Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1914 — Page 6 Advertisements Column 3 [ADVERTISEMENT]

jealously the exercise of the taxing power. By this power the citizen has -is property taken from him and applied to public purpose; and he is anxious to know why his earnings have thus been demanded, and if a proper application thereof is being made. The good citiaen, h6wever, wants his State to meet her legitimate obligations, and he understands tinU every additional function performed by the State in the government of the people calls for more money, and that temporizing schemes won’t pay it. Therefore, the practical man stands ready to endorse a rational evercfse of the taxing power of his government. In dealing with the finances of this State there has been too much cowardice manifested by political parties and political leaders in the past. It has long been known to those who have given any attention to the subject. that the tax levy for State purposes was not high enough to meet the obligations of the State. For years the sinking fund, that was created as a debt paying fund, was used by Republicans in ,« meeting the current expenses •of the State. In three years they used $1,650,000 of that fund for this purpose, instead of applying it to the payment of the bonded debt of the State. Republicans not only used the sinking fund for the purposes and to the amount I have indicated, but from 1805 to, 1910 they called for advance t<*x payments from the counties to the general fund to the amount of $15,408,841.02 to meet the current expenses, rather than assume the responsibility of doing their duty by raising the tax levy. One of the best informed men in the affairs of this State is Hon. Joseph M. CraVens of Jefferson county. He tobjc an active and prominent part in securing the passage of the tax law of 1913; and in addressing that tody for the enactment of this law, he said: “This proposition of increasing the tax levy has been shoved off by political parties for the last ten years, and the State has been living from hand to mouth, with nothing in the treasury; calling continually on county treasurers for advance payments; holding up bills for want of funds; practically insolvent for the greater part of the time. The increase in the tax levy this time is absolutely necessary. True, the Legislature will make unusually large appropriations, but this is the result of the general trend of the times. New ideas, new theories, and new practices are demanded by the people and their demands have to be met.” These are wise and patriotic words. The Legislature endorsed them and promptly enacted the revenue or tax law of 1913. And now what of this law? It deals with the different funds as follows: The educational tax of 2% cents is increased to 7 cents, that is, 4 1 4 cents. The benevolent tax of 5 cents is increased to 10 cent?, that is, 5 cents. The vocational tax is fixed for the first time at 1 cent. The school tuition tax remains at 13.6 cents. The total increase in these three funds is 10 cents. Sinking fund tax was reduced from 3 cents to I*4 cents, that is, I*4 cents. The general tax was reduced from 9 cents to 7 cents, that is, 2 cents. The total reduction in these two funds is 3’4 cents, a_ saving to the State of more than $650,000 annually. The tax levy of 1913 is 6% cents on the hundred dollars more than it was fixed at by the Republicans in 1907. The increases, it will be observed, are for the educational and benevolent institutions. The Democratic party has always stood for an educated citizenship. This was a passion with Thomas Jefferson, and the political party he founded has never been known to oppose a movement for greater educational facilities for the people. Public security rests upon patriotism and intelligence. President Bryan of Indiana University, President Stone of Purdue ar.d President Parsons of the State Normal are all Republicans and tr.e.r boards of trustees are non-part: a.' I am willing for my party to be condemned by the voters of Indiana, if these gentlemen and the Republican members of their boards will say that the Legislature of 1913 made a mistake in giving these institutions too much money. When stand-pat orators and flghty Progressives assail the Democratic party for its policy toward the educational and benevolent institutions of Indiana, I want them to tell the people the particular appropriation they are proposing to reduce, if their party is successful. I demand that they say what particular law enacted by the Democratic party they are proposing to repeal. They have not said it vet, and if they are not willing to designate where they will apply the pruning knife in the event they succeed, they stand self-convicted of being unworthy to be trusted with the administration of either private or publicaffairs. The general fund might be properly designated as the political ‘fund, since all salaries ,are paid out of it! In obedience to the public demand for laws covering more work and new functions, new offices and new deputyships were created and filled. But notwithstanding this fact the last Legislature reduced the general tax levy 2 cents, besides takiqg care of an expenditure of SIOO,OOO to Purdue University for a library appropriated in 1911; paying $68,447.60 , for a colony for the insahe, appropriated in 1911. and $169,022 of specific appropriations made in 1913and in addition to this, it has paid on the foreign debt of the State $420 - 000; and the Marshall and Ralston administrations together have paid up to this time on the State debt $770,000 reducing the State’s foreign indebtedness to $130,000, which this administration will pay in full January 1, 1915. The State finance board has had to make a temporary loan of $400,000 to meet the expenses of the benevolent institutions, which will be paid on the 31st of next December. But notwithstanding the temporary loans this administration has had to make because of a condition it inherited, the Democratic party still has to its credit $370,000 over and above its temporary loans, by reason of its debt paying policy; and before this administration ends, it will abolish the