National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-02-06
CARD FROM Mr.. CORCORAN'
lie REPLIES TO THE MEM0RLAL, Or
GOYERNOR SHEy,HELD.

HE REPLIES TO THE MEN0RIAL or
GOTERNOR SHEx.fEED.
WHAT AMOUNT OF TAX IIE has PAID AND
Now HE PAID THIS VIEWS OF rRorEE
IMPROVEMENTS, AND now THEY SHOULD
NOT BE MADE. q. - r
To Nh Fsilop-cai.eas ar the District Of Columbia:
Ho4eyer syerre i may be to any public state
>ent or whatever injustice may have been done
Ne 1 feel that the events Of the past few daya
md trauspiring in our midst, render such course
necessary that my eelfrespect may be main
.ained, and that you may receive correct informa-
don in regard to certain charges made against me.
Within the past two weeks adhxcd my name
10 petition couched i'm respectful terms, and con-
aiming DO charges; alleging simply that certain
Srave charges had been made Of irregularities IN
sur District government, which, whether true or
iAlse, we're doing Us great harm, and should be
Examined into.
Ideclined to sign the petition nrst presented to
he Senate by reason of the TACT that It contained
.hsrges the truth or faIslty Of which would not
seeert in tho absence Of the necessary proofs, and
which were not submitted to me:
setor in it is not to the credit Of my journalist
Who knows the proprieties Of his profession, and
s.s its honor and ELL oe eng a. hs near u
he press Of this District has been such as IL has
-arely fallen to the lot Of felon to receive,
,ess to ask suspension Of public opinion until 1
But with ' null chorus, and abuse Of me, when IL
Ices come, Is about the only song in which they
seartily unite; they have, for more than Q week,
IN the daily, n also the weekly issues, ventilated
rs
undertaken BY me. when these same enterprises
aave received the Endorsement of the same press
way that seemed, after advice from safe counsel.
ssrs- p'eper, and for the beauty and advantage Of
WI, am selected for this work I can't con-
,eive. am one of two score or more who signed
the petition, whom as many hundreds could have
seel obtained, and If am guilty, others are Ger
But This Misrepresentation has not been con-
lined to the public press.
Senate q memorial Of the Governor Of this Dis
trict, who, as stated, lin common with othe- off,
charges made by "ceriain pretended taxpayers"
That memorial It is not my purpose to notice,
.xcept 50 far as the statements made therein may
Affect me. To show that am defiantly refusing
70 pay my taxes, it is stated that l, one Of the
largest property holders, have personally paid
which protest, in defiance Of The law Of Congress
approved February n, 1s1I, providing that upon
he property adjoining, and to be especially bene
here shall be assessed reasonable proportion OF
he cost, not exceeding one third part thereof To
hi. document is appended ag exhibit q sssess.
nave been made under said act Of l7,a2o.42 still
a9e BY nc.
.vor Of the real and substantial improvement Of
his District and every part thereof, and that ut
30 time have used either my means or influence
slime to allow my honest convictions as to the
a,anBer in which the work has been done in this
to
3ne that no objection or examination should be
made on account Of the identifying work that has
Seen done, and because such course will defeat
The act quoted by the ofacial who presented the
sna5
Ssssed upon the property adjoining and especially
benefited by Improvements authorised by law.
our local Legislature providing for Improvements.
advised, has as yet decided to the contrary that
the operations conducted Hereunder have not
been in compliance with the organic act and one
IF the principal reasons that such decision has
Which saSe
prevented n full hearing by the court.
, Time alone can furnish the circumstances upon
which standing 10 court can be obtained in many
The mode in which this work has been done:
Of tes s snas G
oun choosing; the large bills that have been pre-
portion OF the work done, give rise to = very
Sell.grounded suspicion, ut least, that the assess
Ient Ipon o ad,on ing properly has been upon an
rSeen, In, q great degree, improperly done, the
.charge for the same oftcn double its value and
The system OF assessment in q high degree oner-
nus. in some cases amounting to more than the
While the useless changes in the grades Of
iewn and on its principal thoroughisres, where
In some places filling up and cutting down has
been made to the extent OF almost thirteen four
teen feet, and that too, against the almost unan
iMous protest Of all interested, shows the arbi-
trsry conduct Of those under whose direction this
The tax for this work ia burden sufficiently |
snerous, but when there is added thereto the |
much larger cost Of adapting the houses to these
srats means will be able to meet these charges |
without relief from the courts assistance from
i'm IN ass
have to be sold, and need not tell you that that
work has even now begun.
ne bv this statement Of the failure to pay special
lakes, and 1t is supposed, by some at least, who
cannot distinguish one tax collector from smother
entirely in default for all public dues; and had
he official who so diligently paraded to the pub
prompted by the same diligence, tempered with o
moderate degree Of fairness, he could, by an in
Of me made IN fhs oss o. the
the 18th day OF November, 1878, have ascertained
and informed the public that there was paid by
.iary accounts for general taxes for the year end
ng June So 1874. =
fhi, payment was made with my check, payable
IN the Instant in current funds, and with the al
Owance of the then legal discount Of sixper cent;
and that, too, after had been approached by an
sditor and proprietor Of one Of the daily papers Of
his District,.and prominent in the late assault
Ipon me, with request that he be allowed to take
my general tax bills and return them to me re-
eiptcd, asking Tor that generous and patriotic
service the amount Of the account, less sixteen
per cent, when taxpayers were then by Law, only
ssifready, when properly called on, to name other
:ases In which general taxes for the current year
naye been paid subject {? this excessive discount.
qaying taxes. 1 can only say that mine were paid
n full in currency. and ask no credit for doing
And in regard to the charge that by this refu-
al to pay special taxes SO much distress has been
.aused to the laborers Of the District: II is
.ainly not the purpose of those who make that
charge to divert the mind Of the public from what
NC all know the fact that certificates of lien have
which a.sessments have been made. and " iich are
unpaid within q certain time; that the authorities
Gave hyrotheeated or sold these certificates, and
been settled with in either currency certfh-
atcs or bonds, towards the payment Of the inter
est upon which bonds the receipts Of general taxes
II the laaorers are unpaid. am not to blame:
or against my property there has been issued .
rad is now held presumably a large discount
ny some capitalists, private or public here or else
would be benefited but the holder Of tie certif.
.a:e. who holds the same not only ut discount
rom the face, but with the high rate Of ten per
cent. interest thereon.
doubt whether in any other community on the
ace Of this broad earth, and not under the gov
.rnment Of an absolute monarchy, the disburse-
mcnt Of millions OF money IL entrusted to one man
Jr Get OF Llen, who in their own way, and without
restraint check, contract indebtedness and give
out work to be done without competition, and to
shom they please, at their own prices, paying
.herefor in whatever form they choose, either in
sertihcates, bonds or cash, modes OF payment
yarying in value from forty Ave cents to one hun
ired cents on the dollar. and thus creating debt
% be paid At some future time By the property Of
his Uiftrict. -
End in regard to the sewer taxes, certificates
or which are nov issued and sr0 being used as .
Kind Of currency to pay the laborers and others
whose nece sstties are urgent enough TO make
hem welcome, an assessment that In certain To-
salities, where no sewers have been made, i'm
poses q tax Of two cents per foot on property
HARDLY worth four cents per foot; while Il hile %
lightly In others, and particularly IN that section
o. the city which has furnished the occasion Of %
0uch comment, both ~ to the manner Of large
purchases therein and the great tmproveueols
subsequently, done there, the tax bclng eleven
Mills per foot on real estate worth oos dollar pr
loot. ~
This great irrsgularity ea.nst certainly be ms |
tanned By any principle OF law, and should indac0
thoughtful examination By all citizens.
No government ever began with fairer pros-
peet than this. Dseplts the obstacles which, q |
alleged, "liadyissd people" had intsfpoeed IN its
say, whom the ., eo0 200 loan" was offered in the