The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-06-23


ed upon the public funds was not turn
ed into the state treasury. Since the
Democrats came into power in this
state, the interest on these funds has
been collected and turned into the
state treasury. It has amounted in five
years to more than one million dol
lars, and the money is on hand stand
ing to the peoples credit Also, Dem
ocratic officials have recovered from
their predecessors and the banks
whom their bosses favored more than
100000 in interest pocketed by them
and turned into the state treasury. 1t
is there to the peoples credit.
The people themselves amended the
constitution of the state so that sa.
looms should be licensed. In pursu
ance of this amendment law was
passed under this administration ere
ating a state liquor licensing board,
which took entire charge of the saloon
business in the state. Under this IL
censing board not only has the number
of saloons been reduced, intemperance
minimized as evidenced by the police
court records of the state, immoral re-
sorts closed and rigid regulations pro-
vided, but the entire cost of the admin
istration of the law has been imposed
upon the saloons themselves and the
state liquor licensing board will turn
into the state treasury more than a
half million dollars of clear profit
at the end of its first year of existence.
That money stands to the peoples
credit in the state treasury.
Under a law passed by the present
legislature the expenses of the bank
ing department of the state are no
longer betrayed from the public treas
ury, but the banks themselves pay it
and, instead of being an expense, this
department is able to turn small sur
plus into the state treasury to the
peoples credit.
The same is true of the building and
loan department, the expenses Of which
are no longer born by the people, but
by the building and loan associations
themselves.
Under Democratic administrations
same thirty or forty separate, distinct
and Independent state departments,
boards, bureaus, ETC., have been con-
solidated into three commissions. AS
result of this and all the foregoing,
and through the exercise of rigid
economy in numberIess other instanc-
es, our first budget commissioners, who
is creature of this administration,
was enabled to recommend to the last
special session of the present general
assembly that the original appropria-
tion bill for 1915 be repealed and a new
one substituted which authorized an
expenditure of approximately 100000
less of public funds than was author
ized In the original bill.
And now comes the WarneS law
which has caught the chronic tax
uOuBeTS 10 Jlt Luub Ol more IMAM hall
billion dollars, which sum will be
added to the grand duplicate of the
state. This means that under present
levies the states income will be in
creased at least half a million dollars
per annum and the unexpended bal
ance on hand in the state treasury at
I the close of this fiscal year will be, on
account of the facts above recited, un-
precedently large,
The accumulation of vast surplus
in a public treasury is unfair and un-
just. This money should be left in the
pockets of the people-every penny
that Is not needed to defray the ex-
penses of an efficient and economic
government. At least this is the opin'
ion of Governor Cox and for the rea
sans herein set forth the Legislature
will probably be called upon to as
semble in extraordinary session for a
day or two for the purpose of reducing
the state levy and the peoples taxes
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