The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1910-11-02

Democratic spellbinders Trying to
Explain Their Economy Plat
form

lue SOulA iohS chouSu " aWdhSh
to the fact that the people of the
rest of the country can distinguish
between loud noise and argument,
has been going over the county
braying at the Register in the
hopes of attracting attention away
from the democratic record. 1t is
facts that hurt, and the record Of
the democratic party not only here
too many examples Of their mean
ingless protestations of economy to
need much enumeration. 1t is
in the memory of mos. voters how
Cleveland was elected on a platform
of economy and although he found
a large surplus in the treasury, in
less than one year he was selling
bonds to meet the running expenses
of the government. Thomas and
Orman were elected governors of
Colorado on democratic platforms
of economy and each left enormous
deficits on retiring from office. The
republicans paid this deficit and
eft surplus of nearly q half mil
lion when Shafroeh came in on an
| other democratic pledge of econo-
my. In just two years he has
wiped out that large surplus and
left the biggest deficit in the his
tory of the state.
In Prowers county Mr.. Higbee
was twice elected on economy plat
forms and held the office of com
missioner six years. He helped
make the six highest tax levies
Pnowers county ever had. and even
then it took several years to pay
the deficit left by those six years
of economy. The lowest levy made
during those six years was higher
than the highest made at any other
time in the history of the county,
and yet no public Improvements of
any importance were constructed.
The figures produced by the spell
binder himself are splendid proof
of the facts as given by the Register
last week. The population of the
county has increased over four fold
the town of Lamar alone now hav
ing more citizens than the whole
county when he was in office. In
that time the assessed valuation
has Increased just about three fold.
showing that the valuations as well
as levies are proportdonately much
lower than during his term of office
With all this wonderful growth the
figures as given out by the demo-
Gratis themselves. although grossly
distorted. show that the increase Of
county expenses is less than SO per
cent, while the population fncreas-
ed 800 per cent. In other words
it cost SIC per capita to run the
county with Mr.. Higbee In charge
and only about IS per capita while
Mr.. Gregory has been on the job.
The enormous increase of the trans
portation of crops in the county has
necessitated heavy expenditures for
roads and bridges, and II we ex-
cept these figures the showing is
far greater In favor of the repub-
lican boards. In 1909 the levies
for county purposes outside Of roaa
and bridges was 7% mills on APP
proximately s4.00O.000 valuation
with about 10000 population in
the county. In 1894 Mr.. Higbee's
board for the same purposes levied
22A mills on . valuation one
third as lnrge. when the county ha'
only about $500 people. The two
levies would raise almost exactly til
same amount, meaning that it re-
quired as much to run the ordin-
airy county government Is years
ago with Mr.. Higbee In charge as
it does now with all our wonder
full growth and increase of bust
ness. This is democratic economy
This is what the spellbinder Is yell
ing the rafters loose to win back.
and we greatly fear that unless
something is done to stop him the
country school boards will have to
sogtd9I On sSIAeI kun IIeui ssssIoul
the roofs OF the schol houses where
he hollers.
No amount of loud talk can alter
the fact that while the population
and business OF the county have
been increasing yearly by leaps and
bounds, the valuation has been
raised Less rapidly and the tax lev
les have been since the republicans
were in charge constantly decreas-
ing until Prowers county stands
out as the lowest taxed county in
the valley. AZ against by far the
highest taxes during Mr.. Higbee's
term.