Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-02-25
Reading Matter on Every Page.
Largest Circulation in the District


There seems to De an astonishing amount
Of transformation afiOat in the House in
regard 10 District finance and taxation.
but Mr.. EIdredge, OF Wisconsin, (of the Dis
tTict COmmittee,) who. from his long resi-
dence In Washington during his extended
Congressional career, has gained an intelli-
gent insight into the nature or the relations
between the District and the general gov
eminent, made some remarks on the District
Tax-bill ION Tuesday calculated to correct
some Of the misapprehenSiOns existing in
Congress. In the course of his speech Inc said:
Now, the question raised + only the queS-
ton of how much more taxes these people
shall pay Congress by its law last session
imposed a tax Of per cent. upon the then
assessed valuation OF real estate The Dis
trict authorities, by permission of Congress,
imposed previously during the same twelve
months. upon the same assessment, per
cent. making rer cent. in one year There
l.. am informed. more than II ~O1 .D10 of this
3 per cent. tax now unpaid and delinquent;
there II more Than S5ph.raN Of the per cent.
tax unpaid and DELINQUENT. and more than
see eco Of previous leVie~ also dCiiIquent
making in the District more than 5000 .OG0
Otuni ali and delinquent taxes now OutStand-
ing and remaining a lien uTOn the real e.
tate. upon the houses ard homes Of this DpO-
pie. Ard all this. too. in addition 10 q large
sum Of SICcial or improvement aSSs SSmentS
upon particular properties now advertised
for sale for HouPavment. This il Il iaSty and
only Partial Statement OF their condition.
now. SIT, as statesmen. lNl:EtTfffl ana I'M
prcjudiCCd legislators, looking To the inter
,stS a well as the condition Of this people
whose destiny il in our hands. we should en-
CCavOr o. adjust this fav.Sp.t levy mon them
TO more than they can Justly bear. The gen
1leman from Ohio Mr.. Smith says that the
people OF his state are taxed al the rate of
SSJOOT little more on the Si03 cannot be-
licve The assessment il at its full valuation
If that he The case. or that il is * high a
rate a. property il assessed in the District /
do not beliCve there il a state in tbi, Union
~ to =
Sloo Of is actual cash value. unless, indeed
u may be the poor taN-cur>ed. crushed and
ruined states OF the south. and l doubt If
many of them are taxed To that extent.
Ard ROW the question is what amount of
taxes can and ought the people Of this Dis
trict pay. considering the amount paid
curing the last year and the amount now
delinquent and still To be-paid of the previous
assessments? Let 10 aforementioned that we
are rot sPprOpriating any money by this
Dill we are not providing for any particular
fund or the payment of any particular debt
Improvement or other thing. but deviSing
means 10 raise money for the Treasury of the
United States by q tax upon the peODle and
property of the District OF Columbia
Under our law a. il now exists the money
raised by such taxes will 90 into the United
states Treasury. And for what purpose? Not
to enable these people to govern themselves
and manage their own affairs. but to furnish
money for the United States to govern. man
age, and control the affairs and people OF IN
District.
Whatever money we raise by this bill will
ne, as the people and their affairs ami the az
1airS Of the whole District are, in the absolute
power and control of Congress. &c will be
used and disbursed just as Congress shall
say; the people can have nothing To say about
IL; ~ Will be a forced contribution from the
people to help the United States pay the ex-
penSe> Of ruling and governing them IL may
lie used to crush and destroy the peOple tn
further cypress and bnrlen them. Ii NAV be
applied 10 that, or il may be wholly diverted
from the District and used for ether purposes
Ihe committee, recognizing the power of
congress to tax the people here, considered
the subject only in the light of what would
be proper and just tax. and they came to
Ihe conclusion that Sl-5O on the 500 was an
they ought 10 he required To pay, and nv
own opinion Is that it is all they can paw
NitEOCt greatly distressing them. a much
greater rate Of taxation will be a virtual con
5scation OF much Of the real estate of the
District - y. -