lid DlS'
trict of OSwego County, and to the attention of
Bradley WinslOw, a Republican member OF the S'a'e
Senate Under resolutions presented by these gentle
mon committees were appointed by the Assembly ana |
the Senate 10 investigate the taxation subject MI
Steele was chairman Of the Assembly committee and
Mr. Winslow of that Of the Senate Both committees
had majority Of Republican members The com |
mitteeS rendered great service TO the Sta'e' ueS
tramad ,be nreeent law taxing corporations Mr.. |
Steele introduced the bill in the Assembly ana Mr.
w,nslow In the Senate. 1t was the bill introduced by
Mr. steele which passed both houses and became
law the same year by receiving the signature cf
Alonzo b. Cornell, the Republican Governor
But the Corporation Tax law greatly neadcd
STRENGTHENING. Controller WadswOrth found in 1850
that he had only collected S141,127 under It, Accord
ingly in his annual report TO the Legislature he sug
gested that it should be amended. This was done |
through bill presented by Senator Foster Repuol-
can and Mr. Wadsworth in 1881 was enabled 20 col !
lect 1902, ,7o5 under that law
Then the Republicans in the Legislature Of 1881 |
- vn4.Wp p,ftau tbn fpNn
ton laws. tax commission with majority OF
Republcans was appointed, and this body acting az
conjunction with Republican taxation committees In
the Legislature framed bill taxing collateral In |
heritances This bill taxing collateral heirs, |
which has since put millions Of dollars into the state
Treasury was introduced simultaneously upon May o.
1881 BY Assemblyman steele, Republican, and senator
sessions Republican. The bill failed 10 pass in 1881 |
but was introduced by senator Vedder Republican, In
1886, and became law.
Once embarked in the work Of reforming the taxa |
ton laws the Republicans went right onward senator
yedder in 1856 persuaded the Legislature to pass a
law taxing corporations for the privilege of organiza
ton.
Then in 1890 Senator Fassett, Republican. intro |
luced a bill taxing the direct heirs OF wealthy men,
believing that millions of dollars would thus be prop
ery brought into the State Treasury. But Nil Fssetts
numerous cares the Republican leader in the Less-
latnre in 1890 prevented him from giving the time |
to pushing that bill necessary 10 get II through the
Legislature. senator Vedder. Republican took up the
measure early this year and secured Its passage 1t is
now law aud Controller Wcmple, Democrat informed |
the Legislature in May last that he believed it would
diminish taxes this year $1,000 900. II was this |
amount Of income from that Direct Heirs Tax law |
which was one OF the influential causes OF reducloh
OF the state tax-Iate this year. -
money have these Republican taxation measures |
placed in State Treasury p Below Is Their record
Corporation Tax Law-15SO Sl4l,l21 O3; 1851, |
s9s2 5a5 I6 1882, 1880 6s4 ~ 1es3, 81 i79 81
iSs4 81 ,G036l2 rs; 1855, S1,G73919 %: loe6. |
ff 376 O8i "A 1887 81 $50 s64 le 1883, S093677 %
1850, S1i72, 500 10; 1890 81 l,15s,07s Al 80. |
CreaniZ iZation Iaw-1S56, 1896 o: 1857, S2Ol,- |
eeS 80; 1883, ls1,s3s 81 1882 SI9s,9s2 S4; 1900.
S220,710 04. . 80 ~, |
collateral Inheritance Tax Law-1SS6, $6412S %
1857 1861 T16 %; 1888, S736O64 S. 1883, 81 ,O15,
692 IS 1890 al ,1l7 ,631 1O -
Direct succession Tax Law-ls9l l-e2-(esumated) !
S2,00J,0O0. =, 49,. .,.... ......,o. l., |