The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-09-23


was the truth, that the bill was introduced
into the General Assembly by Demo-
cratic member. engineered to its final
enactment by T. S. Parvin, Esq, and
voted for by every Democratic member
Of both Houses. -
BOARD OF EQUALIZATION.
The old stock being exhausted, new
coinage of lies is now to be propayated.
We have before us copy of the Demo
cratic Clarion, published in Davis coun-
tv, which furnishes us a specimen of
what their character is to be. In all our
observations Of newspapers we must con-
fess that we never before saw so many
falsehoods crowded into so small space
as are contained in about one hundred
lines of the Clarion under the caption,
More Money Demanded by the Ruling
Dynasty" 1t would be useless to at
tempt 10 refute these falsehoods one by
one, but we will allude to one or two of
them by way of sample.
The Code Of the State creates Board
of Equalization of the State assessments.
Sec. 482, p. 81, of the Code, directs this
Board to preserve unchanged the aggre-
gate amount of the State valuation, but
they are required to apportion the valua.
ton among the several counties rs equit-
ably as may be possible with the informa-
ton before them. For example, if the
average returned valuation Of farming
lands in Van Buren, and Appanoose
counties is six dollars per acre. a.ld three
dollars in Davis county, the reasonable
presumption would be that the valuation
in Davis county was too low. The Board
would therefore raise the valuation in
Davis to correspond with that of the sur
rounding counties, and lower the valua-
tion of other counties so as to "preserve
the aggregate valuation of the entire
State" Such cases as this have hap
pened every year, and always will hap
pen. Such case has happened this year
in Davis and in six or seven other coun-
ties. The assessment of Davis county
was never remarkable for its correctness,
as is evidenced by the fact that the valu-
alton of town property in that county was
placed in 1855 at 81, 1929, and in 1886,
at S1O.19 or about one seventh of what
it was estimated to be worth one year be-
fore the last date The assessment of re-
al estate in that county, exclusive of town
property, was reported in 1857, at
SO, 734 .945, and this year it is reported
at 81 1928, ,297, or at S9l1, ,64s less than
last year. Does any one suppose that
the lands in Davis county are really not
worth two-thirds as much as they were
last year Under these circumstances
the Board of Equalization. guided by the
assessment of the adjacent counties.
kised the assessment of Davis county to
Value corresponding with that of the
ordering counties. They could not de-
crease the valuation of those counties be-
cause it would disturb the valuation of
the grand schedule. but they could make
Davis county pay her proportion of the
State expenses, and the law required them
to do so-nothing more, nothing less
But it should be borne in mind that the
valuation of Davis county, after being
raised by the Board of Equalization,
amounts to only 81, 552 ,6l5, or $780, 1870
less than last year.
But, says the Democratic organ, "not
only have they been content to add to
the assessment, but have raised the rate
of taxation from one and quarter to
three mills per dollar" and then pro-
ceeds with an array Of figures to show
that whereas the tax of Davis county
was s7,643.33 last year. it will this year
be $40, ,866.l4, under this increased per
cent. Now, the fact is, that the Board
of Equalization, instead Of raising the
per cent. Of State taration from one and
a quarter to three mills, actually lo,cered
IL from t,co mills to one and a haLf mills,
AND THE STATE TAX IN DAVIS COUNTY.
AND ALL OVER THE STATE, WILL BE JUST
ONE QUARTER LESS THAN WAS LAST YEAR
UPON THE SANE VALUE. Can there be
any apology found for such unblushing
mendacity? We ask the Democrats II
they do not think the public sentiment
of their party ought to require their edit
ors IN making their statements, purport-
ing to be facts. to come at least within
one hundred per cent of the truth =!
Such are the miserable shifts to which
the Democracy Of Iowa are reduced
Thus have the evasions and falsehoods Of
their newspapers been exposed and "gone
home to roost." Instead Of manfully
meeting the great questions at issue be-
tween the Republican and Democratic
parties, they cover themselves with in
fanny by the propagation OF the most
baretaced falsehoods in their attempts to
avoid these issues.
Their appeals and their fabrications
are adapted to the particular locality
where they are to be used. Whilst their
papers are denouncing the Republican
party of the State, their candidates for
Congress. in their anxiety TO secure an
election, are willing. in some localities.
to declare TO Republicans their hostility
TO MIR. Buchanan. and their determina-
ton not to vote for him should the elec-
ton of the next President be carried to
the House of Representatives. But arc
they willing to pledge themselves to vote
for the Republican nominee in that event :?
In this vicinity they imagine the winning
card to be hostility to the colorcd race.
They seek to degrade desrale race