New-York tribune., 1891-09-24
THE REELECTION OF STATE TAXES.


There was no passage in Senator Fassetts
trenchant speech before the Republican Cluo OF
this city which is better worth the attention OF
| level-headed taxpayers, whatever their ponucs'
than the one in which he glanced at the records
of the two parties in this State on the grea'
matter of taxation. The taxes this year are
unoommonly small-the rate has not been so
low before in thirty years. To whom does
the credit for this most excellent achievement
in practical finance belong? Has the Repub-
lican or the Democratic party earned the right 70
be called the taxpayers friend? Thousands OF
citizens will thoroughly satisfy themselves on
this vital point before deciding how they Will
vote in November, and nothing can please the
Republicans better than to have them do so.
For, as Senator Fassett clearly showed the Re-
publican taxation record as it is written In the
books of the State Controller and in the laws
upon our statute books, is rightly to be regarded
as one of the most potent of Republican cam
paign documents.
OF course, within the limits of single speech
covering many topics Senator Fassett could 10
little more than touch upon the essential facts
which go to the making Of this Republican
record. But the Albany correspondent OF IHE
TRIBUNE in the letter which we PRINT this
morning effectively supplements him. lie goes
more into the details of the subject, winding up
with a table showing the great saving to each
county consequent upon Republican manage
ment of State finances. 1t is capital letter Tor
Republicans, after they have read it them
selves. to turn over TO their Democratic or In
denendent neigbbOrs. There is no mSState-
ALo.o ~ ;vrolino with fipurpS :
and me facts which it groups together may
fairy be called demonstration of the propose
ton that in this State RepublicanlSm, as ex-
emplifed in the conduct of public affairs, Is
synonymous with low taxes. This is not bun
combe assertion. 1t is an assertion based on
State history, whose successive chapters are open
TO the gaze of all who choose to examine them.
Our taxes are lower than they have been before
in thirty-hve Years because OF the benehcent
operation of a series of laws. introduced ana
championed by Republican lawmakers and
passed by Republican Legislatures. The Chief
of these is the law taxing corporations. 1t was
introduced by Republican Senator and Re-
publican ASsemblyman in 1880, and was passed
by the Legislature of that year, which was Re
publican in both its branches, and was signed
by Republican Governor. 1t had already
brought into the State treasury at the close OF
the last fiscal year nearly S14,OOO,OOe, which
vast sum, but Tor the existence of such meas
me, would have been drawn from the pockets
of the taxpayers. The other Republican meas
ures which have also sensibly relieved the tax
payers are the law taxing the organization OF
corporations; the law taxing collateral in
heritances and the law taxing direct inhen-
tances The first two have already yielded
nearly S4,5O0,O00, while the present Demo-
cratic Controller has estimated that the remain
ing one will still further reduce taxation nearly
50, 0OO, 900 annually.
in view of these facts, how brazen the as
surance of Democratic journals in claiming that
tax reduction is Democratic achievement.
Something is to be pardoned to heated partisan
ship during the stress of campaign. But
really when such papers as The Albany Argus"
maintain that,the reason why the taxes are low
is because the Assembly of 1891 was Demo
cratic they simply indict the intelligence and
honesty of their readers. With equal justice
they might argue that it was the Democracy
which drafted the Emancipation Proclamation