Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-08-30
THEY ARR OFF AGAIN.
The Republicans Blundering
Worse and Worse.
FAIL SADLY nv TRYING TO EX
PLAIN TAX REDUCTION.

Record of the State Administration
They show Their own Ignorance-The
Surplus in the Treasury Comes from
Honesty and Faithful Performance of
Duty-Not One Dollar Has Come From
state Tax Which Is Levied Solely for
Educational Purposes.
MILWAUKEE, Aug. EFT is extremely
amusing to see the efforts put forth by the
Republican papers to counteract the rec
ord made by the Democratic administra-
ton in the reduction of the state tax. First
it was only little thing, n mere baga-
telle which amounted TO nothing. Find
ing this would not do they took another
tack and attempted to prove the admins
tration had increased instead of diminished
taxes. This was exploited at extreme
length in double loaded columns. But
like other statements about state affairs
it only showed that the eXploiters did not
know what they were talking about.
1t was charged that the great surplus in
the treasury had been accumulated not by
economy in administration, but by ln-
crease in taxation. The facts are, as every
one acquitted with state affairs knows, the
tax known as state tax is levied solely
for educational purposes. AS soon as it Is
received it is paid out again Immediately
to the university, normal and public
schools. IL it increases any year the
schools of the state receive just that much
more.
ALL WENT TO THE SCHOOLS.
All state taxes levied and collected dur
ing the past four years went to the support
of public schools; not II cent thus raised
was turned into the general fund.
The amount of these depends each
year on the assessed valuation of the
property of the state. AS the mill tax
means one mill on every dollar of prop
erty, the greater the valuation the greater
the tax. In 1890, the last year of Repub.
lican rule, the assessed valuation of the
state was $500, 100000. and the mill tax was
was $500, 900. In 1891, the valuation was
SG23 600, 900, making the mill tax $623, 600,
an increase. by operation of law, of $3l 900.
Not cent of this tax levy went to the
general fund or remained in the state
treasury. The mill tax is annually nppor-
toned in accordance with law and is used
by the people to defray the annual cost of
maintaining the common schools. The
money raised for the university is an-
nually expended for the support by the
regents. What is true of the tax levied i'll
1891 is true of the taxes levied in 1892 and
1898 In 1892 the assessed valuation of the
state was SG54, U000JO, making the mill tax
SG54 900. The university taxes were in
creased in like proportion. There was no
increase in any other tax levied. The in
creases mentioned resulted from the opera
ton of law and were determined by the
growing wealth of the state. The present
administration had nothing to do with
the increase.
The demand upon the state in aid of
public education must continue to in
crease with the growth of population rs
the income increases with the growth in
wealth. This has been made evident by
the amounts necessarily expended in ex-
tending the facilities of the university, and
normal schools. For instance, four fine
buildings have been recently added to the
university. The current expenses are of
necessity increased to operate these addi-
tions. Every normal school in the state
except one, has been greatly enlarged I'M
der the present administration, and one
new school was built at Stevens Point.
NOT A DOLLAR CAN REMAIN.
There is not dollar of tax levied for
school purposes by law, that the same law
does not provide for the payment out of
the state treasury. The purposes for
which these general taxes are levied are
specific, and their disbursement is mat
ter of public record The income of the
common school fund may be taken as am
illustration. This consists Of the one-mill
tax, n portion of the annual interest on
our state debt, and the earnings of what
remains of the common school fund. The
law requires that all of this income re-
ceived up to the 81 day of June each year
shall DO apportioned and paid out to the
several towns of the state rs early rs the
18th of June. 1t is therefore impossible,
except by violation of law, to accumulate
any money in tho state treasury from the
state tax.
Dunng four years of Democratic rule
the people have received Sl,l14, i65 moro
from the state for educational purposes
than they received during the four years
preceding when the Republican party was
in power In addition by careful and
economical handling of affairs the Demo-
cratic administration is able 70 reduce the
tax which is levied this year, three-quar-
ters of million of dollars.
This surplus has nothing to do with the
taxes which have been levied. 1t comes
from economy in state expenses and re-
turns from the judgments recovered from
eN-state treasurers, together with about
$4,000 still in the general fund of war
taxes returned by the general govern
ment.
REPUBLICANS ARE PARALYzED.
All taxes levied during the past four
years have been for the maintenance of
public schools NOT A DOLLAR HAS BEEN
RETAINED FROM YEAR TO YEAR IN THE
STATE TREASURY. Not a dollar of the tax
levied has been turned into the general
fund. EVERY DOLLAR or IT HAS BEEN PAID
BACK To TIlE PEOPLE AND USED BY THEM
To PAY THE CURRENT FXpENSES OF THE
PUBIC SCHOOLS.
Through the practice Of economy and
honesty, the present state admiuistra-
ton has accumulated handsome sur
plus Of Si42, 200 in the general fund, which
will be made to take the place of three
fourthS OF the state school tax levy for the
present year. This result of state man
agcment paralyzes Republicans: they
seem To I've at a loss To understand how n
surplus can I've accumulated When they
turned the treasury over to the Demo