New-York tribune., 1902-07-10
STATE EXPENSES.

The attempt of some Democratic politicians
to counteract the effect of the low State tax
rate by representing that it is fraud and that
the State is extraYagantly governed as COM
pared with the time of Governor Flower is
evidently doomed to failure. Party organs of
the baser sort may persist in misstating facts
and juggling figures, and a few voters may be
affected thereby, but when Democratic news
papers like 1.-The Brooklyn Eagle" expose the
injustice of the comparison. and independent
newspapers like "The New-York Evening Post"
analyze the States expenses and completely
justify Republican financial management, it
will be impossible to make any serious head
way with a campaign based on misrepreSenta-
ton of this Administrations expenditures.
Ex-senator Hills makers of campaign litera-
ture must have low estimate of popular in
telligence if they for an instant suppose that
the money spent on the insane is new ex-
penditure to be charged up TO Republican ex-
travagance. They say that the low tax rate
means nothing, because the money is raised in
another way. They try. however, TO conceal the
fact that the charge for the insane in the State
budget means nothing. because the bulk of the
money was spent before in another way. In
Governor Flowers time the State care system
was In its infancy, but we had the insane to
support just the same. The tax was levied by
the counties and the transfer of the institutions
TO the State not completed until long after
his retirement The system has been of in
calculabe benefit to the unfortunate. and has
wiped out a disgrace under which the State
long suffered. If the Democrats care to make
an issue before the people of this work Of hui
manity and the additional cost of giving them
decent treatment-if they wish to challenge COM
parison between the administration Of the sys-
tau OdpII fri0htfuIIV
wasteful building operations in some of the hos
pitfalls under Governor Flower, Republicans can
easily accommodate them. Unless they do this
they must acknowledge that the increased ex-
penses of hospitals and other charitable institu-
tions amounting to S3,276,600 0S must be de-
Quoted from the apparent increase of S416S,-
646 95 In State expenses since 1898 before any
fair comparison can be made. The bulk OF that
increase in philanthropic expenditures is only
apparent, having been paid by the counties be-
fore. The rest represents honest and legiti-
mate improvements On the old poorhouse neg
lect of the unfortunate.
There is, then, only $SS7,046 81 increased ex-
penditures to be accounted for. Is that the
measure Of extravaganza? The constitution
adopted by the people increasing the number of
judges and the size of the Senate and Assembly
required an increase in appropriations for those
OBJECTS or S0lo,SZUZ %. Inc dQInlnlSIdllOn nds
no choice but to pay these charges. So only
$40, Log 50 of apparent extravaganza remains.
That is more than accounted for by the $751;
56S 20 spent on good roads. Do the Democrats
want to make an issue Of the good roads policy?
Do they challenge the wisdom Of the additional
$500 $50 Is appropriations to raise the standard
of primary and academic education and
strengthen schools in the poor districts of the
State? If so, they may fairly make specific
complaint of extravaganza. If not they are
bound to confess that the Republicans, instead
of being wasteful. have spent S1,457 1874 "a less
than the Democrats under Governor Flower to
carry on the ordinary activities Of the State
government, Notwithstanding the great growth
in population and the increase in the States
business. The people want the insane well
cared for; they want their children to have good
schools; they want the construction of good
roads. To give them these the Republicans
have spent money, but more than third OF
that expenditure has been provided for by econ
on1ies in every department. On that record the
Republicans are glad to go before the people.