Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-10-07
.NEM0v oN sTATE TAxEs.

memo WHO 10 WIAtAu5 Iva Wv
Capital the best political comment
printed in KANSAS in many year
takes a shot at the tax question this
week. He says:
The recent statements Of Governor
stubbsfi issued last Monday and We'd
nesday can not but make the judi
cIous grieve. Aside from the fact
that II is the first time in twenty
years that a Republican Governor OF
this state has been compelled to pub
licly defend his administration be-
fore It is eight months old; aside
from the spectacle Of the incumbent
fling at another high office holder
Of his own party and shouting liar
at 4 large body Of his constituents
who honestly think his administra-
ton extrayagant; the article through
out Is informed with those qualities
that 50 unfortunately detract from
the Governors real and solid merit.
The sublime egotism that claims al
that Is good in the state as his work,
the infalIIbllity, the rancor, the loose
ness Of statement and the ccarseness
Of Interpretation, the intolerance ana
discourtesy that mark these two ar
ticles are the very qualities that have
alienated so many Of his friends,
converted neutrals into foes, and
passive opponents into active enc
mics. There Is simply no living with
Stubs unless you agree with him.
| He conceives politics az. war and q
war Of determination. He never asks
nor gives quarter II Is his political
life or the other fellows. He will
NOT tolerate opposition Or even criti-
cism. And now with his unparalleled
success he is drunk with power, and
contemplates the humiliation Of ev-
cry one who Is not for him, who does
not bend the knee and acknowledge
the Instability Of Pope Roscoe the
First. n
II would, Of course, be improper
to Say that the Governor has misstat-
ed anything. / shall follow the ex-
amnla of a distinguished insurgent
and merely regret that the Governor
has been ''mislsd"
And the first Of his misleadings Is
the assumption SO vigorously stated,
harped upon and reiterated over and
over, that he inherited deficit frorA
( Hoch's administration. 1t Is curious
that in all these reiterations Of that
fact, no figures are given. Nothing
could be more simple than to prove
this statement by a reference to the
books Of the state Treasurer but the
Governor and all his strikers con-
tinuously refer to this fact without
proof. and declare that the increase
Of taxes Ia to make up that deficit
He quotes his tax commission to the
same effect, We may be excused fol
ldoubting the figures Of a body who
confessedly could not guess within
million dollars Of the necessary levy
for a year. Who with all the figures
before them. Of appropriations, re
sources and property, missed the ne
cessary amount BY a million dollars
90 they say.
Nov, what is the fsctl simply
that there was no deficit, is not nov
and win NOT be. This IL q very i'm
portant fact for Il forms the Govern
or's last defense Of the raise in taxes
The figures that ] give are taken'fron
the Treasurer's books and may b
verified By anyone. On January ,
when the Governor took office, there
vas q balance IN the general revenue
fund Of sa26.s7s No deficiency
there. On June 90. the close Of the
fiscal year, after paving all The ex.
tItollianry expenses Of he Leglala-
|,.ls ant al lonanis there ras a
/ t.'.a.. 0l II11.soi. On serlrmlsI
|n| IA. nzHnr. Nad crown Al 4IN1..