Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-10
Over in Penobscot,

How is it with the taxpayers OF Pc
nobscot county? What do they get
from the State treasury in return for
the money they pay into it? On am
other page the Journal publishes. this
morning, a table showing the State
tax of every city and town in that
county for 1903 and the sums received
by each in that year for school pur-
poses, railroad tax, State pensions,
State roads, and other appropriations.
The figures are official and the Demo-
cratic figure juggler will be very IN
wise who attempts to dispute them IN
any particular. The table shows that
while the State tax of the whole couh-
t. in 1903 amounted to $92.3lo, its
towns and cities in that year received
hack from the State the sum or
s1s2S45. an excess of S10,4l0 in favor
of the county. No fewer than 80 of the
IS cities and towns in Penobscot coun-
ty. and of course, all OF the six planta-
tions received back from the state
treasury more than they paid INTO II.
In the remaining eight towns the eX-
case a small one. Moreover, it appears
that the part Of the State tax paid by
non-residentS is $15.29I, so that the
excess i'm favor Of the actual residents
of the county is So 61 instead OF
s70,410 as appears by the table.
In the face Of such il showing what
becomes of the attempt of the Demo-
cratic managers to get the taxpayers
excited over their sufferings under the
iron heel Of state taxation?" AS we
have. shown in many earlier tables, the
case of Ptnobscot county is only typf-
cal of all PARTS of the State. BY far
the greater part of our towns receive
NOR. money from the State treasury
every year than they pay into it, over
half the towns get more money for
school purposes alone than their State
for the Democrats to try to make the
intelligent people of Maine believe that
State taxation is Il "burden.' If taxes
are high in this toxin or that town it is
due wholly to local reasons. ana is not
the result of State taxation.
AS Il matter Of fact in spite of their
increa sed population and valuation. the
a smaller State tax now than they did
20 years ago. In lSS. they paid a State
tax of 81 .O55.2S9 while in 1903 they paid
| $941.i59. being $l13.N.9 less than 20
years earlier. This comes about be-
| cause successive Republican admnis-
| trations have cut the State tax rate
from AZ, mills in 1852 to "a mills at
| the present time and have transferred
| the burden of taxation from the tax
| payers to the great corporate interests.
| And while these Republican admnis-
trations have thus cut the tax rate
| down, they have also reduced the State
debt from $4I7S.714 to 81 .633. 900, and
have given the State an honest, eco-
n"mical and business-like management
of its affairs in every department.
State expenditures have increased as
the needs of the growing State have
warranted. and no faster. The Demo-
, Gratis have made eXtravagant charges
about these increased expenditures
ANA have juggled figures in the most
barefaced manner, but their charge.
hay" been completely refuted and their
, iISincerity and inconsistency exposed.
In the matter Of their relations with
tn" stat" government tie towns of
Maine Wrre never SO well off as they
are To-Day. They are paying less into
the stat" tre7 TRY and getting more
out Than crtI !r-f"re. They are better
off in ever, respect. and Yet the Demo
cratic candidate tries to make them
believe they have suffered under Re
publican rule and been crushed by
State taxation. Such stuff is only
made Il feature of the Democratic cams
paign in the hope of binding the
: voters of Maine as to the importance
of national issues in this election. The
: people will not be fooled that way
), They will give the Republican admin.
istration. next Monday. a splendid en-
dorsement and will not fail to remem-
: her thattevcry vote for Cobb is a vote
|. for Roosevelt and prosperity.
Il