Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-19
DEMOCRATIC HANDBOOK
FULL OF ERRORS AND OUTRAGEOUS
FALsEHoODs ABOUT MICHIGAN.
Dishonest Juggling with Figures by the
Fisher Advocates.

The voters OF Michigan must DC on
their guard. Every honest man should
constitute himself a vigilance commit
tee of one TO run down and head or
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 a defeat. The
Democrats do not expect to carry the
state, but they are straihing every
nerve to take the edge off of the Re-
publican victory whioi is sure TO come.
They wish TO keep the majority down
to so low n figure as to deprive Michi-
gan Republicans of any real cause tor
rejoicing In their anxiety to accom-
plish this the Democratic managers
have resorted to the most shameful
misrepresentations 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 crimlpally
extravagant in expenditures and has
exceeded all former administrations in
the lavish outlay of the peoples money.
The Democrats have Just issued II
Campaign handbook, 1894, filled 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
term ............ .................s2,s6] 05l %
State taxes levied during Rchs
term. ......... .......- 80. o'o-Vooo %
! ~, r,s.,..a 900 "a
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 a half-truth,
which is well known to be worse tina n
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
5000, 515.76 and got back only S34j,-
s7s.ss a difference of S251 ,G36. S.. 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 $40, sos. &C, which
must also be charged to them. Here
is a discrepancy in the Democratic
showing of SOS, 502.54. This, added to
the taxes raised during WinanS' term,
show the cost of his administration TO
be 50, , 553. IS.
The Republican administra ton, on
the contrary, is entitled TO large de-
duction from the taxes levied during
Richs term. in estimating the cost of
his administration. The sum of Si02,
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
S3,211.927.5S, or 1923, 626.ls 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. cunning the
state government under the two ad-
ministrations and yet that 1t IS an
imperfect statement. intended only tC
/
of one part of the book with another
After representing the total receipts o
the Republican administration at 50,
62O.35O5~, it charges the administra
ton with a total disbursement of 81
J.157.4O. This leaves "A discrepancy
in the Democratic statement Of Sob,
406. - to be accounted for Even i
, the disbursement of the cducationa
funds arising under constitutions
provisions from the collection of spe
citic taxes, is charged up to the Ricf
administration, the discrepancy Is by
no means removed. The total amount
Of specific taxes collected during tn,
last two fiscal years is S2.2ol, Gj9. OG
This added 10 the total tax levy o.
fl sg3-4. makes the receipts of the Iici
administration $500, G09.Gi. or Sl,23i,
THO short of what the Democrat,
'handboolt" charges the Rich admins
3 tration with disbursing.
. Nothing better shows the dishonest,
of Democratic campaign work NOR,
! than thi, one fact. In the first place
the handbook cXaggerates the tOta
of disbursements far beyond what /
can possibly be and then includes il
the disbursements for running tn
e state government the disbursement o
i the educational FUNDS, when are u
| no way connected with the running o
! the state government \ moment
: reflection shows the dishonesty of sucl
/ n charge against the Rich administra
G ton. The specific taxes are turne
? into the primary school fund by tn
Z express provisions Of the constitution
and are expended for educational pun
u poses alone. The receipt and cXpendi
ture of specific taxes, being thus cN
pressly dictated by the constitution, /
not affected by change Of administra
S ton. but remains the same. Til
J. present administration merely col
lected and expended for educationa
!, purposes just what the constitution
and laws require. If a faithful OF
e scrvance of the constitution and tn
s laws is an offense in the eye
a. of the Democracy. then the Republica
h administration pleads guilty. But tn
receipt and disbursement of specifi
q taxes has nothing whatever TO do wit
n the expense of running the state gov
eminent. The only purpose of alluC
ing 10 the disbursement of them h
the handbook was TO create the IN
4 preston that the present administrs
p. ton is squandering huge sums of Tia
/ 10