The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, September 6, 1907 Page: 1 of 8
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The Peoples Voice
VOLUME 10.
NORMAN OKLAHOMA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER ti 1907
NUMBER
WW HIGH TAXES THE REASON WHY J
During' the taxpaying periods the taxpayers in this county always seem to be anxious to know why it is that taxes are so
high. Don't know whether taxpayers would appreciate an answer to this question at the present time or not. Democratic can-
didates, we are quite sure, are not insisting that the question be answered at this time. They are not "pointing with pride" to
record made by democratic officials in this county; but rattier are promising what great things (as predecessors promised) they
will do if elected to the offices in the county. The record made by a party in office is certainly a more certain guide to voters as
to what they may expect from such party, than promises made in a campaign. Believing this to be true and fortunatelj' having
record made by the Populist and democratic parties in handling the affairs of this county, as sworn to by Democratic County
Clerks D. B. Wynne and P. O. Miller, so that all parties interested in knowing' why taxes are so high can read and know from a
source that cannot be denied without imputing D. B. Wynne and P. O. Miller's sworn statements were not true. Populists and
republicans might question the truth of Democratic County Clerk's sworn statements, but democrats will certainly not. At the
end of every fiscal year the County Clerk makes a sworn financial statement and the following is what such financial statements
show for fiscal years 1897, 1898, 1906 and 1907. The fiscal year ending June 30, 1897 was the last year the Populists were in
charge. Since June 30th, 1897 democrats have been in full charge of county affairs.
What County Clerk's Financial Statements Show:
Populist Year.
Democratic Years.
Fiscal year ending Fiscal year ending Fiscal year ending
June 30, 1S97. June 30 1888. June 30.1906
Total amount expended for county purposes $ 19,198 31 $ 19,977 98 $ 47,764 66
Total amount of county indebtedness 89,338 06 84,042 92 77,935 02
Total amount of taxable property 1,642,055 77 1,847,683 00 2,295,330 00
Total amount of levy for county purposes 15£ mills. 18 mills. 20 mills.
Fiscal year ending
June 30. 1907.
% 63,884 18
79,164 57
2,295,330 00
20 mills.
Clerk's financial statement shows that at end of fiscal year 1896 county indebtedness was $100,931.62. This indebtedness
was reduced during 1897, $11,603.56, leaving a county indebtedness of $89,338.06 when affairs of county were turned over
to Jtlie democrats. The financial statement for the year ending June 30, 1897 shows expenditures for county purposes
$19,198.31. This includes expense of holding general election in fall of 1896 amounting to aprroximately $2000.
A like item of expense is not included in financial statements for fiscal years ending June 30th, 1898 and 1906 and 1907, for rea-
son no elections were held during those fiscal years. During the fiscal year ending' June 30th, 1897, Populists on a levy of 15 12
mills on a valuation of $1,642,055.17, paid current expenses of county $19,198.31 and reduced indebtedness of the county
$11,603.56. The following year with no expense for holding a general election to pay (amounting to approximately $2000)
democrats on a levy of 18 mills on a valuation of $1,847,683.00 paid current expenses of the county $19,977.98 and
reduced indebtedness of the county $5,285.14. By a comparison of these two years financial statement of County Clerk
shows a financial difference in favor of the Populist administration of county affairs and taxpayers of the county of only
$7,198,09, but if item of expense of holding a general election is figured difference would in fact be about $9,000.00 i n
favor of the Populist officers and taxpayers. At this particular time iu the history of the county the democrats knew that
taxpayers were not in a humor to pay much more for an administration of county affairs than they had paid for a Populist ad-
ministration. However, every year from 1898 up to the present time, as shown by Clerks financial statements, reveals that the
county expenditures have increased as democratic security at the polls increased as you will observe by an examination of finan-
cial statements of County Clerk as shown in above table for fiscal years ending June 30th 1906 and 1907.
Now bear in mind there were no election expenses included in expenditures for years 1906 and 1907, neither were there any
expenditures for the new Court House included in expenditures for fiscal year ending June 30, 1906. During fiscal year ending
June 30th, 1906, democrats on a levy of 20 mills on a valuation of $2,295,330.00 paid current expenses of county
$47,764.66 and INCREASED county indebtedness $1,435.02. By comparing fiscal year ending June 30th, 1897 with
fiscal year ending June 30th, 1906 we find from the Clerks financial statements a financial difference in favor of the Populist ad-
ministration of affairs of the county and taxpayers of only $30,001.37, or if you include $2000.00 for expense of holding an
eleccion a difference in favor of the Populists of only $32,001.37. Now if you don't care we will compare fiscal years 1897
and 1907 and see how they pan out. During fiscal year ending June 30th, 1907 democrats on a levy of 20 mills on a valuation of
$2,295,330.00 paid out as current expenses the sum of $63,884.18 and INCREASED the county indebtedness
$1,229.55. By comparing this year with Populist year a financial difference of only $45,916.42 appears in favor of the
Populist year. Include in this $2000.00 as election expenses which expenses Populists paid and democrats did not and you have
a difference in favor of the Populists of $47,916.42 or enough to paycash down one half contract price of new Court House
and have enough left to defray current expenses of county as incurred by Populists during fiscal year 1897. During past year
democrats did pay off Court House indebtedness amounting to $7,856.46. Eliminating Court House entirely we find amount
paid out for county purposes last year, was $63,884.18--$7,856.46 or $56,027.72 (to this should be added the $2000
election expenses Populist paid in 1897 and democrats did not have to meet in 1907 and you have $58,027.72--$l9,l98.31
and you have only $38,829.41 in favor of the Populist administration of couuty affairs or enough to have defrayed the ex-
penses of county for two years.
To summarize: During last year the Populists managed affairs of this county levy was 15i mills, valuation of county
$1,642,055.77 indebtedness of county REDUCED $11,603.56 at an expense to taxpayers of $19,198.31 for defraying expenses of
county government. Last year democrats levied 20 mills on a valuation of $2,295,330.00 indebtedness of county outside of Court
House INCREASED $1,229.55 at an expense to taxpayers of $56,027.72 for defraying expenses of county government outside of
what was paid on account of new court house construction and this does not include the expense of a general election which were
included in expenditures of Populist year approximating $2,000. The total indebtedness of the county out side of court house in-
debtedness lias been reduced by democrats during the past 10 years the sum of $10,163,49 while Populists reduced it $11,603.56 in
one year.
All of the deductions above made are made from financial statements of County Clerk as above published. Any taxpayer
in the county fairly good in figuring can prove statements made in this article true. The expenditures of this county for
county purposes, outside of court house, have trebled since Populist were in charge as you will see by examining clerks sworn
statements and this answers the question "why taxes are so high and still climbing higher each year." If you want them to
continue to climb up ward make sure that you stamp the "Rooster" on your ballot on election day. If you would much prefer
to see them reduced say so by stamping the Liberty Bell on your ballot on election day.
Believing that we have honestly attempted to answer the question "why taxes are so high in this county" and believing
every voter in tiiis county is entitled to have an answer to this question honestly made before he casts his ballot, we have ten-
dered to the two newspapers in Norman the free use of this article for publication in this weeks issue of their papers and mailed
a proof to Lexington Leader. We have figured carefully but may have made some honest mistakes in our deductions and figures;
but we hare not attempted to deceive or mislead any one. Bear in mind that $4,100.00 was derived from insurance on old court
house and used to furnish new and perhaps paid all of same and that only $7,856.46 on the new court house of the $52,376.40 that
must be paid, has been paid and you will readily see that the new court house has had practically nothing to do in increasing ex-
penditures for couuty purposes. Other sources for increased expenditures must be looked to for increase of county expenditures
from $19,198.31 in 1897 to $63,884.18 iu 1907.
Let us suggest some good thing to eat that
do not need to be cooked.
We venture to say that no where else in town
canLibby's Peerless Dried Beef be bought at
this price.
Libby's Peerless Wafer sliced Beef per glass. 15i
Club House Brand Salmon large size can.. 25c
Telmo Brand Salmon, dark red per can 15c
Telmo Brand Boned Chicken, per can 80c
Telmo Brand Potted Chicken, per can 20c
Telmo Brand Potted Tongue per can 15c
Libby's Potted Ham per can 05c
Libby's Vienna Sausage, per can
Club House Brand Deviled Crab 30c
Telmo Sardines in Mayonaise Dressing per can. 15c
Bjelland & Co's. Norwegian Sardines per can.20c
French Sardines in pure olive oil per can 20c
Ibsen Brand Sardines in Tomato Sauce, can. .15c
Dried Herring—boneless and skinless, per lb.. 20c
Underwood's Deviled Ham—best put up, can ,30c
Hot or Cold--If It's Good
to Eat You'll Find It at
BROCKETT'S
Married
Married at the home of her grand
parents in thia city, Mr. and Mrs. J.
W. Armstrong, last Sunday evening
Rev. W. J. Moore officiating, Mr.
Alex Clements to Miss Elva Neaves.
The groom is the city clerk of Nor-
man and a young man with an excel-
lent reputation and many friends in
this city. The bride has resided in
Norman for several years clerking in
stores and .working in the telephone
office and is a young woman with
many accomplishments and a host ol
warm friends in Norman. The young
couple have gone to housekeeping in
a nice cottage in the Jones addition
Foot Injured.
Last Monday a horse witli corked
shoes backed up stepping on Johr, A.
Fox's foot, the corks of the nh
ing down on each side of John'* an-
kle and in tnis position the hor
reared up throwing almost all ol
weight on his foot, and as a rrsult
John's foot was badly injured. I It-
came up town Tuesday on crutch,
swinging his leg In a sling, and ol
course was told that he was plavin
the cripple to win votes in hi:- i i
for commissioner and his opponent
was forthwith told to get him -il
wheel chair and go John one I ttr
in the cripple business.
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f ©
What Is the Independence
League.
The Independence League is a
movement on the part of the people
to organize a wav of escape from the
clutches of the trusts and corpora-
tions and restore the reins of ihe
government into the hands of the
people. The trusts and corporations
through the two old parties are en-
throned in power. To overthrow this
rule is object of Independence League
movement To do this a party out-
side of both of the old parties must
be organized. The trusts and corpor-
ations can not be hurled from power
through either of the old parties.
While the'Democrat and Whig oar
ties bHttled for supremacy all efforts
to rid this country from the slave
power proved futile for the reason
slave power had friends in both par-
ties. Likewise the halls of legisla-
tion in this county today reveal that
trusts and corporations have agents
in both of the old parties protecting
their interests, ami it is immaterial
to the trusts and corporations which
of the old parties is in control at
Washington. Neither of the old par-
ties will put a very objectionable
man to the trusts in the presiden-
tial chair. A Parker man would
have suited them better than a
Roosevelt, no doubt, but people pre-
ferred Roosevelt and trusts and cor
porations figured that difference to
them was not sufficient to warrant
them in antagonizing wishes of the
people, regarding these two men.
The Independent voting of tb people
has been giving the trusts and cor-
porations some trouble in getting in-
to the presidential chair just the
man of their choice. An Independ-
ent Party is something trusts and
corporations do fear. The Peoples
Party movement in 1894 gave them a
genuine scare. In (act it fright-
ened them into causing the Demo-
cratic party to take up and advocate
reforms of Peoples Party for the
purpose of breaking up the third
party movement and were forced to
plank down millions of dollars to de-
feat a man for the presidency they
did not want but whose nomination
by the Democratic party was con-
sented to by the trusts and corpora-
tions for the purpose of disrupting
the Peoples Party movement and get
the voters back into the two old par-
ties the Democratic parly hss
drifted clear back to where it
was in the days of "Dear
Old Grover" and the way is now open
for a new Third Party movement in
1908 and the plans have been perfect-
ed and well laid for such a movement
by the shrewdest minds in this coun-
try and in 1908 you will see the people
coming together in a third party
movement such as never witnessed
before in this couutry and the plat-
form of the new party will be essen-
tially the same as the Peoples Party
platform of 1904. The Independence
League is simply a detachme/it of
the reform torces that are in the
field calling for volunteers for the
new party to be launched In 1908 and
the mission of which is to overthrow
the trust and corporation rule in
this country and restore the govern-
ment into the hands of the people.
H Tony Nolan
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Owen Martin
Nolan & Martin
Successors to
CAREY LOMBARD LUMBER CO.
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Are now ready for business with a
better and more complete stock. Just
received a carload of Peter Schuttle
Wagons .Majestic Steel Ranges, Shelf
Hardware, Stoves, Tinware, Paints, Oils
and Varnish.
Call and get prices at ©
Carey's old stand.
Second Hand School
books wanted now by
Kingkade Book Store.
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® Norman,
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©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©© ©© &
NOLAN & MARTIN,
Oklahoma.
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Allan, John S. The Peoples Voice (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 16, No. 8, Ed. 1 Friday, September 6, 1907, newspaper, September 6, 1907; Norman, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc118122/m1/1/: accessed April 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.