, 1874-01-29

we haVo included in tho above Table Kuos
| County, because there is but ono town in tim,
county tint owes debt Of this kind; Lasalle
and Kendall Counties, because their railroad
indebtedness has beon declared void BY lhe su.
preme Court; Will County, because only ono
town owos any debt, and that is only 80 1000
and Wlnnobago County, which las but ono tow
In debt.
Assuming that tho Auditors estimate OF the
Increased valuation in tho property olargoablo
with this debt, snco 1868, is s320, 200, goo, and
as we have located 3253.314, ,225 OF this iucroaso
IN tho forty-four countics which owe county
dobts, the other s8o 1856 IT'S rosts with the towns
IN those othor counties whore thore is no
county debt Of this kind, ard township property
alon is bound. The gross aascssmont for 1878
in these twonty-four countios was s318.691 .dO5.
These counties, through their representatives in
tho Legislature, are tho most strenuous uphold
ers Of the lar, but they are sadly victimized by
its operations. Wo havo not tho detailed informa-
tion to show how It affects each Of them. but
taken together, their account current with the
robbery stands thus:
Assessed value In 1873. ,s3iB o81. .465
Amount abova increase. .$2s2, ,395. 600
These counties in nthoaggrogatogetth tho drawback
On 968 1885, IT'S and pay tho increased tax on the
S282, ,395, 600. These counties aro Bureau, Clam-
paign, Eflugham, Fayotte. Fulton, Horny, Iro-
quois, Kane, Kankakee, Leo, Livingston, Madi-
son, Morcor, Morgan, oglo Pratt. Rock Island,
Shelby, st. Clair, Stark, Yermlion, Whitesido,
and Woodford. Under tho tax Of 1873 tley aro
entitled to drawback md pay as = considera-
tion therefor ns followa:
Extra tux Of olo mill OH $28a, ,a25, ,o9o .soH155
ufa~oaek OF ms TO on s6, ,2a5, ,776....... 17o1n
Excess Of tax over drawback, ack,.............s H,os4
30 it will be aeen that these couutioa nav a
heavy annual penalty for their share OF the rob-
bory. They pay $254, annually for the priyi-
lege OF getting $179,1n allowed to auch Of their
towns az owe thcBo ralroad-aid debts. TAatki
OF plunder is expensive. In tho case Of somo
counties the account ia worse than the average,
Thus, Madison County pays s22,49 extra tax
evory year, and getB drawback OF about 81, 900.
The Whole railroad-aid debt in that county is
only $4,000, and all due By ono town the o1tra
tax paid by the whole county would pay the debt
OF Edwardayille In two years. Tho aamo thing
exists, substantially, in st. Clair, Fayotto, Full
ton, Kane, Morgan, ogle, Rock island, Shelby,
and perhaps others.
We havo thus given in detail tho orera-
tions Of this lav, which, though passed in
1869, begins it's netarious operation practice
ally under the assessment Of 1873. That It
provides for syetcmatized robbery is perfectly
cloar. That 1t destroys uniformity in taxation ia
equally evident That it is for the benefit OF the
holders of these bouds, mnny OF which aro illegal
aud fraudulent, is notorious, Such law is u
disgrace to tho intelligence aud honeaty Of the
State, md should be oxpungod from tho statute
book by an unanimous vote. II such law cau be-
0nforcea there is protection to property in tho
State !; tho supposed dofensea and guarantoos Of
Tho Constitution are utterly oyerthrown, OK
ounged, and extinguisled.