Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-09-16
FIGURES WON'T LIE.

Inc tOllOWlng mas appeared now Tor
five successive weeks in the Yale DEM
ocrat
"Here is matter for Republican
farmers in these parts to think of.
The state tax for st. Clair Co. under
the last Republican administration, was
S3S 49,. .53, under the present Demo-
cratic administration, it is S25, ,336.73;
that means 1t was reduced by Demo-
cratic economy So, ,995.S0."
In previous issue of your paper |
called the attention of the public to
the fact that this statement is false by
comparing the last year of Republican
State administration with the first
year of Democratic State administra-
ton. The last year of Republican
State administration for taxing pur-
poses was the last year of Gov. Luce's
administration, the year 1890, and the
| first year of Democratic administration
for taxing purposes was the first year
of Gov. Winans' service, the year 1891.
This must be true for the reason that
the share of state tax to be paid by the
County is made n yearly or annual
tax by statute. If the Editor of the
Democrat meant the acreage annual
tax for two years or four years he
should have put the word average be-
fore the words estate tax.
Mr.. Billman objects to my compar-
ison; accuses me of "demagogueic
juglery", and says that he meant to
compare "the average of the whole
four years under Luce, and the aY-
| erage two years under Winans, that
gives what we published
Now do not desire to mlsrepresent;
| 4 - N,I.
given by Mr.. Billman. The statement
is false anyway, and now that he has
committed himself squarely by ex-
| planning what he means, | will show
| that lie has been told just so many
times as he has printed the statement
in controversy.
First, he says that "the average of the
whole four years under Luce -
gives what we published" and that is
S3S 1882 53.
Let us examine this statement:
The amount of State tax paid by st.
Clair County for the year 1887, the
first year of Coy. Luce's first admins
tration was S34, ,032.90. (See Report of
Board of Supervisors for the October
session, 1887, page 80.
The same for the year 1888, the Sec
ond year of Gov. Luces first admin
istration was S25, 1916. (See Report
of Board of Supervisors for the Oc-
tober session 1888, page 30.
The same for the year 1885, the first
year of Gov. Luces second admins
tration was S3l 1920. (See Report of
Board of Supervisors for the October
session, 1899, page 29)
The same tor the year 1890, the sec
ond year of Gov. Luce's second ad-
ministration, was S22, 1894. (See re-
port of Board of Supervisors for the
October session 1890, page 2S)
The total amount of state tax paid
by st. Clair county for both terms of
Gov. Luce's administration, or for "the
whole four years" is Sl13,4l4.GO. To
get the average "of the whole four
years." this amount is to be divided by
four, which gives S2S, ,353.65 instead of
$3S 1892 as falsely stated by the DEM
ocrat, a Misrepresentation of S9,97S.SS
per year.
Now as to the average tax for the
two years of Democratic administra-
ton, if Mr.. Billman has it he has more
than the State or County officers had
at the time the item in question ap.
peared in his paper. Only last week
the County Clerk informed me that
the Auditor General had not yet re-
ported the State tax to be paid by the
county for the present year. Hence,
we have but the tax for the first year
of Democratic administration, and
that is just as | give it in my former
article.
called the attention of the people
to the false statement published i'll the
Democrat so persistently, merely as
citizen. | did not nor do not write to
champion any political party; and
anyone can satisfy themselves that the
figures ! give are correct by referring
to the auth critics cited.
Now Mr.. Billman, / persume that
the public upon whom you have i'm
posed your false statements will be
given the average State tax for "the
whole four years under Luce" as
S3S ,332.5 80, instead of giving it truth
fully as S2S, 1896. / think you will
find the average citizen of this COM
munity inclined to think for himself
and not credulous enough to take
your unsupported statements for the
truth.
And further, you haye made IL mis-
statement you cannot eyade; now
every one will think more of you if
you will acknowledge it like a man,
and promise to endeavor to be more
careful and truthful in the future. /
for one am willing to credit you with
being cute, cunning, sarcastic and
silly, but you are certainly careless
and untruthful. Now for once be
honest. Don't dodge. Don't go off
into lot of twaddle about li(e)on's
tails, pocket knives and ginger bread.
Centuries ago, amid the fire and
thunder of Mt. Sinai, a code of moral
edicts were given TO man. "Writteu by
the finger of God on tables of stone"
was the commandment "Thou shalt
not bear false witness" No doubt but
that the Editor of the Democrat could,
on Sunday, preach an eloquent SER
mon with this commandment as text,
but 1t seems to be very difficult for
him to obey the same commandment
during the remaining six of the seven
days. Il. h. LAW.