The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-05-15
Hcssrs Editors i:

t'cf AttttyIS
Among other questions deserving
Of notice and discussion by the people is
thu Assessment laws. The question of
currency, Of taxes and finance has ever
been a difficult one, and great minds
have not run in the same channel con>
corning them The great bone of con-
tention between those noble old parties,
the Wing and Democrat IN former times,
was about the high and low and protec~
tive tariffs. The policy Of direct or in
direct tarifs-th0 right Of the governs
me ut to impose more taxes than vas SC
tua!Iy necessary to meet the current ex-
renditures of government-the imite>
ti0ns of the constitution upon the right
to appropriate public donations for pri
cate purposes. These and such ike
questions of finance drew forth the talent
and eIoquence Of a Webster, and a Clay,
and Calhoun, before the days of Credit
Mo',ilier Civil Service reform and San
Domingo jobbing, ard the public mind
was then informed by such statesmaulike
discussions on the great finance issues
Of that day. While these seem rot to
interest us at present, there is matter
of france in which we are directly in~
tsrested, a homs question. Il is this, the
inequality Of ter assess ments The ass
sessraeut laws are imperfect ia this par
ticular, because either By personal iniiu-
ence or local preferences and Prejadiees,
property is permitted 20 be CnequalIy
assessed. There has been increasing
COM alaiDts about high taxes in this State,
and legislators have labored ard studied
so 70 arrange the matter that the current
expenses might lie paid and yet the
burden Of taxation reduced. The in
equality and inadequate valuation C
property is an important cause of this
complaint The assessments are not at
the valuation Of tic property taxed in
most cases. So that the pro rata taxes
paid on properly are un far, those who
honorabIy value their property, being
practically required to pay more, than
those who fraudulentiy place less value
on their properly than it IS really worth.
This is true all over the State, and equal
Iy true Of localities. The assessors. have
failed to equslizo Ike property, and II
some cases knowingly failed to PIT tie
true value on property assessed, SO that
the conscientious citizen who Oh his oath
reports his property at its proper value
is sacriG:ea that the frantcleDs nan
who does pot scruple to report his prop
erty far under lis real value-Esay aour-
ish and gain thereby. The law provides
if the assessors value property 400 much
the tax payer may complain and have
corrections made, but Of coprse Do one
complains if the property vsIae IS too
little, yet this is tsue of a greas lea! uE
property, and the error is never correct
ed. In the corporation textion, the sane
is the case The writer has heard Of in.
stances in Bolivar 5shere property holds
er5 have conscie3tioas7y % reported
their property at one J ali what they
were aDUGC lie same time 'ASte't INE 'ii-7
same property, aud yet they were n"E
happy" Messrs. Editors, these ehines
ought not to be" and as L sentinel N the
rights Of the people it IS requested than
you will discuss shis lille question o.
finance, and if possible bring about =
better and different ssase of things. it
is believed that this ,naY be done with
out the intervention OF = new conssitu-
tional convention or resort to the high
court of appeals either, Let jnstice /;
| done, tho the heavens .alI.