Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1912 — OPEN LETTER TO COL DURBIN [ARTICLE]

OPEN LETTER TO COL DURBIN

Asked to Explain Hanly’s Charge That Durbin Left a $500,000 Deficit—Other Leading Questions. o Dear Mr. Durbin:— Your keynote speech has Just been read by our statistician, and I find so many omissions, so many slide-for-lifes, so many half-truths, that I am impelled to write you for information. You mi.ke the boast that your administration was a great financial success. In this connection the public would like some additional light on the charge made against your management of state ahairs by that other distinguished Republican, Governor Hanly, who said in his inaugural address: V

“The estimated expenses for the state government for the fiscal year ending Oct. 31. IWb. including specific appropriations now available and the estimated cost of the present session of the general assembly, are $4*13,000 in excess of tlie estimated revenues, accruing to the state within such fiscal year. This condition of the finances will become an actual embarrassment to the treasury before the end of the current year. It can be met only by borrowing money outright or by anticipating the revenues for the next fiscal year. ‘lt is due to two causes. First, to the large appropriations made by the last general assembly; second, to a substantial invasion of the general fund for the purpose of making payments on the state debt. The sum of $140,379.45 has been taken out of the general fund during the last two fiscal years, $416,703.25 in three years and $521,091.59 in four years and applied to the payment of the state's indebtedness not yet due, at a time, too, when the general fund was already overdrawn and when the revenues accruing to such a fund, were being anticipated far in advance.

“Bonds were bought in the market with money from the general fund in the face of the fact that there was sure to be a heavy deficit in that fund at the close of each fiscal year. Debt paying is commendable, but the present embarrassment could have been saved by conserving the general fund to the payment of the debt, especially so as such fund would have been ample to meet the entire bonded foreign debt long before it would have become due. The revenues for the present year have been anticipated to the extent of $529,649.” To the average mind, Mr. Durbin, a deficiency such as you left is not consistent with a good business policy, and the methods you pursued are too much like robbing Peter to pay Paul. You also boast. Mr. Durbin, of your big payment on the state debt in 1902. Have you so soon forgotten how you did it, or do you merely expect the taxpayers to forget? Don’t you remember that over $600,000 was turned over to Indiana by the National Government on the war claim and that that money was part of your payment of the state debt? *

Of course, Mr. Durbin, you don’t expect an intelligent people to give you credit for the $600,000 with which you had no more to do than the man in the moon.

It seems, too, that you try to take an unfair advantage in comparing the cost of maintaining the state benevolent institutions when you were Governor with the cost today. Do you expect the people to overlook the fact that there are manv hundreds more inmates in the state institutions to be fed and clothed now than 12 years ago? Do you expect them to overlook the fact that we have state institutions now that were not in existence when you were Governor?

Qo you expect them to overlook the fact that material costs more now; that food and clothing cost more now, than when you were Governor? You ought to know, Mr. Durbin, that there isn t a man in the state whose household expenses are not from 50 to 100 per cent, higher now than then be-

: cause of the tariff you stand for and the tariff-made trusts and monopolies you defend. It seems, too, Mr. Durbin, that you ha\e found it well to utterly ignore the happenings of the four fears of rule by your party that intervened between your term and that of Governor Marshall—four years of extravagance and waste, that resulted in as bad a financial condition when the DemO- ; crats took charge as you left for your ' Republican successor. | As a matter of fact, politics aside,

don’t you know that the Democrats have made a magnificent financial showing, considering the fact that for 16 years yous party kept running the state into deficit after deficit. You know that the $103,000 on the Coliseum bonds should have been paid while the Republicans still retained control of the Finance Board but that no payment was made until the Democrats took charge when it was paid. You know that the Democrats have paid $150,000 on the state debt three years before it fell due and saved the tax payers $5,000 in interest. You know that the Democrats are preparing •to make another payment of $135,000 on the state debt within the next three or four months: You know that the Democrats have been forced to meet the expenses of maintaining the Southern Hospital for

he Insane= s and the Tuberculosis Hospital at Rockville for the first time—aud have done it. And you know that with all this, the Democrats have reduced the total tax levy from 17 to 15 and a half cents, a reduction to the taxpayers of $300,000 every year. ‘ • You know it because you are a business man and your own tax receipts show it. doesn’t it, Mr. Durbin? Your« for truth, * CURIOUS CITIZEN.