Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-08-29
AN oPEMlnrea

AN OPEN LETTER.
To Hon. James A. TrOutman, repub-
ican candidate for lieutenant COVER
nor of Kansas, by Daniel G, Zercher,
assistant secretary Of state of Kan
saS.
TOPEKA, KANs., Aug, 25, 1894.
Hon. James A. Troutman, Topeka, Ks.
DEAR SIR: am informed from sew
eral reliable sources that you in your
campaign speeches, in attempting to
explain away the state records as COM
piled by myself in a pamphlet entitled
stubborn Facts, make use of gener-
al assertions that are very misleading
to the public. You are quoted as say
ing, in substance, that the valuation
of the taxable property OF the state is
practically the same as under republic
can rule; the tax levy is only a little
less than formerly; the amount of mon
ey in the state treasury is about the
same now as when the populists came
into power. Now IL the populists have
saved nearly 81 5000 COCO. as they
claim, where is It? What has become
Of it?'
Now Mr.. Troutman, don't you know
that the populists paid republican def
cheney bills to the amount of $l7O,65O.-
3S2 Don't you know that the populists
reduced the state tax levy ST., 324.36p
This amount then was not collected at
all. Don't you know that 81. 400 20
was paid to your own father-in law for
sandwiches, etc., for the so-caIled
Douglass house of representatives?
Don't you know that at the end of the
fiscal year, June 80, 1894, the populists
turned back into the state treasury Of
unexpended balances $189, 657 .OS, which
is the largest unexpended balance in
the history Of the slater Don't you
know that for the three fiscal years
1889, 1890 and 1891 the republicans ex-
pended 1918, 513.15 for state printing,
while under populist state printer for
the three fiscal years 1892, 1893 and 1894
there was expended only $227 ,541.8S for
state printing, leaving balance IN ia
vOr of the populists of $50, 9S1 q?
Don't you know that the populists saw
ed the tax payers 1924 $50. 90 in reduc-
ton of salaries of county officials which
amount would not show up in state
taxes but in county taxesp Don't you
know that $315.OOO we're expended on
public works which is Sill, 500 more
than republicans expended on public
buildings during their last term? Don't
you know that $65. 900 was paid for the
Worlds Fair exhibit and that So, 81 .O3
additional was expended out of the
state printing fund for worlds fair
printing! Don't you know that the
total appropriation less by the legisla-
ture of 1888 (pop) than 1891 (rep) is $15,-
093.47? Don't you know that there
was $722 ,854.42 Of tax taken from the
shoulders of the common tax. payers by
the popullst board Of railroad assessors
when they equallzed the railroad as
sessment with other property of the
state? This tax consists of state, coun-
ty, school, and municipal tax, only a
small part of which is state tax. Don't
you know that our populist board of
equalization has made q reduction in
the assessed valuation of real estate in
the western part of the state on &C
count of hot winds and depreciation in
values, of over nineteen millions of
dollarsp This will relieve the western
farmers and Taxpayers of many thous-
ands of dollars in taxes this year. Don't
you know that when the populists came
into power that there was $40, O25.87
belonging to the school fund that was
uninvested by the republican school
fund commissioners and which should
have been bearing interest for the
state school fund? This amount help
ed to make up a large balance in tie
state treasury of which republicans
boast. Don't you know that in 1888,
under populist rule, the state tax levy
was the lowest ever known in the his
tory OF the state, and also that there
was more money in the state treasury
than ever known beforep And the bal
ance on hand June 80, 1894 would have
been about $225 600 greater, had 1t not
been for the unusual expenditure for
the erection of public buildings during
the year; also by reason Of the reduc-
ton of one-tenth Of one mill in the
state tax levy. Don't you know that
the republican boards of county CON-
missioners RENTED 1893 railroad tax
or penalty in the following countiesP
Marion. 44, 046.Io.
heuO. .........ss''..".'. 4IoVV.VV'
GUNNER. oio.So'
Shawnee. 1905. &c.
WaD6unbeo. 800. .....,...i. oOo.o5'
JouorSOu. .................. Tto'4A'
COwley. INSTRUMENTATION. 9,O23.69.
Total. ....... $23, 9S7. 10.
Railroad tax was also RENTED IN
several western counties but there is
some excuse for that. az they are to