Indiana daily times., 1920-10-26
Voters Have Power to
Cut Taxes, Sahm Says

Albert Sahm, vice chairman of the
Democratic county committee and a we'll
known business man of Indianapolis,
| ly at Cumberland.
1t wasn't the kind Of an address the
pussy footing, bipartisan gang of poll
ticians that always try to hog the spot
| light" in Marion County like a little
bit
! Mr. Sahm talked about the things that
| concern the people of this county. He
| told them what they could do to make
this better place in which to live.
! His speech and the reception it got
proves conclusively that, regardless of
| their interest in national issues, the peo-
| pie of Marion County have a vital con-
Germ in public affairs here at home.
| Mr.. Sahm laid much stress apGn what
he termed the Republican taxeaters' prac-
tiee of fooling the people, but said that
| after all the dear people were largely
to blame in the light of past experiences
at the hands Of those selfsame taxeat-
ers
To make clear what was meant he went
back to the last previous Republican
County regime.
Lest we forget" he said "Iet me- refer
briefly to the past. For fourteen years,
ending with Jan. /, 1908, Marion County
had been continuously and exclusively
controlled, and dominated by Republican
officials, and Ton account of apparent in
differences on the part of the public to
all intents and purposes expected TO
continue this control indefinitely, But in
the campaign of 1906, under the fearless
and able generalship Of their county
chairman the late Judge Theodore Z.
Davis (father of Paul Davis, present
Democratic nominee for prosecuting at
torney), the Democrats waged such an
aggressive campaign that the voters, tr-
respective of party, sat up and took
notice. It was truly campaign or ed
ucatiOn, and when the smoke of battle
cleared away Notwithstanding Marion
County had been given Republi an ma
iorities of 10000 and more) two Of the
Democratic nominees were elected, and
upon their assumption Of office things be-
gan to happen.
OUTRAGED PUBLIC
ROSE UP IN REVOLT.
"An empty t;easury-overdrawn in
violation of the law-county warrants
drawn in favor of bogus payees, noun
tain Of unpaid bills and creditors clam
oring for their money, depleted school
fund, thousands Of dollars of overdue
school fund interest and kindred NAL
feasapees pied up so thick and fast that
the county council authorized an imme-
diate Investigation which lead to such
astounding disclosures that at the next
election an enraged, outraged, indignant
pOpulace turned the rascals out com
pletely
but. / reiterate. the public is forget
full for Notwithstanding the Democrats
restored order out of what seemed hope
less chaos. reduced debts, reduced taxes
annually and filed the treasury 10 over
flowing. the Republicans managed six
years. ago through long and loud
promises and with tears In their eyes aud
tears in their voices, to hypnotic the
public into trusting them once more
and here we are:
Naturally. one would think they
should profit by their former experience
and at least offer semblance of re-
form and retrenchment, but no. They
had fooled the good people once more
and why should they worry. And so
the past six years were simply a repoti
tion OF characteristic careless indlher
ence In the public management with the
inevitable resuit-hlgher taxes"
He showed how. through the indif
ference 10 the public need. expenses grew
by hsps and bounds and that notwith-
standing that in addition 70 the grow
Ing tax collections the latter by no
means sufficed 20 make ends meet and
as result more money was procured
by means of bond issues.
Taxes increased. the bonded debt in
creased and the cash decreased.
HE HAS PROOF
AND OFFERS 1T.
lie told MS hearers how the advent OF
a probable change ip the tax law 10 pro
vide for higher valuations was hailed
with delight BY the taXeaters and that
they knew only too well that once per
mitted to increase valuations their
troubles te< secure all the money they
wanted were over. Notwithstanding the
advocates Of a new law promised lower
rates and that IN no event except some-
thing extraordinary should the total col
lections under the new law exceed those
made under the old law.
And there he showed the real effect Of
this new panaeea for all ills In a man