Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-10-20

Tor 20 years under Democratic control. =
1t is glorious, patriotic and inspiring.
She is the fairest, greatest and richest
of Jefferson's s political daughters, and
she has lived up thoroughly to his theory
Of economy in the public expense. y
Let no reader of this outside of Mis-
souri, hastily jump at the conclusion
that he has no interest in "applied De-
mocracy'' in Missouri, for he has, no
matter where he resides or whether he
is Democrat, Republican or Populist,
for the necessity for paying taxes is uni
versal and presses upon all citizens
without respect to state lines or polit-
ical affiliations. Republicans do not like
to pay taxes any more than Democrats.
Therefore they would do we'll to ponder
Missouri's lesson in "applied Democ-
racy." If everybody in America thor
oughly understood Missouri Democratic
history, every state III the Union would
go Democratic this fall and there would
be only two Republicans in the next
congress, and they the two already
elected from Oregon, because the Ore
gonians had not profited by Missouri s
notable example in s'applied Democ-
racy.
If it be true that he who makes two
blades of grass grow where only one
grew before is a public benefactor, then
the party which pays public debt and
at the same time reduces the tax rate is
also a public benefactor; for penny
saved is penny made. That's precise
ly what the Democratic officials Of Mis-
souri, have done. If the people of boss
ridden Pennsylvania could comprehend
this lesson, they would bury the Quay
and Wanamaker factions together in
potter field and place the affairs of the
state in the hands of honest Democrats
by 500, 900 majority. If the people of
Ohio understood it, they would uncere-
moniously kick both the Hannaites and
Forakerites into the gulf of oblivion
and put only Democrats on guard. If
the New Workers only had sense enough
to take lesson in economics from the
plain Democrats of Missouri, Platt and
his gang, Black and his gang and all the
rest Of the gangs would vanish as a
dream, and the taxpayers would think
they were living in the millennium.
What healthy change the Missouri
Democratic plan would work in Illinois,
where one scandal succeeds another in
and about the statehouse!
Fair Election Laws.
Let it also be remembered that in
Missouri Democracy has been applied
to public affairs under conditions per-
fectly fair. Every male citizen, black
or white, rich or poor great or small,
who has not been convicted of felony
is voter in Missouri, and he not only
has the right to vote, but be actually
votes, provided he wants to, and, what
is more, his vote is counted as it is cast
No state in the Union has better cleo
tion laws. Nowhere is the right of suf-
frage more carefully and sacredly
guarded.
For 26 years Democrats have con-
trolled the state. During all that time
only three Republican state officers have
been elected--a judge of the supreme
court, railroad commissioner and super
intendent of public schools--all three of
whom were elected by a fuke in the
cataclysm of 1894. In all these years
the Democrats have controlled the leg
islature in both branches except that
in 1894 the Republicans elected the
lower house, but even then the Demo
Gratis had the senate and the governor,
who possesses the veto power, SO that
Democratic supremacy has been COM
plete. The record they have have made
is matter of ineffable pride and might
be duplicated in any and every state in
the Union, thereby giving the people
better local government and saving mil
lions upon millions to the taxpayers,
verifying Jefferson theory, Economy
in the public expense. that labor may
be lightly burdened. +"
Splendid Record.
When the control of the state govern
ment passed into the hands of the DEM
ocratie party on Jan. /, 1878 (when
Governor Woodson was inaugurated),
the state debt amounted to $21, 76S, 900.
Now, after 26 years of unbroken
Democratic sway, it has been reduced
to $4,000, 900. and will be paid off in
five years
That is surely glorious record, but
that's only a part of it, for in 1878 peo-
pie of Missouri were paying per cent
on their bonds, and those bonds were
hawked about the markets of the world
at large discount. Now the debt bears
only 31a per cent technically, while
they sell at such premium as to be
really 8 per cent bonds, which makes
Missouri's IS credit actually better than
the credit of the national government,
for United States bond is nontaxable,
while Missouri bond is taxable when
found. All this is the work of Missouri
Democrats--a glorious record-one
which can be not only defended but
exploited i'll the face of the world.
But how has this splendid result been
secured? By increasing the taxes? No.
but by diminishing the taxes Debt cut
down and taxes cut down--a perform
ance unequaled since governments were
uISt 1Ao11uu0Ou dlnoa6 AHCA "a AuAAoS1o
Of finance wrought by Missouri Demo
Gratis.
Under Republican Rule.
That there may be no mistake about
it | give the tax rate year by year
since the close of the civil war as tab
ulated by Auditor James M. Seibert,
with his comments:
Sixty cents on the 500 was levied by the Re-
publicans in 1865, and in addition thereto, 81
poll tax and So military tax.
Ninety cents on the 800 was levied in 1865,
and in addition 81 revenue poll and 81 military
poll tax.
Sixty-f cents on the 500 was levied in 1857
and 50 cents revenue poll tax.
Fifty cents on the 500 was levied in 1868,
with 50 cents revenue poll tax.
Fifty cents ON the 500 was the rate levied
in 1869 1870 and 1871.
Forty five cents on the 500 was levied in
1872, 1873, 1874 and 1876.
Forty cents on the 500 was levied in 1873,
1877. 1875 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1888. 1884, 1885,
1888, 1887 and 1888.
Thirty cents on the 500 was the rate levied
in 1889, 1890 and 1891
Twenty-Five cents on the 500 was the total
levy for state purposes in 1892, 1893, 1894 1895,
1895 and 1897 OF this 10 cents the $50 is
for state interest tax to pay principal and in
terest on the state debt and the remaining 10
cents is for state revenue tax.
1t is the experience of nearly every state in
the American Union that expenses of govern
ment increase in about the same ratio as the
increase of taxable wealth. Missouri, under
Democratic CONTROL is an exception to the
rule. The figures just given show that the
rate of state taxes has steadily decreased since
tno4 he neYro 10 oP orr