The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-10-12
MoGREaoR. Tex. Oct. s. 1893.

Aust discussing the general condition
OF the state, its past, present anC
future, and the farming interests In re
lation to commerce, he said:
The INSCRIPTIONS, loud-moutht
calamity shrieking enemies of Texa
and of the Democratic state admins
tration, are proclaiming in whinin.
voice and flaming head lines that tn
state is bankrupt, and extravaganza
is the cause. The declaration in boil
respects is absolutely false; and thos,
who make it do SO knowingly anc
wilfully. While standing here before
the thoughtful, intelligent representa-
tives of the wealth producing classes
of "Texas,"I am ready to answer any
question touching public or private
affairs with which L have ever beer
connected. AS no questions are asksd
then 1 will proceed voluntarily tC
show you, gentlemen, who are not
laded down with malice and false.
hoods about the state administration
that in all respects your state govern.
\ ment is in good condition.
1t is we'll known to every sensible
man that with each recurring year as
/ the state expands and grows and her
resources are developed public ex-
penses increase. In proportion to the
expenses of the government, revenue
must be raised by taxation to meet
them. Extravaganza in the admins
tration of public affairs is generally
demonstrated by the rate of taxa.
tion levied on the people. This being
the test am prepared to show you
that the present administration has
conducted the affairs of government
more economically than any one pre-.
ceding it., At the first session of the
legislature under my administration
the tax rate was reduced for the first
year from 20 cents to 16 2.3 cents, and
for the next and ensuing years from
16 2.3 to Is cents on every 500 worth
of taxable property. So that the high
est rate of taxation established
during my administration for
general revenue purposes has
been 16 2.3 cents, and the regu-
lar rates now and since then in exis-
tence under which the government has
toi, 10 1
cents on each 500 worth Of property
So, if a man renders thousand dol
4 lars worth of property for taxation, he
yoply pays for general revenue pur-
poses 81. so year to the state govern.
ment Ii he renders only 500 worth
of property, he can pay his advalorum
tax for general purposes with Is cents,
the amount necessary to buy drink
of whiskey. This is the lowest rate of
taxation regularly maintained by the
state government since the war. In
deed it is the lowest rate of advalo.
rum tax collected for general revenue
purposes in any state in the South.
With all this, my
FLANNEL-MoUTH CRITICS,
staggering around under the weight
of a secondhand idea, loaded with
malice, declares that the Demo-
cratic administration is ex-
travagant, and that Texas is
bankrupt. The people of the state
who have property pay II IL cents on
each 500 valuation thereof for public
school purposes. The whole of this
amount they receive back again in
support of he expenses to maintain
the public freeschool for the education
OF their children. Many thousands
of men ia this state who have chill
dren in schol do not pay cent OF tax
es to support the state government or
public free schools; aud yet their chill
dren are being educated at the public
expense. There are many thousands
of tax payers who receive more in the
way of tuition in the public Tree
schools for their children than they
pay to the state government. Certain
ly these people cannot COMPLAIN OF
high taxes. L have never yet heard
a newspaper, a public speaker,
chronic cruaker, street loater, a sa'
loon bum or a Saturday evening slug
gard criticise the state government on
the alleged ground of high taxes Many
of them express themselves in
Eittering generalities about tn
Ixtravagance of the state govern
saent,n but never for once do they
Elake specifications, nor charge that
the taxes collected from the people
are onerous, excessive or high. My
critics never fail to charge extrava
gance, and yet with the public books
open, they never have to this time
noinied out single item to give color
to their talsehood IL it not time they
are closing up their mouths or pre-
senting the facts? Three years ago
when the tax rate was reduced, gen
eral howl went up from the opposl,,
ton that my administration wouio
strand and have large deficiency 10
disgrace it. At the beginning ot tne
next wear the same wiseacres, whose
wart.like tongues had wagged IN TIRE
some distress, again predicted a oen'
cheney. SO with the beginning OF this
year the same carping critics, though
their prophecies had fallen to the DIS
connt of 80 ~ per cent, began again
to nredict that there would De a
heavy deficiency. They couIu
not nnderstand how the state govern
NO could be maintained on so
Tn THAR i0nOf.