Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-05-03
Democratic
Statements.
Campaign
Discredited

The voters of Kennebec county will
| Democratic campaign powder in 1906
| consisted in attacks upon the Republic
can administration of county finances.
| The assertion was repeatedly made that
| the county tax for the ensuing fiscal
year which, with the overlay of s9l3.52,
had amounted in the years 1905 and
| to NEARLY $4,000" From this quail
| fed prediction Democratic orators
| upon the stump easily dropped the ad-
| jectivc and made the assertion that the
| county tax for 1907 as a result of the al
Legged workings Of the Sturgis Commits
| sion and Republican extravaganza"
woull, as a matter of fact, amount to
$40 900. In this connection we desire
| the county voters TO recall to mind the
| following statement which for weeks
was kept running in large type in the
columns of the Waterville Sentinel and
the New Age:
Three years ago there was a surplus
| Of $4,000 in the treasury of Kennebec
county.
Today there is not one cent.
Three years ago the county tax was
$50 COG
THIS year the county tax is $4,000.
Next year, when the fees of the Stur-
gis deputies and the debt have been
paid, the county tax will be nearer
$40. 900
Three years ago the Kennebec county
commissioners had money enough 10
start a bank Of their own.
Today not bank in Augusta can
legally loan the county another dollar.
Banks in Augusta have refused TO do
50 already.
The commissioners have now exceed
ed the legal $4,000 debt limit.
The surplus of $4,000 is all gone; the
tax, increased so per cent, is gone;
and the $4,000 credit, which the county
may legally run in debt, is exhausted.
Doesn't this condition of things in
tercst the taxpayers of kennebcc
county?
Haven't We about reached the end of
the rope?
What have we to show for all this?'
II is needless to say that this pig
type circular was absolutely and UNI
oualfedly false 1t was deliberately
intended to deceive the voters OF Ken
nebec county and undoubtedly through
the iteration and reiteratiOn of the
$40. COO falsehood in the Democratic
press and by Democratic spellbinderS
upon the stump, it was, to some eX-
| tent. successful in accomplishing this
result. one present Democratic
county Office holder spent much of his
| valuable time in riding over the county
of Kennebec and distributing these ~
ing circulars in the dooryards of all the
| farmhouscs that he passed. We ask
the voters who were deceived by these
statements to carefully consider the
thorough manner in which the course
of events has Giscreditcd them
and demonstrated their absolute
falsity. We call attention to the
fact that the statements made con-
corning these lying Democratic predic-
| tions by the Journal at the time of
| their appearance and also by the
County Treasurer and the Board of
County Commissioners have been abb
| solutelv verified by events.
To the lying Democratic circular re-
produced above the County Commits
sioners ana the County Treasurer re
piled as follows:
"Thcre has recently appeared in the
New Age ana Watcrvilie Sentinel, in
| display type, some very remarkable
settlements, or rather misstatrments, in
relation to the finances of Kennebec
| county.
The statement is made that three
years ago the county had a surplus of
| $25 600 This is without any fourda-
| ton of iact, the county had no such
surplus in 1909. nor has it ever had.
January l. 1903, the county had a sur
rlus of SIG. S1O.96 as shown by the re
port published ut that time.
January /, 1923. the liabilities of TIL"
| county over and above resources were
So. 1893. January /, 1906, the resources
OF the county were 1851 more than the
liabilities, showing n net gain in thir-
teeen years of nearly $4,000. And as
| is well known. large amounts have
been expended during the time above
referred to in making permanent I'M
provements on the county buildings.
Prediction is confidently made. in Tho
above named articles. that the county
] tax for next year will be nearer So
900, and is 50 stated as to give the
| impression that it will be $4,000 or very
nearly that amount. This is entirely
| erroneous and no ono can present facts
or figures to support the statement.
| The tax for 1905 was, in round num-
berS, $4,000. and during that year the
county made n net gain of $S,104.
Great stress is laid on the fact that
the county mas made temporary loans
| this year. Any one at all familiar with
the facts knows that this and other
counties have to make temporary loans
| every year, unless they have i very
| IL. ,,fr,, S,i,,,l,,c Tho trA1 Si,,-