The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-01
We Are EXnosed.

We Are Exposed.
The bungling deception attempted by
the democratic manipulators of tax dupli-
Gates can be exposed in every case, but
two will suffice at this time. The figures
in full are given by the Madison Courier
In the case of Jefferson county. The
SENTINEL's figures make the total increase
OF taxation in that county under the law
of the democratic legislature 81, 36l.43. OF
which it credits S9,9l5.47 to the increase
of state tax, benevolent and reform
funds, leaving SD. 445. 80 as the increase
due to a republican conspiracy. The
Madison Courier, copying from the official
papers, gives the state tax as follows:
State university, 1923 IA; state, S14. 1867. SO;
state school, lS,55302; state benevolent,
S6,277.70; soldiers monument, 1923. IA;
total. $40. 244.S6. In 1890 the aggregate OF
these taxes laid by the state was S24 ,SlS.03,
or an increase for this year OF Sl5. 1868,
S5,5ll.36 more than THE SENTINEL's ma
nipulators make il. This leaves S6,934.60
increase of local taxation to be accounted
for. "a this not accounted for By the increased
railroad tGr9-JO,Tnal, MaV %.
If there is one thing The SENTINEL en-
joys more than another it is being ex-
posed, and we hasten to give our readers
the full benefit of the exposure-some-
thing, by the way, that the Journal never
ventures to do. In reply we would first
quiet our esteemed contemporary by as
surfing it that the increased local tax is
not accounted for by increased railroad
tax" The increased railroad tax is due
to the fact that the state board of tax
commissioners, in accordance with the
new tax law. increased the railroad assess.
ment in Jefferson county from Sl91, 400 to
S707, 2S5. The local officials had nothing
to do with that. It was a result of the
new tax law, which the republican press
and the corporations are now fighting.
In the second place we would invite at
tention to the fact that the only difference
between the figures of the Journal and
Courier and those of THE SENTINEL is that
they call the state school tax a state tax,
while we call it local tax. The state
does not receive a cent of it, 1t is
all apportioned back to the counties and
used for the support of the common
schools. Under the common school system
of Indiana the local authorities report to
the state authorities the interest collected
by them on the common school fund, the
unclaimed fees, the state school tax, and
such other items as by law go to support
the common schools. The total amount
of this is apportioned throughout the state
in proportion to the number of children
of school age. This forms the basis of the
- ~ tha auk.ola = A..
of the local school officials to levy as much
additional tax as is needed to support the
schools in their several localities. II the
state funds are decreased the local officials
should increase their levies. II the state
funds are increased the local officials
should decrease their levies. The result
is practically the same, and the state
school tax is to all intents and purposes
q local tax. 1t is merely matter of col
lecting taxes with your right hand in
stead of the left.
Suppose, then, We take the system OF
figuring adopted by the Journal and
Courier as correct, what is the result
They conceal from their readers the fact
that Jefferson county will receive more
money from the state distribution than it
did last year The May apportionmentg gives
80 cents additional for each school child
and the January apportionment, accord
ing to the estimate of the superintendent
of public instruction, which is very con-
sentative, will increase it 40 cents more,
making total of 75 cents. The enumera-
ton of Jefferson county shows 9,644 chill
dren OF school age, and at 70 cents each
this will make an increase of 1888. The
local officials should have reduced their
taxes by this amount, but instead OF
doing so they have, according to the Jour
nal and Courier increased their local taxes
SIS, 934.60. This money will be paid into
the local treasures for local use. There
will be the sum of these two amounts,
which is S14, l67. 90, more than last year.
By our figures the local increase was Sl2,-
1856, but if the Journal prefers its sys-
tenn Of figuring will it kindly state what
the republican officials of Jefferson county
are going to do with this $14, 1870 OF adj
ditiOnal revenues7 Why was it collected2
Why was it taken from the pockets of the
people2 The total increase for state pur-
poses in Jefferson county is S9,9l5.47 and
the Journal processes to think that
is great hardship. II so, why
is il not worse hardship to
increase local taxes $l4, 167.602 The state
increase was made because the state
needed the money, and the same law put
this increase on the corporations-the in
county being S6,279.67. The local increase
was put on to make the tax law odous, and
thereby gain votes from the democrats.
If there 10 any democrat in Jefferson