The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1905-09-01


son Of the expenditures Of 1904, the last
year Of the Jennings administration,
with the cost Of conducting the State
government ten years ago, in 1894
when Mitchell was Governor and Blox-
ham was COmptroller), will be inter-
estinR.
The amount for which warrants were
issued for general printing and adver-
Using in 1904 was so per cent greater
than in 1894; the amount for salaries.
ETC., Of the executive or administrative
department of the State government
was 65 per cent greater than in 1894;
for educational institutions and public
schools, 10 per cent greater; for main
tenance Of lunatics, so per cent greater;
for salaries, etc, judicial department,
1873 per cent greater; for State troops,
23l per cent greater, and for pensions
Including deficit of $3.50, OOO), it vas
522 per cent greater. The aggregate
Of warrants issued in 1904 81 ,2l9, 403. 6O)
was 70 per cent greater than in 1894,
while the increase from 1894 TO 1899,
five years, was iess than IN per cent?
Notwithstanding this tremendous in
crease in the cost Of government in ten
years from 1894 TO 1904, the increase in
the assessed valuation of taxable prop
erty in the State for the same period
was less than II II per cent While
many items Of expenditure have been
added to the list, some have entirely
disappeared. such as criminal prosecu-
tions 1896, 1882. 60 in 1894 and jurors and
witnesses (87, 84787 in 1890, now paid
by the counties; and the item Of inter
est and loans ($7l, la in 1894 and $685.
946 10 in 1891 is now reduced to Sl8,-
O47.
The enormous increase above shown
government is matter Of vital inter
est to every citizen and taxpayer of
Florida. Spectacular reductions of the
tax rate, made for political effect, or
for the purpose Of conccaling from pub
lie view the real financial conditions,
are certain to result in deficiencies, or
in subsequent increase in the tax rate,
IN in the instance now under consider
alton.
We may find in the words Of one who
has just been placed in high position
in the national government an explana- +
ton Of the causes of such conditions
which will aid w in ascertaining and
applying the necessary remedy. Hon.
Charles Jerome Bonaparte, Secretary
Of the Navy, who is about four-fifths a
Democrat, recently wrote as follows:
THE underlying evil in the admins .
tration of our public affairs is simply
dishonesty. Our public offices are too
often held by dishonest men; too often
used for dishonest ends
"The error is rooted in a mistaken
and immoral theory as to the nature of
the position they hold In law and NOR
ais alike public office belongs to the
people; its duties are fixed by the peo-
pies laws; it's salary is paid with the
peoples money. While few fatty and
openly deny this, it is practically con
tradictcd every day and in all parts of
the Union.
IF we mean by politics the trade of
living on the taxpayers and getting rich
at their cost it is useless to consider
how this occupation can be purified, for
it cannot be- purified at all One might
as well discuss how to purify policy .
playing or the green goods business,
bunko steering or the flim-fam game.
Politics thus understood can never be
pure, except as pure and unadulteratcd
"To have a good popular government .
We must first of all and before all else
have good citizens. Burke's well-known
words have been often quoted, but we
cannot too steadily remember that there
never was long corrupt government Of /
yirtuous people When we find any
community afflicted with .
misgovcrnment we can safely and fairly
believe that it docs not deserUe a better
fIte.
what the friends of good govern
ment in America have to do is much less !
to devise methods for the efficient and /
economical administration of public af- .
fairs than To clearly and frequently set
forth and constantly and forcibly i'm /