The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-10-10
DR.. HERING'S FIGURES.

DR.. Joshua W. Herring, of Carroll
county, comptroller of Maryland and
now candidate for reelection to
that office, is a man of high character
and unquestioned probity. That he
handles the money of the state in a
thoroughly honest way none can
doubt, and the Democrats do them
selves honor when they nominate and
renominate such man as he. Strong
as DR.. Hering's personal character is,
very weak was the defense he made of
his party in the speech he delivered
accepting denomination to the office
of comptroller. He touched the subject
purely from a financial standpoint,
declaring that the Democratic party
is to be congratulated upon the record
it has made in reducing the net public
| debt of the state from about seven and
half millions in 1867 to less than three
millions at the present time, and re-
ducing the state tax rate in that time
from 90 cents to H. Then DR.. Herring
added:
I'VE point with satisfaction to the
fact that under the economical man
agement of the Democratic majority
in the Legislature of 1900 the session
cost the taxpayers of Maryland nearly
$4,000 less than the session of 1898, the
cost of the session of 1898, including
per diem. printing, &C., being $173-
S27,49, while the cost of the session of
1900, covering the same items of ex-
penses, was $1GS, O03,99, a difference
of s., S23,50
Not to enter into discussion now
of the reasons for this difference, does
DR.. Herring take into account the
$40, 1000 spent by his party for an extra
session to emasculate good election
law, or of the $4,000 appropriated by
that $45,000 extra session for state
census, which was wholly unnecessary
unless it be for the partisan purposes
to which it is now being put by the
very men who took it? Did any of
these figures enter into DR.. Hering's
calculations when he spoke of the
economical administration of Mary
lands finances under the present
regime? If such partisan expensive
legislation as that is true economy, a
fpU Of II would 10
state debt back to the figures of 1867.
1t is not safe for DIR. Herring or any
other Democrat to point with too
much pride to the record that party
has made in the handling of the
finances of the state during the past
80 years. There have been some very
black spots on that record, and the
people of Maryland can see some of
those spots yet. 1t is not so many
years ago that all the money in the
treasury was missing one morning,
and more than once have there been
some very suspicious dealings in loans
issued from the state capital. Mary
lands financial management is not
a good campaign argument for Dem
ocrats, and DR.. Herring must be care
full, or he will find himself on very
dangerous ground.
The reduction of five million dollars
in the state debt is due in part to an
increase in the states taxable prop
erty, in larger part to unjust legisla-
ton passed by Democrats by which
Baltimore is compelled carry the state
on its shoulders and keep the state
treasury full, while its own city treas
ury is empty. 1t is this that has made
the state rich, and not any wise or
economical management of state
finances. When DIR. Herring looks at
the states finances he should also look
at those of the city, and then he will
see exactly what Democratic manage
ment of finances can do when it is
given a chance.
N0uEnM0n cMYTu,c ANc urn