The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-17

and assessors of the state had during all
that time Systematically violated the law,
and had taken and subscribed false oaths
as to property and its valuation The
legislature took no such harsh view OF the
situation, but allowed the sixteen-cent
levy to stand, knowing that if the true
cash value of the property of the state
should prove 10 be very much greater
than il had been returned heretofore, the
next legislature would take notice of that
fact and reduce the school levy accord
ingly.
But is it true, as asserted in the Indian,
apolis interview, thatthe siXteen-cent levy
has been sufficient for the schools? IL so,
how comes it that the state provided by
the act in force June 6, 1867, for local
tuition tax OF % cents, as appears from
secs. 1859 and 4470, r. s.? The truth
is that the siXteen-cent levy was found in.
sufficient and the township and other
school trustees were authorized to make
up the deficiency by an additional levy
mot exceeding y cents" And the
trustees have been compelled to
avail themselves OF this authority. In
eight townships and school corporations
of st. Joseph county the trustees levied
the full amount of % cents local tuition
for the year 1890; in one township the
!
in two Is, in one II and in one 3 cents.
Here then is very simple remedy for the
supposed excessive sixteen-cent levy. If
the trustee of any township finds after the
apprsisement of property is completed
that the sixteen-cent levy will bring in as
much school money as he needs, then all
he has TO do is 10 drop his local
tuition levy, or so much of it as is
not needed. The twenty-five cent margin
is large enough TO cover the full sixteen
cent addition which is supposed 10 come
from the new appraisement and leave
8 cents over, and the trustees may
omit the whole - cents if none of it il
needed. So it appears that the revenue
which is conjured up as result Of the
new revenue law is a mere scarecrow. IL
will De the duty Of township trustees and
county commissioners, as well as city
councils, as soon as the total valuation Of
property is known, TO do as they have
always heretofore done. that is make the
current levy only for so much money as
may be needed for school and other local
purposes.
But, says some one, the state levy for
state purposes is already made. That is
true The levy, while not Il part OF the
revenue law, and while liable to be hanged
at each session OF the general assembly,
according to the needs of the state, was OF
necessity fixed by the legislature before it
could be known what would be the new
appraisement. 1t can be changed by the
next legislature if found to be too high.
But will il be too high The state
debt is over 100000. 1t takes money
to support a state government. The
people wish TO care for the insane,
the deaf and dumb, and the blind,
the feeble minded and the soldiers or
phans, to build soldiers monument, TO
support courts and pay the salaries OF
judges and prosecuting attorneys, as well
as other state officers. The people have
been trying to have all these necessaries
of a great and progressive state, but they
seem not 70 have realized that they were
furnishing less money than it cost 10 sup
CNrs those beneficent institutions. For
- 6ne income of the state has been
about q, 100000, while the expenses have
been far in excess of y, 0O0, 900. From the
last report of the auditor of state we find
the total receipts and expenditures Of the
state government for the year ending
October 81, 1880, to be as follows:
...........S AS Isl IS
Expenditures. 23l5SS0 80
Was it necessary or was it not necessary
10 increase the revenue of the state?
But one answer Is possible.
Then the way to increase the revenue
became the question. Would you simply
increase the levy and suffer the valuation
and assessment of property TO continue a
farce, as it has been for many wears? On
that principle the levees of the Mississippi
had been built up year after year, while
the big river continued quietly to fill up
its bed faster than the banks were raised
by the levees, resulting in overfows dis
astrous TO people and property. The In
diana legislature did not care 10 give any
further invitation TO such disasters and
determined that, while some increase in
the levy was necessary, yet the important
work to be done was TO establish Just,
uniforn and equitable system of APP
praisiLg and assessing the property of
he state, particularly that part of il which
had hitherto almost wholly escaped taxa
ton. The people who are to blame for
our past financial troubles are our wealthy
men and rich corporations. the men and
corporations who failed to give in TO the
assessors their notes, their bonds, their
mortgages, their money deposits; the men
and the corporations who undervalued
great properties who went before boards
of equalization with skilled lawyers and
persuaded the easy going boards to still
further reduce their rich possessions; the
men and corporations who have for 10,
these many years, deadened their own
consciences and conspired to mako
the poor of the state and the people OF
moderate means bear the burden OF tax
alton. And today il is those inscriptions
money lenders and grasping corporations
that are complaining of this new law,
which they fear will compel them at last
to do their equal share in support of
municipal and state government. They
occupy the same relation to the revenue
law that the boodlers did to the election
law; but the people will discover in the
one case as they did in the other, that the
law is equitable and just, that as the cleo
ton law placed all the people on an
equality at the ballot box, so the revenue
law will place all the property of the state
on an equality at the public treasury.
No Danger I'm Free Coinage.