The sun., 1901-09-05
COUNTY FINANCES.

ihiShiulsiSfHitHi III NbuiN. SbN- |
ernment, essays to make il appear that |
the deficit of nearly $4,000 in county |
finances during the past six years is due
to the fact that since the new constitu
tion went into effect here has been 10
collection of poll taXcs.Eyery Evening |
There was no word of excuse, or de- |
fence, of extravaganza or mismanag"
ment in what The Sun had to say about
"county finances" The extravaganza and I
ment. is so surely and apparently the
work of Democrats and of the Demo-
cratic party. against which we have been
fighting for wears, that we have neither
We did state a fact relative to county i
finances, and gave the figures to sustain
the statement we made. and made ii 50
clear that Every Evenings sophistry docs |
not obscure It. The point we made IS
that there has been shrinkage of county
revenues consequent upon the abolish
ing of the poll taxes, the amount of
which balances the deficit shown to exist
i'll the county treasury. That is fact
and if it is not conclusive evidence that
there is Il relative connection between the
loss of the poll taxes and the deficit III
the county treasury, il shows very sue-
gcstye coincidence Another fact. equal
ly suggestive, is that the making of
such Il deficit. III the way suggested. is
perfectly consistent with Democratic
administration policy; and there can hc
no doubt about the deficit. nor about
the making of it by the Democrats IN
pursuit Of their policy. There was Il loss
Of income. The Democrats IN control Of
the Levy Court did not provide for rru-
bursting the treasury for this loss. There
is Il deficit consequent upon the Demo
cratic control of the court These are
Democratic party.
Because we say that we do not know
"f AMY provision in tho tax levy to re-
imbulse the county for its apparent loss
of income. this recent and sudden Demo
cratic convert to political reform. as
Sumes that we know very little about i
and that it knows it ALL We are tol,
that the poll tax has not been abandonc,!
That Is. Every Evening assumes !,
know what is not true. The poll tn:
provided for ANA collected by authorl,
of the old constitution was abolished il
the amendment aud PRONUNCIATION Of tn
~ Stnt,
now no law for its levy or collection, an,
il il has been collected from man
property owners" the collection il il
legal, Then, this Democratic sorIlis
tells MS, the "rapitati"n tax receipts "a
1898, amounted to $SS1SG" This stat,
Inent is PET forward 10 show tia; th.i
WAS m ,ifnrt on the part of THE Dom,
cratic Levy Court to reimburse tho trril.
itry for I'll" loss Of poll taxes THAI $SSt s,
nol eHnash t" pay til" salary Of onr ot til
collectors, WAS collected to rcimltrs
loss of about $4,000. Could there /,
mere direct confession OF proved il,
competency, or dishonesty, on the part 4
the Democratic party: Or could th,r
he more complete failure To ,liSproy
the suggested connection between Iii
loss Of the poll taxes and the count
deficit?
Hnt not content with this display ,
real W affected ignorance of this matte
our Democratic rcrormrr assumes iii,
we had forgotten the registration il,
and says.
These registration fees 20 into II
county treasury: and the amount j
crir"d from this source in 1898 Was ST!
35f.iS II is doubtful that in any yc;
under the Old system the poll taxes "
cC,drd that amount
Neither of these statements arc tr,
in the sense given them by Every Eve
ing. I'll" registration fees Of 1875 repr
sent the collection for two years. ii
therefore represent only half the amou
Of poll taxes for any given year. II
sum u tines fees applicable to the con
y expenses IN amy one year would be-. 4
cordins 70 Every Evening. S9.G7S.4S pl
sSsi.S6. or $lO.560lG.
BY what Kind of mathematics Il 81
0oO made to reimburse loss of s25O0
But the ease Is worse than that. In Is
there was but 1881 sc collected of caI
t,ltion tax. During thc last Two yea
tha books Of the collectors of capitat
t;lN were not taken ont If the conn
trcasurcl'S Dfiicc; or at least ont Of t
office III which they are Kept: ana thc
ri is failure. using Every Evenings arr
mcnt against itself Of the Democrats
perform duty for which they were oi
gated caused Il loss of revenue to t
county of NJ least $4,000 i year. 1--WE,
Thousand taxes III SOC each would pro,lu
that amGunl. During the four years
dispute. the only collection noted was Il
than $500. and the four years slow = Il
Of 100000 les, 5000. or $50. 100. Now cnul
ing the registration foe substitute I
the poll tax, its yearly average rs Civ
by Every Evening is. in ronnd numbe
100000 or $1,000 less. annually. than t
receipts of the poll taxes estimated MP
tho average vote. Four years OF su
loss amounts TO 10000, and this 81