Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-10-27


carrying on the pay rolls a large
number of men who have nothing
to do, it enables you to build up q
political machine and it surrounds
you with a lot of political bench
men at the public expense.
But, what about the other in
debtednss, Governor! The fusion
administration paid off S467 ,23S. OF
of state debt against other funds
than the general fund. Did you
overlook this, Governor? If not,
why did you omit it! Perhaps
your statement of it might recall
some unpleasant occurances in our
public life. No doubt you knew,
Governor that by manipuIations of
Mosher and Hill the state lost
S1SO,0OO in the Capitol National
Bank, and this was made up large
ly of trust funds. You knew,
Governor, that that money had
once been paid in by the people of
Nebraska to pay the states debt,
and that the debt was not paid.
You knew, Governor, that the
state appropriated this money
again, and levied taxes to pay it
the second time, and that after the
taxpayers had payed this money
in the second time, EX-treasurer
BARLEY aided by the nanipuIations
of Senator Willard, stole this money
the second time. You knew that
the S1SO,O00 with interest amount
ed 70 more than 100000. You
knew that the people had paid the
money in twice and that the rep
resentatives of your party had
stol it twice and that when the
fusionists went in they had to face
the debt with an empty treasury.
Governor, had you never heard of
these facts? Why did you not
mention them in your statement
of the financial condition of our
state? This is another reason,
Governor, why you want no joint
debate. 1t would be extremely
embarrassing to you to have the
people again reminded of these
things.
In your letter you make out that
the new revenue law was needed
in order to pay off the state debt.
Every person will agree that the
state debt ought to be paid, grad
ually. But we charge that even
the enormous taxes levied this
year will not reduce the state debt.
We charge, Governor, that if ev-
cry dollar of taxes that you have
levied were actually paid, still the
state would be deeper in debt at
the end of the year than now
Fortunately, there is a way that
we can get at this definitely, and
not be in doubt. The total assess
ment on all property in the state
this year is S294,777,244 IS. On
this, a levy has been made of four
and a half mills for the general
fund, and a half mill for the school
fund, and one mill for the univers-
ity fund. This makes a total of
six mills, and levy of six mills on
a valuation of 1924, III, PA 90 will
bring 81, 1885, $50 IS. The appro-
prlatlOnS were made to cover q !
period of two years and the total |
appropriations made by the last |
legislature for two years amount |
to So, 74O,2S0. 70. For one year
the money appropriated amounts
to one-half of this which is 81 So
14O.35. The appropriations then,
Governor, and the taxes for one
year are plain to anybody: Here
they are:
Amount of money appropriated e. 81 SO 40 80
Total amount of taxes levied. 800 1.,6S JG3 IS
iicficieccy ...................S lOl SO 80
So you see, Governor, if every
dollar of the eXhorbitant taxes
which you have levied this year
and under which the people are
grooming, was actually collected,
still the state would be deeper in
lebt at the end of the year to the
AMOUNT of SOL SIC. 80. Instead of