The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-10-12
DEMOCRATIC HANDBOOK
FULL or BRRORs AND OUTRAGEOUS
FALsEHOODs ABOUT MICHIGAN.
Dishonest Juggling with Figures by the
Fisher Advocates.

The voters of Michigan must be on
their guard Every honest man should
constitute himself a vigilance commit
tee of one to run down and head of
Democratic campaign lies and never
relax his activity until the ballots are
cast, honestly counted and safely re-
turned.
The Republican party is entitled to
rousing victory in Michigan this
year. No halfway victory will suffice.
1t would be almost defeat. The
Democrats do not expect to carry the
state, but they are straining every
nerve to take the edge off of the Re-
publican victory which is sure to come.
They wish to keep the majority down
to SO low figure as to deprive Michi-
gan Republicans of any real cause for
rejoicing. In their anxiety to accom-
plish this the Democratic managers
have resorted to the most shameful
misrepresentation about the relative
expenses of the Winans and Rich adj
ministrations of the state. They are
endeavoring to convince the people
that the present Republican admins
tration of the state has been criminally
OAuovoBoAt Ill expenditures duQ Nus
exceeded all former administrations in
the lavish outlay of the peoples money.
The Democrats have Just issued q
Campaign handbook, 1894" filed full
of Misrepresentation well calculated
to cheat the honest voter out of his
vote. They present for his considera-
ton the following array of figures:
State taxes levied during Winans'
State taxes levied during Richs; '"'''''''- ~
term......... ..,................. 3,62O35O 81
Excess OF Rich's administration. s. 757 300 80
The first of these sums is correct
and so is the second. But the conclu-
sion is false. 1t may seem an anomaly
that from two truths a falsehood may
be deduced, but it is no novelty in
Democratic campaign reasoning. The
fallacy here consists in half-truth,
which is well known to be worse than
a lie, especially in Democratic mouths.
The Democratic handbook keeps
out of sight the fact that, in addition
to the taxes levied during Winans'
term, the Republicans turned over
1908, 515.76 and got back only $685.
S7S. SS, a difference of S257, 636. IS, which
was all spent and must be charged up
to the Winans administration. The
book also ignores the fact that the
Democrats received from the United
States the sum of $500, S65. &c, which
must also be charged to them. Here
is q discrepancy in the Democratic
showing of $67S, 502.5 "a. This, added to
the taxes raised during Winans' term,
show the cost of his administration to
be 1854, 553.76.
The Republican administration, on
the contrary, is entitled to large de-
duction from the taxes levied during
Rich's term, in estimating the cost of
his administration. The sum of $4O2,-
423 was raised for repairs, improve
ments and new buildings, made neces-
sary by Democratic neglect. This is
no part of the cost of running the
state government. When this deduc-
ton is made, it shows that the Rich
administration cost the people only
$3,217, 927.5S, or $323, 626.1S less than
Winans' ADMINISTRATION.
The Democratic handbook" by tell
ing only part of the truth, is expected
to deceive the people into repudiating
the best and most economical state
government they ever had.
This handbook" pretends to be a
statement of the cost of running the
state government under the two adj
and yet that it is an
statement, intended only to
deceive, is apparent from comparison
of one part of the book with another.
After representing the total receipts of
the Republican administration at 3d.
go, 3505S, it charges the administra-
ton with total disbursement of ST.
139, 1910. This leaves a discrepancy
in the Democratic statement of 3,519,-
406.S2 to be accounted for. Even if
the disbursement of the educational
funds, arising under constitutional
provisions from the collection of spe-
cific taxes, is charged up to the Rich
the discrepancy is by
no means removed. The total amount
of specific taxes collected during the
last two fiscal years is 2,2S4, $50. 06.
This, added to the total tax levy of
1894, makes the receipts of the Rich
S5,9O5, 009.64, or 1,234,-
747.76 short of what the Democratic
tration with disbursing.
Nothing better shows the dishonesty
of Democratic campaign work more
than this one fact. In the first place
the Handbook" exaggerates the total
of disbursements far beyond what it
can possibly be and then includes in
the disbursements for running the
state government the disbursement of
the educational funds, which are in
no way connected with the running of
the state government. A moments
reflection shows the dishonesty of such
a charge against the Rich administra-
ton. The specific taxes are turned
into the primary school fund by the
express provisions of the constitution
and are expended for educational pur-
poses alone. The receipt and expendi-
ture of specific taxes, being thus ex-
pressly dictated by the constitution, is
not affected by change of administra-
ton, but remains the same. The
present administration merely col
lected and expended for educational
purposes just what the constitution
and laws require. If faithful OBJ
of the constitution and the
laws is an offense in the eyes
Of the Democracy, then the Republican
pleads guilty But the
receipt and disbursement of specific
taxes has nothing whatever to do with
the expense of running the state gov
eminent. The only purpose of allud
b.. t1a 1.