The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-13
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE
FOR PRESENT HIGH TAX
RATE.

An article has recently appeared in
the Examiner newspaper published
/ in this county, and the organ of the
Republican party Of Frederick county,
which makes great and labored efforts
to show that the Republican party is
not responsible for the present high
tax rate in the county, and is seeking
10y desperate and strenuous methods Of
reasoning to refute the truths made
plain and stated in the platform Of the
l-st Democratic County Convention, in
which the Republican party was ar
raigned for the present high tax rate
and extravagant expenditure of the
peoples money in this county.
Notice will hereafter be taken ofsome
of the statements contained therein,
but st this time, will the writer of that
article, who no doubt is an official at
present holding Office under the Re-
publican administration in the Court
House, please inform the tax payers and
voting public what has been done with
the large amount Of money which has
been received by the Republican Boards
Of County Commissioners siuce the
year 1896 and paid into the County
Treasury under the law taking mort
cages held aud OF record in Frederick
county? Since 1896 to the close of The
present year there will be due and COL
lected by cur County Treasurers about
the sum of $l25 600 as mortgage tax;
the query naturally arising among our
people is, why, since the County Com
mi~sioners have received these large
sums of money. the tax rate has not
been pfoportionatefy reduced? Instead
of reducing the rate, the rate has act
utlly bee.l increased each year during
the Republican administration Of our
county affairs since 1896, with the pos
Sible exception Of the tax rate levied
during the past summer, when, by rea-
n of the fact that there are to be three
members Of the Board of County Com.
missioners elected by the people at the
polls in November, the tax rate ha,
heen reduced few cents under the
rlte for 1904, no doubt for political pur-
poses.
Now, the Republicans have had con-
troll Of our county affairs ntinuously
since the year 1895, and SHOULD explain
to the people why the rate of taxation
has not been reduced when this great
additional source of revenue has been
given to them.
From 1896 to 1904 the county only re-
ceived three fourths of the tax money
paid on mortgages of record in the
county, but since the act of 1904 Fred
erick county receives the entire amount
of all mortgage tax paid upon mort
CAGES Of record in this county. 1t is,
therefore, foolish and idle for the writer
in the Examiner to charge the Demo-
cratic party with extravaganza in the
county affairs, when that (the Repub-
lean party had control. and notwith-
standing the fact that the only COM
plant really made is, that since 1896
the Democratic Legislature has caused
. slight increase in the appropriation
for public schools, whereby the public
schools are now kept open nine full
months in the year, instead of about
six or seven, as heretofore. The Demo-
cratic party points with pride to its
record in the matter of public schools
and its ability to give to the children
Of our State the advantages they now
enjoy, Notwithstanding the tax rate for
that purpose is necessarily few cents
higher than it was prior to the year
1904.
Will the Examiner please state in its
columns whether or not the Republic
can State Senator aud the Members Of
the House Of Delegates of 1904 dared to
vote against the Act of Assembly pass
ed by that Democratic Legislature in
the interest of our nine months school
term for the children in the public
schools of Maryland?
Why, therefore, should a Republican
Board Of County Commissioners find
fault with such a small additional item
of expense, when y sum of money in
amount varying from ST., 900 to SIG 700
now psid each year rs mortgage tax 10
given to them out OF which such an ex-
penSe can lie paid? There never has
been = Democratic Board of County
Commissioners who have had from $l2.-
600 to $4,000 per annum paid into its
treasury as mortgage tax out OF which
it could help to pay the county's ex-
penses and reduce the tax payers heavy
burdens
WILL Mr.. VIM. L. Richards, who is