The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-09-12
THE RAILROADS.
Shall They be Oar Masters, or Oar Ser
wants?


The Usage County Sentinel edited
by Judge l.. ID. Baily, formerly q
member OF our Supreme court, and
who is well known by the old set
tiers here, this having been Ills home
for some years, tells some whole
some truths in the following article
on railroads. We think he puts the
case little stronger than it really
is, in his remarks touching the legis-
latnre. We have known the COM
panies to be defeated in several
schemes before that body, and we
don't think 1t true that "no senator
or representative can be elected, or
nominated even, without first secur-
ing the endorsement and favor of
the railroad interest We think
IA. a large number of the districts
the contrary is true. So far as the
present railroad assessment act is
concerned, We may say that under
the old law we believe the railroads
in operation then paid no taxes at
all, and the present law was tried
rather as an experiment. There is
no question now but that it is q bad
law, and perhaps unconstitutional,
aud ought to be repealed. We are
in favor of treating railroads just
as we do other property; of gov
erning them by the same laws, so
far as taxation Is concerned. They
ought not to ask anything else.
They should have no special priv
eleges. by keeping up this sort of
q fight they injure their business
more than they make by 1t, and 1t
seems to us every sensible business
consideration would indHce them to
Aisist from such a cause.
Bat we let the Sentinel say its say
as follows:
Fire il an excellent servant, but q
bad master, says an old adage. So
we may say of railroads. We need
them as servants of the public, but
we are in danger of finding ourselves
subiugaIed, oYerpowered and mas
tered by them.
We have already in Kansas more
than two thousand miles of railroad.
which represents for three hundred
and sixty-four days in the year, at
least twenty thousand dollars q mile,
or forty millions of dollars. BuC
on the three hundred and sixty-flfth
day OF each year-that is to say the
dAy when they are assessed for tax
ation-they suddenly shrink, shriv-
ell and collapse, SO that they are
worth only from three to eight
thousand dollars per mile. Besides
this, these same railroads own some
where in the vicinity of ten millions
OF acres of land in kansas--an
amount nearly equal to the whole
acreage of improved farms in the
State. Do they pay taxes on this
vast domain like other land owners
Not at all They dodge their taxes,
and the Legislature of the State |
helps them to do il.
These roads represent in the ag-
gregate more than onc-third of the |
taxable property OF the State, and |
pay less than one-tenth OF the taxes. |
But when 1t comes to q question of
influence at Topeka, they assume
gigantic proportions. Any law
which they desire will be passed |
somehow, and no law which they |
oppose can pass, or go into effect If
&c does pass.
No Senator or representative can
be elected, or nominated even, with
O0t flrst securing the endorsement
and favor of the railroad interest.
For more than . score of years
New Jersy has borne the stigma of
being ruled by railroad influence, so
much SO that IL was familiarity
known as the State of Camden IL
Amboy, after its leading railroad
company. She is in great danger
OF losing her pre-eminCnce in this
respect, and Kansas is likely to be
her successor. Already the consti-
tuition Of the State Is trampled un-
der foot to secure the railroads an
exemption from equal taxAtiop,
The constitution provides CART. KID
that the legislature shall provide for
Q uniform and equal rate of assess
ment and taxation. But In the very
face of this provision the legislature
provides Tor the election of Rail-
road Assessment Board--who assess
the railroad property and no other
and In making their assessments
they are required to consider the re-
ceipts or income of the roads a.
pTiBad .Jdcid evidence of their value,
that is to tax the railroads in pro-
portion to their income, while ldI7as
and oil other kinds of properly, are
taxed without the smallest references
10 the income they yield.
The result is that while farmS are
taxed for more than they are worth
and often more than they cost and
more than they would sell for-the
railroads are not taxed for more
than half they have received from
the public treasures. as donations.
We shall recur to this subject
again aud again, for we know that
such abuses In State are like weeds
in . farmers cornfield-they must
be dealt with promptly or they will I
be too strong to be dealt with ct ell.
I'VE will conclude for the present
with the remark, that the next ses-
ZION Of the legislature should be In 4
structed fEpm the very outset TO re- q
peal the railreEd assessment act.
Let no man lie elRcted to go to I
Topeka ,pext .Yiater who is not Q
pledged to demand apd insist on 2
his much ut least-"e9ual rights !
~ equal burdens"
N . ! u