The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-08-28

improvements was increased 1872 461,-
SO4, and of personal property s56,914.-
45S. The railroads, express companies
etc., bore less than One-fourth of the
total Increase in appraisement, and,
as before stated, there was a substan-
tial Increase in the levy all round. 1t
may be noted in this connection that
under the old law Democratic tax
boards had appraised the value of rail-
road property during the years 1883
to 1886 inclusive, at from f1fty-three to
hfty-five million dollars; in 1887 a Re-
publican tax board promptly increased
the appraisement to sixty-two million,
and by 1890 had raised it to nearly
seventy Millions in other words
Republican tax board had increased
the valuation of railroad property four
teen millions. or nearly % per cent
over the Democratic figure, within the
short space of four years. Under the
present era of Republican control the
appraisement of the property of rail-
roads, express companies, ETC.. has
been increased nearly thirty million
dollars. nine million dollars at the
recent sitting Of the tax board. The
appraisement on the property of ex-
press and sleeping car companies fixed
by Democratic board soon after the
new law was passed was about one
fourth Of the present figure.
Corporations Were Favored.
An interesting confession has been
made by the few persons with assur-
ance enough TO defend the record of
Democratic leadership on the state
debt, namely. that up to the time of
the enactment Of the new tax law, the
large corporations were paying much
less than their fair share OF the taxes.
For nearly twenty years prior to the
enactment of the law, Democratic lead
ership was in almost uninterrupted
control Of the legislative branch of the
state government. It was during this
period that corporate holdings increas-
ed most rapidly in this state; yet, in
preference to shifting a greater por-
ton of the burden upon them, Demo
cratic leadership permitted. year after
year, deficits in the state revenue
which resulted in an increase of nearly
S5,000,000 in the state debt before the
abuse was corrected. Since that time
the people have been compelled to pay
the price of this immunity by scaling
down state debt representing not
only extravagant administration and
unbusinesslike management. but cor
porate immunity from reasonable taxa
ton.
More Recent History.
The new tax law added to the reve-
nues of the state nearly $500. 900 an
nually: for the two years Immediately
succeeding its enactment the total in
crease in revenue, to be exact, was
s2.S30.975. and yet during these two
years the $S,0O0,OGO state debt was
decreased not single cent. During
the third year of the operations of the
new tax law. Democratic fiscal officers
paid one-fourth of the increase in reve-
nue., or $4,000. on the state debt
The next year they paid $4,000, and
in January of the following year
100000 OF this total payment of
81, 100000 on the state debt, $780,
900 came from the general govern
ment, a repayment OF the direct tax
paid by the state during the war.
With FIVE million dollars in increased
revenues in four years. they actually
paid only $5S0.000 on the state debt
therefrom. In seven years of Repub-
lican fiscal control nearly five million
dollers has been paid on the state
debt, and II we subtract from this
amount the 100000 secured from the
general government as a refund on
account of interest on bonds issued
| by Indiana during the war, there still
remains to the credit of Republican
management reduction of the state
debt aggregating much in excess of
four million dollars. with the certainty
that every dollar of the state debt. ex-
cepting some bonds deferred by law,
will be paid during the administration
of Governor Durbin. All this despite
reduction in the tax levy from IS
to IA cents. and the expenditure of a
million and half dollars in the en-.
largement and improvement of the
states institutions. All this as the
result of business management of the
states business affairs.
A vote for Republican legislative
candidates is a vote against the state
debt.