The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1909-07-24
OF
STATES FINANCES
Ably Discussed by. Editor
Beckham.
FAULTY CONDITIONS EXIST
Owing to Mismanagement Of
Republican Officials
Now in Power.

The Frankfort State Journal, Of
which former Governor Beckham is
the editor, discussing the recent
statement of Auditor James and the
present condition of the State
Treasurery, says;
For the first two years of the
Democratic Administration, the tax
rate was 4712c; for the last six years
of it the rate was so cents ON the
800. The Republican Administration
has the fifty-cent rate. There also
has been an increase in the assessed
valuation of the property in the State
which brings in, of course, increased
revenue. The new features of the
revenue law of 1906, did not begin to
bear the fruit of revenue until about
the time the presentRepublican Admin
istration came into power. The same
IS true of the rectifiers' taX,of the in
helitance tax, and other sources of
revenue provided for in the closing
DClltu VI AllE DNluOCl
ton. We are not prepared to give
the figures, but we believe that we
can truthfully centure the estimate
that the increased revenue from these
sources, which this administration is
getting advantage of, Is somewhere
in the. neighbOrhood of 100000 or
$4,000. The following proposition
can not be disputed:
First, the Democratic Administra-
ton came into power with a bank
iupt treasury and..with heavy debt
upon the State.
Second, nearly eight years thereaf-
ter when it went out of power, IL had
wiped out the entire State debt and
1t had spent more money on edhcation-
al institutions, public schools, charita-
BILE institutions. a new Capitol, and
other worthy objects ofState aid than
had been spent in 20 or 80 years of
the States history before that, and
left in the StateTreasury a good work
ing balance to carry on the States
business.
Third, the Republican administra-
ton came into power with this sub
stantial balance in the treasury, with
no State debt to embarrass 1t, with
the same rate of taxation as that which
the Democratic Administration had,
and with greater sources of revenue
than it had. Notwithstanding these
facts, in less than two years time, this
administration has so managed the IL
nances Of the State that the honest debt
Of the State are not paid and there is
., cry of distress going up even from
the administration itself for more
money. No complication OF figures
or perplexities Of statistics will be
able to get out of the peoples head
the deadly parallel which these facts
disclose.
1--WE do not question for moment
the auditors sincerity and we be-
lieve that where any misleading state
ments are shown in his published an
ticle, they were not intentional"
The article from Which these ex'
tracts are made is written in good
temper and a spirit of the utmost fair
ness. 1t is convincing statement OF
The superiority of the Democratic nd
ministration in the management of TN
States finances. t,
No man III Kentucky is better quail
fled to discuss this subject than Cow
ernor Beckham. He shows beyond
doubt that the States finances were
admirably handled under Democratic
rule. and that the Republican Admin
istraticp had had an equal. If not bet.
ter opportunity to make a better
showing.