The Placer herald., 1870-11-05
A FEARFUL BUNGLE.

Placer county has, 1or series oi years
been, with here and there an accidental ex-
ception, cursed with a representation in the
Legislature and county officials, either gnor-
ant or wicked-incompeten or rascally beyond
all endurance or excuse. The people of Pla-
Ger are patient and long suffering, but we
think the time has about come when they
should unyoke themselves and treat this ig-
norant or rascally crew of Legislators and
officials as their merits, each for himself, de-
mands 1t is time that local laws were en-
acted that would treat all classes of the COM
munity alike, and be enforced against all
alike. A batch of special laws was passed
last winter, applicable only to this county,
which are both vicious in conception and un-
iustiiabe in terms. These acts were con-
cocted in ring caucus at Sacramento and
put through without even allowing the peo-
pie and taxpayers of the county to know
what was being done. Many of these laws
were gotten up with direct view to individ-
ual benefit, and consequently injurious to
the public To such an extent did this ig
norant and vicious and personal legislation
go, for Placer county, that it is now mat
ter of grave doubt whether a single dollar of
taxes in the county can be collected by law.
There was scarcely law passed for the
county, even down to the law depriving the
people of the Road Districts of the right to
elect their own Road Commissioners, that
cannot be traced to some personal object or
design. After the Legislative delegation had
made about as complete jumble Of county
legislation as possible, the Supervisors and
some other officials have added to the mud
die and the aggravaton of the public. We
cannot refer in detail to all these personal
acts at this time, but will briefly glance at
the "Act to provide for the Assessment and
Collection of taxes in the County of Placer. J"
The Constitution of the State provides that
"Assessors and Collectors of town, county,
and State taxes shall be elected by the quail
flied electors of the district, county or town
in which the property taxed is situate In
the very teeth and face of this most positive
Constitutional provision, the act under con-
sideraton attempts to force on the people of
these three districts three men as Tax Col
lectors, from the 5th of March, 1870, until
March, 1872, without giving the electors of
the Districts any voice in the matter what
ever. One of these men thus illegally de-
clared Tax Collector, was at the time Of
the passage of this act Constitutionally inelli-
gible of accepting or holding the Office even
if elected by the voters of the district. If
all men were honest, and willing to pay their
just portion of taxes, this law would do no
harm, but, unfortunately, this is not the case
and such bunglmg furnishes a chance for
such as refuse to pay, to escape their taxa
ton altogether. Taxation must be equal and
uniform, or it ceases to be taxation and be-
comes robbery of a portion of the community.
1t is the duty of every man in the county to
pay his just proportion of its expenses, but
when the laws are so arranged that the large
property-holder can and will escape, then it
is time that all ceased paying taxes, and con-
tinue to resist until the officials and laws will
reach and make all pay alike in proportion
to what he owns. Whether the object of
this bunglng legislation was intended to fur
nish means by which the Railroad Compa-
ny would escape all taxation, while those of
comparatively little property would be com
PEELED to pay because unable to fight the law
through the courts, we of course, cannot say
nor does it matter, as that will be the prob
able effect in the end, unless the other tax
payers combine as is now talked Of To add
to the disgust and confusion the Supervisors
have taken it upon themselves to disregard
plain statute and order a portion of our
people to be assessed on property not taxed
in other counties of the State, thus attempt
ing to make the people of Placer county pay
money to support the State Government on
property not assessed to the wealthy men of
! San Francisco, Sacramento and other coun-
ties in the State. This is another outrage
on Placer county, and one that simple justice
demands should be resisted, both in the
Courts and at the polls. We have only
touched these illegal and outrageous acts, the
limits of our space not permitting us to dis
cuss them in detail, but enough has been
said to make the taxpayers of the county
open their eyes and begin, each for himself,
to examine these questions and seek a reme
dy for the evils. The remedy is in the tax
payers hands, and when they conclude to
apply it they should do it unitedly, and with
determination to succeed over all opposi
ton.
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