The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-02-03


owners of properties will sustain when they
are taken for public use.
It is, nevertheless, certain, that all real
estate In the city should be taxed atits actual
value-that is to say, at the value for which
it's owners would sell it, either to private pur-
chasers or to the Government. The proprie-
tors should be made to pay tax on their
property proportionate to the price which
they would demand for it II sid privately
and at their own option This should be the
criterion of the assessment FOR taxation,
whenever the fact can be discovered. It Is
not, however, possible, IN a majority of cases,
to find out what Or else value mal puts on
bis property, or what he would freely eel 1T
for. Yet, we are not quite sure that when
the owner of the real estate wilfully allows it
to be assessed for years at a certain price, for
taxes. he should not oe held to that price
whenever the public chooses to take the
ground at the valuation on which he has con-
sented to have it appraised for taxation.
In the particular case under consideration,
TIE proper court will deter Line whether
the property in question was or was not
rightly valued by the jurors appointed to
assess the damages sustained by the owners
in having It taken from them for public use.
In the meanwhile, the Taxpayers OF the city
can suffer no harm, and the Councils may
safely defer all action in the matter.
Parliamentary POliteness The Necessity
OF Congressional Courtesy.
FROM time immemorial a certain oeferential
usage has prevailed in all deliberatve bodies
q mutual courtesy has been ostentatously
displayed, which has never been abandoned,
even when personal and party feeling ran
highest At the time of the trainers of our
Constitution, a spirit of party rancor was as
strong as it is to-day but that inherent good
breeding, that natural sense of what is due by
gentleman to himself prevented an eXhibi-
tion of thst scurrilous personality which has
OF late years, from time to time, appeared in
the House OF Representatives. The bitterest
invecives of JOHN RANDOLPH were always
clothed W tn all the official titles of those who
we're writhing under his sarcastic lash
Throughout the whole OF Ibe stormy sessions
in the earliest portion OF the century, when
the Federaists were called Monarchists, and
the Democrats Jacobins. when HAMILTON,
BURR, and JEFFERsoN measured swords in
Wordy conflict, here will not be found ap-
pied to each other one term half so dlsrespect-
ful, one eplthet halt so ungentlemanly, as those
! which were used by Mr.. THADDEUs STEVENS
| in his remarks on his EXcellency the Presi-
| dent of the United states.
Then it was g recognized maxim that cour-
| tpSu lid pnt datrapt from arpuu ond hot
vituperation would neither strengthen weak
nor make forcibe pointess grafton. The
! tone and language adopted by the leader of
the House OF Representatives towards the
| President of the United States, must meriG
the seVerest condemnation of every right
| minded citizen. We care not what may have
| been Mr.. JoHNsoN's views-what might be
his principles, or how radically wrong might
have been his policy, he is nevertheless
the Chief Executive OF the nation, the official
superior OF all Americans, the head and repre-
sentative OF the land. 1t matters not whether
we agree with him or disagree whether Mr..
! STEVENS believed him q traitor, or worship
ped him as a dem'-god; under all circum-
stances, he is entitled by right of his position
to the respectful attention and courteous
Difference OF every man, whether foreign
or native-born. Did 1t strike Mr.. STEVENS
that he added force to his style when he
termed the President "that man at the end of
the avenue?" Did he think that he refuted
all the doctrines of his Excelency when he
remarked that Mr.. JOHNSON had spoken
when unasGed," and that he "was doubly
grateful for an opinion when it was not
needed?"
We believe that all Americans will join us
in considering that, had Mr.. STEVENS shown
acourtesy, an even ultra Difference, his remarks
would have been much more effective, and
his character much more elevated, than when
he descended into the pit ofribaldry and abused
his EXcellency with vim that would have
done honor to a fishmonger of Billingsgate.
a gentleman holding the high official post OF
Mr. STEVENS should weigh well his words,
and think of the effect they will have upon
the ears of foreign powers. How will it
sound for such an address as his to 60 abroad
and be real by the enemies of our land
on the Continent? With what scorn
will they view this destruction of the wall oi
decency; this overthrow of all the barriers o
conventional politenessl Well may we be
subjected to ridicule when a Leader in the
land so far sacrifices his good sense, his pro
priety, to his passion, as to speak fthe highest
! IN, oh hon n