Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-31
Answered in Every Detail.

cuSS them. but now 90 tney tlee'
them? Simply by sweeping the whole
BUSH ess out of sight by general as
scrtion that everything is all right
The Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor has shown from official figures
that the expenses of the state govern
ment have been enormously Increased
i'm the past twenty years. They ADMIT
that--have to; but explain that every
thing costs more now, and claim tha'
the increase is necessary. Just plea
Of the general issue. and not a single
fact or figure met and answered why
don't they get down to the details anu
try to justify the items Of the increase .
-Rockland Opinion.
The Opinion man must have failed TO
look over his Republican exchanges
during the past week or two. He Is
hardly to be blamed for neglectinS
them. since a perusal of their columns
would not be pleasant reading for
person laboring under the delusion IN
dicated in the above paragraph. Ihere
are none so blind as those who Will nor
s.e hut thew at least escape the pam
of gazing upon things which wouid
hurt their feelings. AS a matter or
fact the Republicans have not only met
the Democrats on state issues but have
completely routed Them exposed their
trick of Juggling figures, smashed the
stufting out of the straw man which
they built up so laboriously to scare tha
voters. and put them on the defensive
all along the line.
The Opinion is right in saying that
the whole array of Democratic claims
and charges has been swept out of
sight, but this has not been done by
general assertion. Or the contrary it
has been accomplished by the
presentation of official figures which
have wholly discredited those quoted
and distorted by the Democratic man.
ayers in their hopes to bluff and blind
the voters of Maine. 1t may be gem
eral assertion. in one sense, when it is
pointed out that under Republican rule
in the last 20 years the bonded debt of
the state has been cut from SALTS IA
to 81 ,659. 900, and that in the same time
the State tax rate has been reduced
from Az mills to q. mills. but it is also
an assertion which wholly discredts
the Democratic charge that the Re-
publican administration of Maine has
not been busness-like and economical.
AS for the Opinions statement that
1.-The Democratic candidate for Cover
nor has shown by the official figures
that the expense of the State govern
ment has been enormously increased
for the past 20 years." it may be replied
that the Republican papers have
shown that the Democratic candidate
padded his figures in the most bare
faced manner. and that the enormous
increase" when closely investigated,
appears to be vastly less alarming than
he tried to make the voters believe.
| Instead Of being 300 per cent increase
as he at first claimed. it becomes 200
per cent increase in his later speeches,
| and that result is reached only by most
peculiar mathematical processes.
| AS matter of fact, the year 1882,
| with which the Democratic candidate
saw fit TO make comparison. was year
in which the current expenses, to the
amount Of several hundred thousand
| dollars. went over to be paid by the
state government of the following year
The year 1902. which is taken as the
| other year for the comparison, had as
4 part of the State expenditures. some
$3.50, OGO temporary loan on account OF
the Spanish war expenses. an item
which really formed no Fart of the cur
] rent expenditures Of the State. But
| even with two years Of this kind com,
pared, and the most persistent Juggling
INDUCED in, the Democratic candidate
has not been able to show any increase
| in the State expenditures which alarms
or worries the taxpayers of Maine.
| The Opinion wants to see few item:
in the increase justified, does it? Well
let us look at some of these items ;
moment. The increase in State ex
penditures in the past 20 years, from
1882 to 1902, was sS23,499. Some Of thi:
is merely apparent, as $4,000 of it does
not form any part of the real expendi
lures for 1902, but is merely none!
collected by the State which goes bacl
again to the counties and to the towns
as the dog license. railroad tax rebated
ETC. OF the remainder. $262, 900 is none!
for common school purposes returned
to the towns in 1902 more than was re
turned in 1882. There was $S6,927 NOR
returned to the towns as railroad ant
Telegraph tax in 1902 than in 1882; Their
was $62, 900 more paid for State pension
in 1902; 500, 500 more for free Higl
schools; s21,43O more to academies
s115, 900 more for the care Of the insane
So, 900 more for the support of Stat