The record-union., 1891-09-12
THE FIFTY-CENT LIMIT.

1s
In its State Convention held in the City
of Sacramento August II, 1890, the Re-
publican party declared:
We arraign the Democratic party of this
State for the waste and extravaganza shown
by the last Legislature in the appropriation of
public money, and we promise the people that
in the hands of the Republican party the
State finances shall be handled with honest
and rigid economy, and with o view to ad-
minister the affairs of the State in business
like and economical manner; and we do
further declare that in the judgment OF this
convention, considering the past experience
of the State, an annual tax of fifty cents on
each one hundred dollars of asSesSable prop
erty ought TO and will raise revenue Suff-
cient for all the wants of the State And we
pledge the nominees of this convention to an
observance of this rule. And we declare to
the people of this State that the success of the
Republican party means the establishment of
State limit OF taxation as in this resolution
declared.
A few weeks later the Democratic State
Convention was held at San Jose, and that
party went into the campaign on plat
form of which the following is plank:
We declare that State rate of taxation not
exceeding forty-five cents on each one hun
dred dollars of assessabe property according
TO the assessed valuation of 1850, being q re-
duction of twenty-seYen cents and two mills
Is sutncient to raise ample revenue to meet
the annual expenses of the State Government,
and we pledge our nominees to d strict and
faithful observance of the above, and we do
demand that the different Democratic County
Conventions pledge their legislative candi.
dates to the same limit.
When the campaign opened each party
claimed that it had inaugurated the
policy of a State limit upon taxation.
The Republicans claimed to have pro-
posed fifty-cent limit and the Demo-
Gratis a forty-fve-cent limit. The Demo-
Gratis called attention to the fact that the
Republicans proposed a fifty-cent limit
on whatever the assessed value of prop
erty in the State might be, and that there
fore the limit would rise with the increase
of taxable property; while the Demo-
Gratis had proposed a forty -five-cent limit
on the assessed valuation as ascertained
in 1889. The Democratic party charged
the Republican party with hypocrisy in
proposing a fifty-cent limit on the as
sessed valuation of property, claiming
that since property values would in
crease the Republican limitation was a
delusion and snare, because their limit
would produce a constantly augmenting
revenue to the State; that it was there
fore not limit but a rate. The ASSESS
ment being properly manipulated, a
fifty-cent rate might be made to operate
as an increase rather than reduction of
State burdens.
The Republican party in the same plat
form from which we have already quoted
declared that the Democrats had raised
the assessment to the unprecedented rate
of p cents on each one hundred dollars.
This was truthful indictment. The
State rate had reached the enormous
figure of Y cents on each one hundred
dollars of assessed valuation as then ex-
listing. Thus a Democratic Legislature
and Republican Executive were jointly
responsible for what had occurred. 1t is.
however, scarcely reasonable to expect
anything else than amusing pretension at
the hands of political convention. Such
conventions profess only such principles
as are deemed prudent at the time. AS
between the two proposed party pledges,
however, the preference was with the
Democratic. Forty-five per cent. of the
assessed valuation of 1889 was a definite
limitation. Fifty per cent. of the assessed
value of property, whatever it may be,
was, in fact, no limitation at all. This is
the plain truth stated in its simplest form.
Notwithstanding the simplicity of the
statement, however, it remains an exact
truth, which none except those possessing
enfeebled moral convictions would at
tempt to deny in the interest of party.
The Democratic prediction that if the
Republicans had control of the affairs OF
the State they would manipulate the as
sessment roll so as to leave a wide margin
for extravaganza in their pledge appears
to have been fulfilled by the action of the
State Board of Equalization. That body
added about one hundred and twenty
millions TO the assessment roll. This
W NttS dl dud1lAOh LiOb ny Vic SOuilty
Assessors, nor yet discovered by the
County Boards of Equalization. The adj
dition was equal to about IL or u per
cent. Of the aggregate of the county as
sessments which added margin of five
or six cents to the State limitation as
established by the platform.
1t viii be difficult to convince the gen.
eral public that the increase of the
assessment by the State Board of Equali-
zation was not in the interest of gross ex.
travagance in the State Government. i
is prima facie case at all events which
will require evidence to break down
AS political measure therefore it was as
unwise as it is dangerous as precedent
II practically wiped out of existence the