The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-10-10
GATHER PROVED
It BY FIGURES
Republicans When in Power Placed
This Sta on a Business Has.
PEOPLES CONFIDENCE DESERVED.
Collected Debts Overdue and Reduced
the Taxes.

NNAo~NooNu a. Oll
last the attempt which has been
made to impeach the statement in
his speech of acceptance to the
effect that the Republicans had
placed the finances of the state on
business-like basis, and, further,
that they had inaugurated the
policy of disposing of the assets of
the State which were held in it's
treasury. Mr.. Gathers statement
goes into details, but it is interest
ing reading. He says:
The Sun, in lorg editorial
discussing paragraph of my
speech of acceptance, which reads
as follows:
ut was due to the efhci mt ad-
ministration Of the States finances
by Republican treasurer and our
Republican comptrollers that the
finances of our State were placed
upon business-like basis, and the
policy inaugurated and sanctioned
by the Legislative act of 1906, of
disposing of the assets of the State
which were held in its treasury,
and thereby reducing its public
debt and decreasing the burdens
the people; -
mainly confined its discussion to
the sinking fund and the reduction
of the debt, etc.-things which
were not referred to by me. 1t con-
cludes its discussion with the state
ment that 1--WE find no single fact
to sustain the claim made by Mr..
Gather in his speech.
Let US see whether there are
not few facts" easily ascertain
able from the public records of our
State which the Sun over looked
in making this statement 70 its
readers.
Was the Republican administra-
ton of the finances of our State
from 1895 to 1899 efficient, and
did it place the finances of our
State on business-like basis? In
support of this contention I submit
to the intelligent people of Mary
land four facts. -
First-It is usually considered
business-like to collect promptly
the debts due to the business. Let
me quote the exact words of Com
troller Goldsborough written in
1899, when every fact was before
him, on this point:
An examination of the tax &C
counts of the comptroller office
shows that during the term of my
Republican predecessor, Hon. Ro-
bert P. Graham, and myself,
overdue or delinquent taxas to the
amount of S4I3,o29. "a were collect
ed and turned into the treasury by
our administrations. Not one cent
of these taxes matured during
either the administration of Mr..
Graham or myself. 1t was all over
due prior to Mr.. Graham access
ion to Office in January, 1896.
Some of it had been due for more
than 10 years, and large amount
was collected by suit and presist-
ent effort on the part of the Treas
ury officials Some of it was forced
from collectors whose terms of
Office had expired for more than
FIVE or six years and yet had neven
paid one cent of the taxes charg-
ed against them.
In addition to this there were
tax bills against four railroad
companies in this State on their
gross receipts, amounting to thous
ands of dollars, and running back
to 1891. which the State had not
made any effort to collect. These
bills were placed in process of coll
lection by Republican comptroll-
er, and were finally decided by the
courts in favor of the State, result
ing in the collection of SI4o,oo
in taxes from this source, and in
establishing liability under
which these same railroads pay
annually to the State many thous-
ands of dollars without question.
Second-The Republican treas
ure and comptrollers established