Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 257, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 October 1911 — BOND ISSUE STARES STATE IN THE FACE. [ARTICLE]

BOND ISSUE STARES STATE IN THE FACE.

The Democrats of Indiana ' have ..failed; .. * w 1 • of Indiana on their claim that they had evolved economical ideas of government that would save the state great sums of money*. They indicated that the Republicans were a lot of grafterg and that the people .were being robbed. - Their public, sneakers and their newspapers told-. l up that taxes, were -too high and that we needed to .turn to’Democracy for reform and retrenchment. 4 . v -y : And the people turned? ~ Democracy has controlled the legislatures that provided appropriations since the session.of 1909. And Indiana is bankrupt and a bond issue is star- | ing it in the face. • ' ■ ' Figures just being made public show that during the fiscal year ended Sept 30th, 1911, the democrats of Indiana spent $11,287,184.34, as against SB-,067,001.71 spent by the Republicans in 1907. ' ithf'r ■ ,'-~k V? Added to the great’ amount of the taxpayers’ money used by Democrats the past year, during which time there has been no great building projects on. hand, is something like $160,000 a year paid to state accountants by the various communities which they have “probed” whenever they needed a little change. . , , It will thus Ije seen that the little .“flyer” our voters took into the democratic camp has cost the state about three million dollars a year and brought the old Hoosier state. to a condition that is really embarrassing. State house democrats who have enjoyed the handling of the money and who have been enjoying the salaries so generously bestowed are now beside themselves on account of thd condition of the state’s treasury. Every scheme known to financeering has been undertaken by the democratic crowd to tide over the sinking ship but now they are face to face with bankruptcy. . ?■ .?? „ Repeatedly have they called ou county treasurers for advance payments of money on hand in the various -local communities. The December settlement has been anticipated heavily, much of the money being'Called in far ahead of the regular time In order that current state ,ekpensej might be met, and in order that the salaries of State House Democrats might be paid. , , . There have been transfers'of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state debt sinking fund to the general .fund, and there have been transfers also from the benevolent institution fund to the general fund, Ml for the payment of bills current ’ This liand-to-the-mouth method of carrying 'on the business of the state has. found the Democrats out, and with the completion of the report of the Democratic auditor of state the real.facts are being shown to the public.

The last Republican House of Representatives and the last Republican appropriation bill were those of 1907. The house was Democratic in 1909, and appropriation bill was made up by me House Democrats and was signed by a Democratic governor. The 1911 Legislature was Democratic on both sides, and of course the appropriation bills of that session also were Democratic all through, and full of Democratic “jokers'.*' Readers of The Republican will remember that this paper pointed out a number of months ago that there was an effort made on . the part of Democratic politicians to provide a large increase in the valuation of farm lands in-order to provide money to meet,the increased expenditures. All tthe assessors of the state were told to spring valuations as much as they could and a number of them tried to do thft. Had this been accomplished the farm owners woitid have been assessed to meet the increased expenses of Democratic mismanagement. But the Republican newspapers of the state warned the farmer of the scheme and they protested so lustily that tee increases were very light Bossed by a large majority of large property holders in the cities there was very little effort made to increase city or corporation properties. Now, tee condition of the state’s finances are such that It is almost oertain teat tee state at rate most be increased to meet the expenses of another year. The last legislature made some grandstand efforts at economy. For Instance they cut the appropriation for superior court judges but did not provide enough money to pay tee

Mojarv Of iri OOfi and ho let Indiana fool the MU That is the kind * aovernor wr have dear neonle vn| a y| . » * '■ ■•' < *"£*.. y'* Ti i the state to dictate all legislation durlag the last session. And that l« Uk, hW »““'■»*' “» «” *»'" ernor. Last week George W. Miles, the state fish and game commissioner, needed some money to ran his department. He asked for $5,000 and was turned down. He informed the auditor of etate that his department had turned ftnto the treasury $15,000 from fines, etc., which was supposed by the law to be available tor use In his department when heeded. He was informed that urgent needs of the general treasury bad caused the money to be turned into the general fund. Miles was finally given S3OO by the state auditor but the auditor had to grunt like sixty to squeeze that much out of the I'iF * There are 63 prosecuting attorneys la the state each of whom receive S6OO a year. The appropriation for them should have been $31,500, but all that was appropriated was $30,600. Possibly the Democrats thought tout a couple of these gentlemen would decline their salaries but they have so tor tolled to do so and the money must be dug up whether appropriated <fr not A balance is a good thing to have to the state treasury as well as In that .secreted woolen sock at home. But under Democratic management the balance in the state treasury has gone ' "kiting" hence ward. * For example in 1905, a Republican year, the treasury on Oct. 31 showed $459,*25.57. In 1900, one year later, the balance was $603,055.44. The next year, 1907, the balance was $1,092,$14.13. This was in Republican times, as the taxpayers will keep in mind. to 1900 another Republican year, the balance was cut down to $585, 345.92, but that was the great building year when $120,861.47 was spent for the Southern Hospital for the Insane; $197,094.50 for the new school building for the deaf; SIOO,OOO for the new experiment station at Purdue; $79,909 tor the new village for epileptics, $04,000 for new buildings at the state soldiers home and $60,000 for new buildings for the Eastern Hospital for the Insane. The state bad the money as a surplus and spent it wisely for substantial improvements for excellent causes, just as any business man will spend his money wisely when i| has accrued. The Democrats In their campaign, seeking control, w"cOsed us of extravagance to bavin? provided these fine buildings for our Reserving wards and promised all sorts of economic reforms. The only Mg thing they have done was to spend $100,090 for a he* pavilion at the state fair grounds and they are offering a* an excuse for the present money shortage. The tempest is about to break and it is certain that a bond issue will have to be made to order to provide funds tor running the affairs of Indiana according to the prevailing scheme of “economy" established by Democracy.