The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19
Kansas POpulist Administration Has
Saved the State Over 81 900. 600


Saved the State Over T1,OOO.OOO.
TOPEKA, Kan, Sept "a few weeks ago
Dr. ID. c. Zercher the Populist assistant
secretary of state, published an article en-
titled stubborn Facts in which he show
ed figures to the effect that during the
short time the Populists have been in power
IN Kansas they have saved to the taxpayers
of the state over $1,000, 600 This aggravated
the temper of James A Troutman the Re
publican candidate for lieutenant governor,
who attempted to reply to the claims of
DIR. Zercher.
The populist secretary today sent an open
letter to the man who presumed to call him
down, in which he shows that every at
tempt of the Republican candidate to dis
prove his claims of large savings to the tax
payers by the present administration is in
direct antagonism with the facts and the
records.
DR.. Zercher shows by the recent report of
the state treasurer that Jan. l. 1892 under
Republican rule, the cash balance was
S227,5927 70 less than Jan. /, 1894, after the
Populists had been in power only a year,
and that July l, 1892, the end of the fiscal
year, there was $115 1863. Y less cash in the
treasury than on the same date in 1894,
Notwithstanding there was $256,97315 less
collected by the treasurer during the year
1894.
Troutmans assertion that the Populists
had not saved $244,65O by reductions of sal
aries of county officials is met by DR..
Zercher with the exact calculations in each
county effected by the laws passed by the
Populst house in 1891.
Zercher shows by the report of the Popu-
list state board of railroad assessors that in
the one item of equalizing, the assessments
as between the railroad and other property
in the state there was a saving to the peo-
pie of just 1922, S54.4 while the last Repub-
lican state board increa sedf the taxes on the
people by lowering the railroad assessment
over 81 100000. He shows that while the Re-
| publicans paid in 1891 $4O055 for extra clerk
| hire in the office of the secretary of state,
| and 1856 in 1892 for the same, the Populists
| have not paid a cent for any such purpose.
| After asking Troutman to explain what
went with all the $40, 650.3S which ap-
| propriated to pay Republican deficiencies,
| calls up the records to show that the Popu-
| lists had reduced the levy for state tax in
| 1893 by s71324.36. He also cites the saving
| by the Populists of s15O,971.27 on the single
| item of state printing u
Troutman fails to offer any explanation
| of the showing which Zercher made of how
| the Populist county boards of commission
ers had invariably refused to rebate any
| of the railroad taxes in their counties, but
| that the Republican boards had universally
| taken such action, the taxes SO related in
| seven counties amounting to $4,000
| Troutman is also reminded that he fails
| even to try to explain the S46.665. AZ balance
| unaccounted for on the books OF the state
| auditor from 1871 to 1884. Zercher claims
| that Troutman has failed to explain the
numerous items of savings to the people
| during the short time the Populists have
! been in power; therefore all the claims of
| such savings would have to stand, and that
| he stood ready at any time to send to any
! Republican voter the detailed statement,
taken from the records showing that the
| savings by the Populist administration up
to date aggregate the very neat sum of
81, AL, 636.23. sssse