Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-01-14
The Democratic Party Must Fulfill
its Pledges.


its Pledges.
The Republican party governed
this State for 3S years previous +
January LIST, 1891. During that tim
many reforms were demanded by tn
Democrats, but their requests wer
unheeded. For the next two year
the Democrats will rule Michigan
and the question now before us j
whether these reforms, demanded
when our party was in the minority
will be effected. Will the Democrat
do what they promisedH
One of these reforms is a change il
the tax laws, as regards the printing
of the delinquent tax lists. This is {
question that deeply interests thu
Democratic newspapers, because if thu
change is made it will take thousand'
of dollars from them. Will they ad
vocate a change in the present Re
publican system when it will deprive
them of large sum of money which
would be very useful in their bust
nessp
Let us examine the present Re
publican system and see how it has
been worked for the benefit of the
Republican papers for the last &c
years. Take Alpena county for an
illustration. The Pioneer has been
in existance over q years, and has
had the printing of the tax sales ever
since. These tax sale "ads" have
given that paper at least $500 per
year clear profit. No paper except a
Republican paper could get the con-
tract for printing the tax lists. Com.
petition was not allowed. A Democra-
tic paper need not apply. The high
est price, fixed by a partisan legisla-
ture, was given the Republican paper
which was so fortunate as to get the
much valued prize, and to the pub
Usher of a local newspaper, $500
clear profit on a small job, is a great
prize. In u years past the Republi-
can officials paid the Pioneer, out of
the public funds, at least S24 300 for
printing a tax list supplement each
year, and inserting it in the paper from
four to six issues of each year. Now
the actual cost of setting up the type
and printing the tax list supplements
for 81 years is about $1,000, so that
the clear profit made by the Pioneer,
from the party spoils, is over S21 900
That $21 900 profits represent money
taken from the people by Republican
State officials, and given to their party
paper'in Alpena during the past q
years. The tax sales published in the
Pioneer supplement of January, 1890
contained 3,035 descriptions of lands
for sale. The price paid by the Re.
publican Auditor General was sc
cents a description, which made the
entire cost to the people amount tc
$910.50. To set up the type and
print the supplements cost not to ex
coed 800, so that the Pioneer haG
$500 for merely placing the supple
ment in the paper for five successive
weeks.
This is one of the reforms often de
handed by the Democrats. The
changing of this system is one of tn,
reforms advocated by the Democratic
party.
For the years 1892 and 1893 the
disposal of the tan lists is in the hand:
of Democrats. If the present law, 81
long followed by the Republicans, il
not changed, the Democratic news
papers will be given the much prizeC
lists to print. The Democratic Audi
tor General has absolute control %
those lists, and can designate wha
papers can have them and the pric,
to be paid, not to exceed 80 cents ,
description.
The ARGUS was commenced q
years ago, as Democratic newspaper
and it has never wavered from it
support of the Democratic party. 1t
royalty to the party is beyond ques
ton. 1t is the only Democratic news
paper in Alpena county to-day, and j
is the only Democratic newspaper
that has ever been published in tn,
county. Therefore, if the present ia,
law is not changed, the ARGUS is very
likely to get the printing of the ia,
lists for the years 1892 and 1893
That would mean 81 900 clear prof
for the publisher, after paying the ex
penses of setting up the type anC
printing the tax supplements, and al
he would have to do would be I,
place supplement in his paper only
ten times.
The law can not be changed excep
by the State Legislature, and thu
State Legislature is Democratic in
both houses, and will remain so unit
January LIST, 1S93-two years. If {
change is made, the Democrats viii
have to make it, and if they do so, j,
will be made at the expense of thei
nm rty m para No vonfuro tho pro