The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1903-10-28
What Did Taylor Do
With the Money?
COL. BELKNAP IN ERROR.
Bradley Did Not Turn States
Fund Over to Democrats,
But to Fugitive and
His Crowd.
Beckham Has Paid all the Debts
Piled Up bu Both His Predeces-
SorS.


fordville, Col, Belknap, the Repub
lican nominee for Governor, made
the statement that at the close of
the administration of W. o, Brad
ley 81, 100000 was turned over to
the Democratic Administration,
Col. Belknap was grossly in error
in this statement and the records
of the Treasurer's office at Frank
fort will disprove it. Col. Bell
nap forgot that w. o. Bradley was
ucceeded by w. S. Taylor and not
by the Democrats.
He says that at the close of
Bradley's term there was in the
State Treasury 81, 100,6l407. But
if this money was on hand at this
tlme-that is the 81, 100, OOO-it
went into the hands of the Repub-
1ican officials under Taylor on jan
uary 1st, 1900, and all except
$364,77l.37 was spent by them.
Taylor was a Republican Governor
until ousted by the decision of the
General Assembly. Those who
held Office with him were likewise
Republican officials. This vast
sum, which it is claimed that Brad
lev had on hand when the Demo-
Gratis took charge, had dwindled to
1864, 77J.37. What became of all
this money? 1t will not relieve
the Republican party from the
charge of mismanagement or mis-
appropriation TO SNOW that Brad
ley accumulated a million dollars
if his Republican successor squan-
dered or misapPropiated it. In
n this transaction all Republicans
Isfook alike. 1t is no excuse that
~-Bradley paid to Taylor. Repub-
<llcans must answer to the people
-of~the Commonwealth for Taylor
as wefFas Bradley. They are re-
sponsible alike for the official acts
of both.
Yet according to Belknap's idea
of business, as expounded in his
Munfordville speech, the present
administration is to be charged
with the amount which Bradley
turned over to Taylor. After
charging the Democratic admin
istration with what Taylor receiv
ed, giving no credits, and "estima-
ting the revenue, Mr.. Belknap
arrives at the conclusion that we
have "bought our government" at
the rate of five million a year.
This is an amazing fnancia, blum
der for business man to make.
For the first time in IS years the
State of Kentucky is now abso-
lutely out of debt and every cent
of the debt which was piled up in
former years has oeen paid during
the administration of Governor
Beckham.
There are but three other States
in the Union which enjoy the same
distinction as Kentucky; Nebraska
New Jersey and West Virginia
now being out OF debt.
When Bradley came into office
one of his first official acts was to
issue 100000 of 4 per cent ten
year bonds. He realized from
these bonds $539,O00. He caused
the tax rate to be raised from 474
cents to 52t cents, and it so re-
manned during the last three years
of his administration; but at the
beginning of the Democratic adj
ministration it dropped back to
All cents, and SO remained during
1900 and 1901. The rate during
1902 and 1908 vas SOC.
1t will thus be seen that the Re-
publican administration, under
Governor Bradley, for three years,
had the highest rate of taxation
ever know in Kentucky. The diff
ference in the amount of the reve-
nue. produced under this high rate
and the rate which has prevailed
ander the present administration
is S1,0c0,e0O in round numbers.