Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-07-31
Communicated
Our Assessment Laws Duty of the As.
SCISSOR Duty of the Assessed. No. 8.

Good citizenship, requires every
man 10 freely and voluntarily put in
his property for assessment without
reservation Of any kind, except such
as is allowed by law. He who fails
to do this, whatever his station IN
society, is not . good citizen, but
merits and should receive the point
ed reprobation of all good men.
No good citizen will depreciato the
value of any part OF his property, or
discount his own Judgment in the
least, for the sake OF reducing his as
sessment below its just proportions
and IN fixing the value of that por-
t'on Of his property which by law he
is required to value, the good citizen
will examine closely and report with
the utmost fidelity to truth.
Here we have one of the cardinal
rules by which co measure the worth
of the cluEen, and it is not difficult
of application. He whose conduct
in this particular habitually squares
by this rule though he may possess
some faults and many weaknesses,
yet it must nc conceded, that his
sense Of Justice and his fidelity to
principle, in his relations to the com
munity in which he lives, outweigh
all selfish considerations and mark
him as man. Pure selfshness adj
vises q false and fraudulent return Of
proporty-but principle, freely and
voluntarily surrenders all. Where
principle abounds honor which is the
essence Of manhood. and all the prac-
teal virtues, are likely to abound !;
but, when Selfishness is the supreme
rule, the fear Of the law or Of omnip-
otent puplic opinion, only restraints
the party from the commission of
every crime which lust or cupidity
may dictate On the high seas in
command OF a vessel he would be a
pirate. Alone on the depert or in the
hyways oftrayel, he would be in wait
like the Arab or Camanche, to plum
der the uususpecting traveller.
We have suggested, that the re-
sponsibilitias of the assessor are great
and that the qualifications necessary
to proper discharge ofthe duties Of
the office, are Of a high and peculiar
order, which but few in any commu-
nifty possess The pay for the ser
vice rendered is contemplate, and
the abuse ordinarily connected there
with, is exactly in inverse ratio to
the pay. Hence it is that incOmpe-
tent men arc so often chosen to fill
the office and hence it is that if a
competent man accepts the position
he does so either to protect himself
from unjust and unequal assessment,
or to deal out partiaiity among his
friends
We think that our laws might be
amended, or reformed altogether, SO
as to insure better selections for this
Office and much better average as
sessmcnt than we now have--but
taking the laws as we find them, our
first duty will be to attend the pri-
mary meetings, and town elections
to see tha. the right man for Assess
or is chosen Having secured the
proper person it VIII be our next du-
| ty, after having made our own re
turn of property, in strict accordance
with the letter and spirit Of the law,
4 tc advise the Assessor as far as prao-
ticable, as to he property and the
peftidy Of all those persons who are
known 10 he nntaithful in making
their returns. Let this be done
openly, and above board. Stay up
the hands of your Assessor, surround
him with guard of honor, and
place in his hands the sceptre Of con.
centrated public will. Then, and not
till then, will your whole duty in this
/ particular have been accomplished.
There seems to be a disposition
among Assessors to assess their sew
eral towns as low as possible in order
! to lessen it's share Of the State and
County tax to be assigned to it under
their Assessment. This is all wrong
and if the County Board Of equalza.
ton do their duty it will prove met
1 fectaal The law is the only guide
4 to follow, and YOU must follow it,
K anu thN 'b9io utOptCd - Wv t1oli "
Of Assessors, wherever those guides
may lead you Should you do other
wise, you violate your oath, or oaths
I for the Assessor unlike other officers
is required to take several oaths,
fearfuliy. Throw the whole resEon.
sibility as to equality between the
several towns, upon the County
Board and do not attempt to usurp
its powers and duties.
We trust that our low makers will
soon present us with another and a
more perfect assessment law, but
under tho present law vi IRE both
Che assessors and the assessed rdial
~ operate together to execute nc
corling to its Intentions, thage can
be no ground Of complaint as to it-
practical operation Justice and
equity viii then be the rule, and not
as low prove the exception.