Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1893-12-28

self from the session laws OF the three
legislatures we have had since statehood
began. These figures do not include the
standing appropriations, such as state
officers and judges salaries and expenses,
militia, public printing, transportation Of
insane and convicts, insurance OF public
buildings, &C., which amount to about
100000 per year, nor OF the legislature,
which costs about 100000, each session.
These expenses have run about the same
each year for the past four years.
''Thls exhibit gives the fairest compar
ison between the last legislature and sue
ceeding ones that has been prepared, and
ought to suggest to the tax payers of our
state the idea of whittier are we drift
ing?" Incidentally it might explain to
certain newspapers, whose fault it IS that
the state is financially in the hole. 1t
shows that the first legislature appropri-
ated for the state institutions and other
objects, other than those first men toned,
the sum of S129,O76 for period of one
year: the legislature Of 1891 the sum Of
S376,412 for a period of two years, and
the last legislature the enormous amount
of S564,S9O for like period.
"Now if you will take into considera-
ton the other SIDE of the question, the
revenues of the state, which is more than
the last legislature did, you will find
that for the first three years the tax
levy was up to the limit, think, and
that in addition 5l5000O worth Of
revenue bonds were sold at premium
of over $4,000, which money was turned
into the general fund to help pay run
nlng expenses. The tax levy of 1892 was
half mill less than formerly, so that
there was falling off in tax collections
for the year ending Nov. 1st, 1898, over
the proceeding year, of about $4,000.
"Posslbly some of these awfully smart
branch line editors, that Boss Mckenzie
has set pounding the state admlnistra.
ton, can point ont a method whereby
the state can issue and sell lot more
bonds or funding warrants. Being
populists these editors think we might
use that demo-pop printing press they
have had so much to say about, and
print rag-tag money. \ man who spends
two dollars for every one he earns will
soon come to the end of his string.
That's what's the matter with our state
legislature.
"Now / don't want you to blame the
whole legislature for this condition. I
consider it entirely the fault OF that re-
publican gang of senators. headed by
Hag9art, Little, Ink, Worst and others,
that overturned the rules OF the senate
and took the appointing power OF certain
committees from Lieut.. Gov. Wallace
into their own hands. 1t was done to
get the management of the appropriation
bills and the control Of the railroad and
judiciary committees. The people OF
our state have this gang OF McKenzle's S
free hooters to thank for the extravagant
appropriations made, as some of them
informed me at the time, to exhaust the
state treasury while ID our charge,
hoping thereby to set up howl and
throw the odium upon the state admin
istration, and for the defeating of some
very desirable railroad and elevator
legislation which would have been in the
farmers interest. Just here give Senator
Fuller credit for standing out against
this gang and refusing to be a party to
their methods of doing business. Bailey
may not be very good Sunday to-
meeting fellow but he knew how to vote
in the interest OF farmers.
"Now here's that table and remember
what remarks l have made about it.
Goodbye"
1890 1891 1893