The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-10-30
REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN BASED
ON "YOUR TAX RECEIPTS"
is POPULAR.
HOW DtADlY PARALLEL
SHOWS UP The RECORDS
Chase S. Osborn Wiped Out a Large
State Debt and Left Full Treasury
and With a Lower Tax Levy
Than Past Two Years.
By FRANK M. SPARKS.

BY FRANK M. SPARKS.
Look at your tax receipts" is the
slogan of the Republican campaign.
Look at your tax receipts" is one
slogan upon which every taxpayer
whether he be farmer, laboring man
or bus mess man or small property
owner may safely hang his hat.
Two candidates for governor, each
with single term in the office, are
opposing each other. Each has a
right to point to the accomplishments
of his two years on the job. Each
when he entered upon the duties of
his office, promised reductions of
the taxes of the state, promised
economy ! the handling of the
sta financies, promised business
methods in the handling of the state
institutions, promised necessities with
no frills, thus to relieve the burden of
taxation SO far as was consistent with
good government. Each, therefore,
has a right to point to how well he
fulfilled his pledges.
Chase S. Osborn, the Republican
candidate for governor, was first
elected to the office in 1910. He
took his seat as the executive head
of the state, January, 1, 1911. He
was not candidate for reelection
and retired after filling the office
one term of two years.
Woodbridge N. Ferris, the Demo
cratic candidate for governor was
elected to the office in 1912. He took
his seat as the executive head of the
state January /, 1913. He has sew
ed one twO-year term.
Now the two men are candidates
opposing each other. Let's examine
the records of each. Let's see how
well each fulfilled his pledge of econ
omy, of lower taxes, of business
methods in the handling of the states
finance.
Found State in Debt.
When Chase s. Osborn took his
office, January 1, 1911, he found the
state nearly 100000 in debt, That
debt had been growing year by year.
Each year as the money in the state
treasury was exhausted, the great
state of Michigan, with a valuation,
a capital stock, If you please, of ST.
288,000, 000-nearly three billions of
dollars-was borrowing money upon
which to meet it's financial needs.
Upon some of this borrowed money
the state was paying varied rate Of
interest. On some of it the banks
charged no interest i'm the hope of
securing deposits in the future
Chase S. Osborn was elected on a
platform pledged to wiping out this
debt He did it. He cleaned up the
entire state Indebtedness, and at the
end of two years left the office of gov.
ernor, and at the same time left a
snug balance in the state treasury.
He fulfilled that portion of his party's
pledge and his personal pledge to the
verv letter.
But he was also pledged to reduce
the taxes, to keep the taxes low. How
well did he fill that pledge? An ava
lanche of appropriation bills was
thrown into the legislature. Cover
nor Osborn took personal hand in
attempting to keep these bills within
reason and to keep appropriations
down. When the work was all over,
he personally took those appropria-
ton bills and after personal investi-
cation of the needs in each instance,
vetoed in whole or in part large
number of them.
BY his personal hand he Topped off
from the appropriations passed by the
legislature a total of $3.50 ,595.42. That
much money saved to the state and
TO the taxpayers may be credited
directly and personally to Chase S.
Osborn
The total tax levy for the two years
I'm which Chase s. Osborn was govern
or and as a result of his fulfillmen
of lis pledges amounted to 81 1915, 349.
Included IN this sum was the debt
WI oh hal been wiped out and which
must be placed to his credit.
What Ferris Did
Woodbridge N. Ferris was also elect
ed N a platform of lower taxes and
&c nomy. How did he fulfill his
pie 'ge?
When he entered upon the office of
governor. January 1, 1913, instead of
lin eng the state nearly a million dol
La IN dett, he found 1t with almost
thu amount balance in the treasury.
The usual flood of appropriation
bills came into the legislature. They
we-a pared by the legislature without
influence from the governor. When
CHI legislature had passed all the
bills. thew went to the governor for
hie signature, Gov. Ferris did not veto
a e'ngle bill, either In whole or in
part.
what was the result? How did his
ADM 'nistrafion fulfill the pledge OF
&c nomy and lower taxes?