The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-06-10
GOV. cLARkE's LEADERSHIP.

Gov. George w. Clarke is the real
hero Of tie Iowa republican primary.
Denied the conventional denomination
without opposition, and opposed on
the assumedly popular side of the
taxation issue, Gov. Clarke has actu-
ally bettered his record in the 1912
primary.
In his first compaign Mr.. Clarke was
opposed by two candidates and was a
minority nominee. He scored plu-
rality. of 10000 over Holden, but the
combined vote for Holden and Proud
foot exceeded the Clarke total by
about 1000. In the late primary,
according to figures that are still in
complete, the governor has registered
a plurality of $4,000, While rolling up
an actual majority of more than
30 900 over the combined vote of Lee
and Rowley.
The opposition to Gov. Clarke was
based wholly in the theory that he
should be held responsible for an un-
warranted increase in taxation for
state purposes. At first effort was
made to hang the opposition on the
capitol extension peg. but this soon
proved too small to hold an argument
of any weight. Then the opposition
endeavorcd to create prejudice against
board of equalization, OF which he is
a member, had wrought great damage
in readjusting land assessments to
bring about uniform approximation
or actual value throughout the coun-
ties of the state. 1t was the demon
strable emptiness OF this Issue that
was reflected in the primary returns.
Gov. Clarke did not try to dodge
any Of the capitol tax criticism. Al
though the legislature was responsible
for the extension policy; both parties
therein having .cooperated in APPROX
ing the tax, Gov. Clarke met his critics
on the ground selected and defended
the capitol extension project. He
defended it as straightforward bust
ness proposition in which the state
was to acquire at q reasonable price
land that was actually needed for pub
lie purposes. The imitation began to
ooze out OF the capitol extension issue
after the governors Sioux City speech
on the subject. and long before the
close of the campaign little was heard
of that phase of the taxation question.
The effort to hold Gov. Clarkes
administration responsible for the in
crease in taxation persisted, however.
The contention was that the executive
council had acted against public pol
icy in bringing all land assessments
to an approximation OF actual value.
The law requires that all property
shall be listed for taxation on the
basis of actual value. In readjnsting
land assessments the executive coun-
Gil endeavOred to correct past disre-
gard OF law in fixing land assessments
far below actual value and below the
basis OF other assessments. The re-
suit as rule was an increase
in land assessments, but of itself
this involved no material increase in
taxation. Had the local taxation
boards reduced local levies to CORE
spond with the increased assessments
there would have been no considerable
general increase in taxation. The fail
ure OF local boards to lower levies
caused material increase in the
amount OF taxes paid this year in most
counties. Most of the excess taxes
collected are in the hands OF local
oIiicials. II there is no legitimate call
for the funds they can remain in the
treasury, making possible greatly re-
duced levies next year. Whether or
not surplus is carried over lower
taxes can be secured next year by
insisting ON reducing the levies to
correspond with the higher assess
ments, the states share Of the in
crease collected this year being a
mere trifle.
1t was by standing up to the taw
line drawn by his critics and explain
ing these taxation facts that Gov.
Clarke won his emphatic victory
in the republican primary. The
taxation issue will be carried into
the general election campaign, OF
course. II Gov. Clarke can make
the whole electorate understand the
issue as he has made a majority
of the republicans understand it, an
other victory awaits him. Whatever
may happen, the republican record OH
the taxation question remains to ne
defended, and the republicans have
chosen the right man for the task
Sioux City Journal.