Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 August 1892 — ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE TAX CONSPIRACY. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE TAX CONSPIRACY.

Republican Local Officials in Democratic Counties Who Joined the Conspiracy ' i,. ' i, \ L. ML*.*. ... ,•' ‘ ' To Increase the Local Taxes and Blame the Result to the New Tax Law, J 2 When Held Down by Commission’s Trustees, Resorted to >the Courts to Enforce Their Exorbitant Levy. r r \J • In a Foolhardy Attempt to Make the New Law Odious, 81,625,013.30 Local Taxei, Were Unnecessarily Levied by Republican Officials—Figures Demonstrating the Republican Tan Conspiracy, the Durden of Which Falls Upon the People.

SHie figures heretofore printed of the iajQffeaae of taxes in the several counties of the state were made from the abstracts officially returned by the county auditors. As made up from these it was shown that the increase of local taxes in forty-six Republican counties from 1890 to 1891 was f 1,258.265.18, while the increase in forty-six Democratic counties was only |510,458.82. In the settlement sheets of the various counties, since made up, there are corrections of small errors in eleven counties which make a slight change in the aggregates, increasing the increase in the Republican counties to $1,269,249.45, and decreasing the increase in the Democratic counties to $508,871.60. These figures are in all probability the more accurate and will therefore be used. As has been said heretofore the increase in local taxes in the Democratic counties was made chiefly by Republican officials who joined in the Republican conspiracy to increase local taxes and blame the result to the new tax law, which, of course, had no connection with their action. The following tabular statement shows how shameful the scheme was carried out in each city, town and township in each Democratic county where Republican officials were in control. In the counties of Brown and Floyd there were no Republican officials who made levies, and in the others the exact work of the officials is shown. The figures given include only the taxes for which the local officials are responsible, i. e., corporation taxes, (in cities and towns) township, tuition, special school and road taxes. The figures in the first column show the actual increase (or ‘decrease) of these local taxes made by the officials. The second column shows the amount of school money distributed to each tax district by the state more than last year—-this is computed at seventy-five cents for each school child, which is the amount of increase that the state superintendent of public instruction gave notice would be :>.ade, and the amount of reduction that therefore should have been made by the local officials. The third column shows the total unnecessary increase—that; is to say the sum of the increase made and the decrease that should have been made—for which these local Republican officials are responsible. The grand total of these increases by the few Republican officials in Democratic counties is $353,768.85, which is scattered through the several counties in varying proportions. There is an increase of local taxes by Republican local officials, although there is a decrease of the total local taxes for the entire counties of Bartholemew, Cass, Clark, Dubois, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Martin, Miami, Pike, Scott, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tipton and Warrick. In the Democratic counties that show an increase of local taxes the increase made by the Republicans usually forms the greater part, and in the counties of Carroll, Fulton, Johnson and Madison it

is actually greater than the entire local increase—proving that the Democratic officials in those counties decreased the local taxes of which they had control, and the Republicans are responsible for the entire increase made. In seven of the counties the increase made by the local Republican officials is greater than the increase of state taxes for the entire counties. They are Biaekford, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Perry, Starke and Warrick. The figures here presented amount to actual demonstration of the Republican tax conspiracy. Outside of Marion county the entire increase of local taxes in forty-five Democratic counties was only $206,714.68, while the increase of local taxes made by the Republican officials scattered through those counties aggregates $208,141.29, or more than the total increase. It would have been much more but for the action of Democratic county commissioners in some counties. In the counties of Dubois, Hancock, Harrison, La Porte, Scott, Wells and White, the Republican trustees desired to make heavy increases, but the Democratic county commissioners assumed the power of refusing to allow it. There is question as to the power of county commissioners to do this, and the Republican trustee of Blue River township, Harrison county, brought mandamus proceedings to compel the commissioners to permit the levy as he wanted it. This case is now pending in the supreme court. The people of those counties were saved an unnecessary increase of taxes by this action, but it may have been unwarranted by law. Of course, the county commissioners could not prevent the increases made by town and cities in any event. The total increase of local taxes in the forty-six Republican counties being sl,269,249.45 and the increase by Republican officials in Democratic counties being $353,763.85, the Republicans of Indiana have made by their great tax conpiracy an increase of $1,628,013.30 of local taxes out of a total increase of local taxes of $1,773,121.05. The Democrats of Indiana are responsible for an increase of $1,230,547.73 of state taxes, and $150,107.75 of local taxes, or in all sl,380,655.48. In other words the Republican local officials of this state increased the local taxes of the people over $240,000 more than the Democratic increase for all purposes. And this Republican increase was an unnecessary, wanton, wicked piece of political trickery, the whole burden of which falls on the people. The Democratic increase for stato purposes was due to the well-known necessities of the state, and falls on the corporations of the state. The Republican increase is a foolhardy attempt to deceive the people by imposing an enormous burden on them and telling them that some one else placed it there. The other Democratic increase was an honest effort to meet the needs of the state and place the burdens of taxation on a more just and equitable basis.

,j| ;jf ,|&g ill ||lf COUNTIES, TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNS. g • 2 : @ o | i :il ii ifW me ill nil Adams county— St. Mary’s tp 1741 64 $303 00 $1,044 64 Geneva, town : *1,295 76 204 00 *1,091 76 Total for county *554 12 $507 00 *57 12 Allen county— ' Lake tp 525 73 423 10 948 73 Jefferson tp 257 76 400 00 • 657 76 Aboitetp.. . 286 89 261 00 547 88' Jackson tp 60 06 361 00 421 06 . Total for county... .... $1,130 44 $1,445 00 $2,575 44 Parttolopjew county— Hawcreek tp 483 21 241 00 724 21 German tp. 1,075 00 268 00 1,343 Ofi Columbus tp 2,337 39 430 00 2,767 39 Rockcreek tp 495 25 247 00 742 25 Sandcreek tp....... 551 31 181 00 732 31 Columbus, city. 'i 2,519 87 2,410 00 4,929 81 Hope, t0wn......,, 54 91 261 00 , 315 91 Total for county 7,516 94 4,038 00 11,554 97 Blackford county— Harrison tp 526 89 430 00 956 88 * - Hartford, city;......; 5,003 00 720 00 5,723 66 Montpelier, town .. 181 07 269 0Q 450 Of Total for county , $5,711 56 $1,419 OQ $?,130 5« Brown county— No levies by Republicans, Carroll county— Jackson tp.... 1,270 33 329 00 1,599 33 Adams tp 1,353 ,71 201 00 1,554 71 Burlington tp 1,668 64 414 00 2,082 64 Carrollton tp. 1,031 56 293 00 1,824 56 Monroe tp... 1,733 99 568 00 2,301 98 i Deer CreekLtp 3,728 71 276 00 4,004 71

Delphi, city IM44W MW 11,W 68 Total for county.. Cass asnity-r Bethlehem tp 01 993 00 48 99 Jefferson tp 547 54 985 00 633 54 Noble tp 377 40 141 00 518 40 103 49 153 00 355 40 Clinton tp.............. V. .... 1.890 08 816 00 8,106 08 Total for county $8,115 76 $1,383 00 $4,400 76 Clark county— J Union tD • 339 79 363 00 503 79 Bethlehem tp *166 77 904 00 37 33 > Total for county 973 03 $467 00 $540 00 Clay county— „ T iPwiK tn 735 60 511 00 1,346 50 Center f’oint 6 town™ 156 63 171 00 337 63 S “in 334 33 166 00 600 33 Br^iicit^..: 4,37oßo 1,749 00 6,019 so Total for county ; $5,590 99 $2,754 00 $8,344 99 Crawford county—tengo 654 63 1M 00 *8 63 Aito“ g tow^::::::::::::::: 46 oo iqtoq 153 oe Total for county $1,536 51 $836 00 $3,363 51 Dearborn countv — V„,t tn 3,803 00 333 00 3,525 00 Clavtn *B4 00 183 00 158 00 Washington tp m n? mm £sl S 2 Moore’s Hill, town H 5 £1 H! ™ ??£ £2 Dillsboro, town 835 86 184 06 419 36 Total for county $3,190 33 $796 00 $3,986 33 DeKalb countv — tn 1,188 48 193 00 1,836 48 Newville* tp 828 75 159 00 981 75 WiUninAtnS'tn 56 51 875 00 481 51 tp 637 43 845 00 983 43 tp *894 48 153 00 *343 48 W»t .rlnn' Buto, 8,855 18 44300 3,398 is Total for county *,473 74 $3,369 00 $6,743 74 Dubois county- *477 85 356 00 *12185 s!Z! t‘ P *563 50 385 00 *278 50 15200 42064 Total for county ***oo 71 $798 00 $36 39 Floyd county— No levies by Republican offi P ™“‘“”"£s w nn* isaoo •»« p£L«“tn 9 44 208 00 217 44 Mctnnrnwi Vn * 199 66 102 00 391 66 Mtc™L p to^n:::::::::::: 440 s 28m 730 s Total for county ** 74 9 52 $7lB 00 *58152 Fulton countv — Rochester, town 1,290 so m 2,038 38 Kewanna, town 768 52 153 IK) 981 58 Total for county $2,064 84 SBB9 00 $3,953 84 Hancock countv — ■« k Fortvuie, town.:::::::::::::: "w moo 231 so Total for county 9837 71 $783 00 $1,609 71 Harrrison county— Rnnnptn *234 55 485 00 250 45 hTJ 281 97 398 00 * 079 97 Blue River tp "i" 258 39 300 00 504 39 w«shinlfnn t,n *l6 44 245 00 238 56 waster to 50 28800 *30150 Total for county $*294 13 $1,716 00 $1,42187 Jackson county— Carr tD . ~892 45 479 00 1,871 45 Hamilton tp *476 46 506 00 29 54 Seymour, city 4,334 12 1,513 00 5,376 12 Total for county ' $4,640 11 $3,497 00 " $7,187 H Johnson countydark tD 691 07 287 00 978 67 Franklin tp 955 99 821 00 1,276 99 Edinburg, town 2,718 79 503 00 3,320 79 Franklin, town 1,896 00 931 00 2,837 00 Greenwood, town 231 84 290 00 5,511 84 Total for county $8,484 29 $2,831 00 $8,815 29 Knox county— Busseron tp $254 57 $539 00 $783 57 La Porte county— Hudson tp 21 95 108 00 139 95 Coolspring tp 76 60 294 00 370 62 « “toio to *489 54 137 00 *852 54 ciinton tp:::::::::::::::::::: 07 moo *37707 Noble tD *1,837 09 352 00 *1,075 09 Cass tp.. 428 71 43500 s«37i Westville, town 7 °2 50 150 00 852 50

Total for county *51,157 92 $1,570 00 $412 08 Madison county— Fall Creek tp 45 13 384 00 429 18 Greene tp... *1,033 22 220 00 *Bl3 22 Duck Creek tp *605 33 366 00 *239 88 Anderson, city 15,807 17 8,009 00 18,816 17 Elwood, city 26,284 36 941 00 27,225 86 Pendleton, town 1,220 14 228 00 1,448 14 Total for county $41,718 25 $5,148 00 *46,866 25 Marion county— Decatur tp 1,150 35 436 00 1,586 85 Washington tp *383 41 544 00 160 69 Brightwood, town 1,804 77 t 1,804 77 Irvington, town 1,700 97 188 00 1,888 97 Woodruff, town 724 92 t 724 92 Indianapolis, school board ... 118,014.86 26,942 00 189,956 86 Total for county $117,512 46 $28,110 00 $145,622 56 tßrightwood and Woodruff are not school corpott Wous, but are included In Center township. Marshall county— Union tp *126 02 *470 00 $596 03 Martin county— Mitcheltree tp *351 60 897 00 45 40 Halbert tp.. 613 85 306 00 919 85 Loogootee, town.- *7 80 888 00 330 20 Shoals, town 772 22 180 00 952 22 Total ier county $1,026 67 $1,221 00 $2,247 67 Miami county— Richland tp *247 98 303 00 55 02 Butler tp.. 828 17 344 00 672 17 Deer Creek tp... 234 75 283 00 517 75 Jackson tp.... ’ 1,221 52 289 00 1,510 52 Bunker mil, town 91 56 151 00 242 56 Xenia, town. 197 91 279 00 476 91 Amboy, town *SO 21 107 00 56 79 Macy, town 436 92 88 00 524 92 Total for county $2,212 64 $1,844 00 $4,056 64 Owen county— Montgomery tp 11 20 142 00 153 20 Washington tp. ".. 766 42 345 00 1,111 42 Gosport, town if? SS Spencer, town 2,001 70 451 00 2,452 70 Total for county $3,739 71 $1,127 00 $4,866 71 Perry CountyUnion tp 1,002 35 487 00 1,489 85 Tobintp. 1,190 81 594 00 1,784 81 Ten city 8,403 55 707 00 4,110 55 Total for county $5,596 71 $1,788 00 $7,884 71 Pike county— Washington tp *570 41 487 00 *B3 41 Patoka tp 33 796 6® 1,028 83 Petersburg, town 2,378 27 415 00 2,793 27 Total for countys2,o4o 69 $1,698 00 $3,738 69 Posey county— Black tp 2,104 42 1,184 00 3,288 42 pointtp..i«><» 27700 37700 Robinson tp 33® 8® 328 00 1,153 86 St Vernon, city,:::::::::::; *««« 1,68300 m «a Total for county $1,864 91 $8 672 00 $5,536 01 Pulaski county— Harrison tp 36 27® JjJJ 880 56 White Post tp II 0®! 99 224 23 Van Buren tp *207 69 807 00 99 81 Salem tp .' *7 43 21l 00 258 48 Beaver tp.. 448 84 269 00 TI7 84 Total for county $336 37 $1,324 00 $2,180 $7 Putnam county— Russell tp...... n 3Ol 20 ??8 0Q 619 28 Greencastle tp..2,744 9ft 273 OQ 8,017 99 Jefferson tp,.*.,261 00 *2Ol 68 RussellviUe, town . *l® 44 04 00 877 56 ' futnamville, towi «5 08 70 00 * 166 06 &reencastie,city. . 552 00 1,071 00 1,623 00 Total for county $3,304 24 $1,997 00 $5,301 24 Ripley countyOtter Creek tp 405 48 432 00 897 48 Laughery tp ;.. 69 04 807 00 376 04 Delaware tp 588 77 865 00 908 77 Total for county $1,073 29 $1,104 00 $2,177 29 bhelby county— Washington tp 1,888 70 432 00 1,704 TO

w,.„ . 655* 848 09 I,ll* M Morristown, town 1 ” 80 , u m 11 iotou«»„t, •"“» «•"»“ T*sra ““““"“'vtp «• Starke county— i«o * oo mm _« _SB t gS Total,ottount, **» 00 *•»« ““Sok.ou , p ~■«*•« «**• »» St. Joseph county- B 1» 36 313 00 786 36 Warren tp *307 48 137 00 *fc) 43 Center tp... 839 16 198 00 533 Greene tp 639 94 169 00 94 Lincoln tp. . . 38 49 178 00 196 49 fc^I Ble k’ tOWn 389 56 340 00 609 55 MyKow’n -•* 1 ’ 215 88 £5 1,5 3 Total for county'!!!!!»' **» 90 >UBB 00 Total for rounty ■*”“ 8 •« '” p t““'" t l7b. rtr .p ‘ «<» **»» w«> Warrick county- ~ 189 58 384 00 438 88 Anderson tp 1,951 95 898 00 9 96 0W0tp....... 1,169 09 619 00 1 788 09 Total lor county “ •*« « Washington county- 161 01 384 00 895 01 fj T? tp ; • • v 597 18 658 00 1 360 U Washington tp 375 70 357 00 ’#*3 ™ ?«“tp 715 01 338 00 W 8 01 , fiSKX:::::::::::::::::: '■' mn Total for cut,,p K ' mM *>.«’»«■ welkoouut,- t ■«*«« w>» ms a White county- *1,498 91 383 00 *i m 91 StKi::::::::::::::::: jg« *ySg wo"cott,Twn.::::::::::::::: %_* Total forcounty 00 00 Whitley county- 598 16 164 00 757 16 union p t P ::::::::::::::::::::: 1 - laos ° BWQo iAa Total for county 1 ’ 798 56 84,18 00 « Total Increase in forty Democratic counties of lochl UlXl ri ,j y ® e_ publican officials... • B ®®>®3B 37 Total decrease in four Democratic counties ________ Net Increase ties ' Increase of local taxes in Republican coun W Total Republican increase of local as!!' 1 ! lu Hlal< V ' 1 “•; , i , m , 80

Who ia to UlameT For thirty-four years the Democratic party has not been in full control of the executive and legislative branches of the government at the same time for a single day. Therefore, the Democrats have been powerless, either to repeal or to enact laws withont the co-operation of the Republicans for more than a generation. With the exception of Hayes, every Republican president, from Lincoln to Harrison has had a Republican senate, a Republican house and a Republican supreme court at his back, at least, during one-half of his administration.

Both branches of congress tinder Lincoln’s administration were overwhelmingly Republican. Under Johnson the Republicans had more than twothirds of the members of the senate and house, and bills were readily passed over the executive veto. Even the power of removal from office was denied the president, and the executive departments were practically directed by congress. During his first term, Grant was supported by a solid Republican congress, and so was he also during the first-half of his second term. A congress, Republican in both branches, came into power the same day Garfield was inaugurated, and Arthur enjoyed the confidence of that congress for two years. From March 4, 1889 to March 4,1891, Harrison’s administration was well backed up by a Republican senate, a Republican house and a Republican supreme court The Republicans are therefore responsible for the legislation that has created monopolies, trusts, labor trouble and tramps. There is but one way to check this tendency of centralization es power and wealth, and this is by placing the Democratic party in full control of the executive and both branches of congress. Political Relation of the J&xccative and Legislative. Cong. Senate House Buchanan (D) 35 Dezn. Dem. , “ 86 Dem. Rdtl Lincoln (R) 37 Rep. Rep. Johnson (Nond) 89 Rep. Rep “ 40 Rep. Rep. Grant (R).... 41 Rep. Bra. “ 42 Rep. Rep. “ 43 Rep. Rep. “ 44 Rep. Dem. Hayes (R)..... 45 Rep. Dem. Arthur (R) 47 Rep. Rest “ 48 Rep. Dem Cleveland (D)..,,,„ 49 Rep. Dem. “ 50 Rep. Dem. Harrison (R)......... 51 Rep. Rep. ........ 52 Rep. Dem. They Think Alike.

We denounce Republican protection as a fraud, a robbery of the great majority of the American people for the benefit of the few. Wedeclareit to be a fundamental principleof the Democratic party that the federal government has no constitutional power to enforce and collect tariff duties except for the purpose of revenue only, and we demand that such taxes shall be limited to the necessities of the government honestly and economically administered.—N ational Democratic Platform. d.

In his speec h at the Pryor banquet in Ootober, 1890, the Hon. ChaunoeyM DePew, who placed Harrison in nomination at Minneapolis, said: “If lam to name the typioal American, the man who loves and believes in his country beyond everything else, the man who, determining once in what direction his duty leads, cannot be swerved from the path—the man who is doggedly per sistent in what he believes to be right—the msn who thinks not of self, but of bis oonntry and its needs, I would name Gboveh Cleveland." What he has accomplished is the very highest tributs to the possibilities of Amerioan citizenship A oonntry lawyer in the oity of Buffalo, he shed luster npon the high profession whiohhehad chosen. As the mayor of his native oity he presented as bis record a clean and eoonomioal administration. Coming Into the highest position in the land without previous experience, and with sonroely a precedent to guide him in the conditions which surrounded him, he won the affection of his party and commanded the respect and admiration of his opponents.— I find myself in one of the proudest positions of my life in being permitted to present to you Grever Cleveland as the typical American."

Adlai E. Stevenson, Democratic nominee or Vice President, is a Democrat, and a mighty good Democrat at that.— Shortly after his nomination his miners oalled in a body on him, and this Is what William Radford, their spokesman, said: "It it with mueh gratification that we c n look baok over the past years that we have been in the employ of the MoLean eo nty coal company, for in all these yeare no pay day has everlpessed that we have not been paid our wages in full, but few disagreements beve ever arisen, and THESE WEHE QUICKLY AND AMICABLY SETTLED, AND WE CAN JIEMEI BEE NO INSTANCE WHERE YOU HAVE EVER TREATED US EITHER UNFAIRLY OB UNKINDLY, and many a happy home has been ereoted in the village of Stevensonville that never wonld have be«n there except for the kind, ness and consideration shown many of ns both by yourself and brothers. ”

forced by necessity our friend Mills, republi'an candidate for county assessor, says 1 “The levies made by the Township Trustees for the year 1891, show an aggre-* gate increase of $ 11,602.75. This sum, together with the balance oi the levy for 1891 (which will possibly bring the amount up to or be .ond the increase we claimed several weeks ago) will all be used for the purposes for which the levies we r e made,” etc. Of course, then,the increased amount is. ceded, and the ‘levy’ was adjusted by Our local borad to secure it. Thb may be all right, but it might be as well at this stage of the pioceeding to satisfy the pecple tha: is so, and then in all honesty withdraw the lie that the increase ut.s the i atural outcome and attriln .1able to the so calltd Democratic tax law. It was thedtsign of tbs . e gentlemen to make political capi tal out of the law, and since they have “got their foot in it,” th-\ should extricate themselves by confessing the truth. And we ate pleased to note in the Republican this week they are approaching that point.

To lay with one hand the power of the government on the property of the citizen and with the other bestow it upon favored individuals to build up private fortunes, is none the less robbery because It is done under the forms of law and is called taxation. Tht is not legislation. It is a decree under legislative forms. Nor is it taxation. Beyond cavil, there can be no lawful taction which is n»t laid for public purposes?—Opinion of Justice Miller of the • United States Supreme Court

Congressman Patton furnishes the fol. lowing list of penaipn bills, appr v d br each, president from Lincoln down to Har. risen: Lincoln 44; Grant (two t« rms) 518«, Hayes 234; Garfield and Arthur 7C6* Cleveland 1,125; Harrison (to date) 1.3! 9, Harrison falls 426 short of Cleveland.

QTo vote a straight Democratic ticket stamp within the sqnare enclosing t s rooster at the top of the ballot, andn >* where else. If any other sqnare is stem •• ed in addition to the large sqnare t) e ballot will be thrown out. . After stam « ing fold the ballot so as to leave the int. tials of the poll-clerk on the ontside an 1 hand to the election officers.