The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-08
Help Tor Guyer, Mcneil O. Co.


,oiH secare sohdt he a0ants. His great OBJ
lection is to the manner of assessing and
equalizing property, but he fails to tell as
Of any remedy. Guyer found good deal
of fault about the manner property was
assessed in Edgington, and told us how he
paid taxes on two common watches and a
Thomas clock-but he didn't tell us a word
about the tive gold watches in his family
that were not given in to the assessor at
all! He could have remedied that out
rage easily enough, under township organ
ization.
The grand growl which comes from a
few of ''our dissatisfied brethren" is in re-
gard to assessment and equalization, and
although none of them point out wherein
they have been hurt, they are all very So
licitous about the interests of the poor"
and very denunclative Of the rich land
holder" Mr.. Kerns in reference to No
line, says:
Against the voice of the people of Mo
| line, and in disregard of the protest of our
members, the board Of supervisors, in the
face OF justice and equity, with eyes blind
and ears deaf to the pleadings of the poor,
in utter contempt of home rule" and
without knowledge, in their attempt to
equalize, reduced the valuation of the pro.
perty of the rich landowners 439 per cent.
and left the value of the property of the
small lot owners remain as fixed by our
assessor in 1873; and in 1875 this same
body, under like circumstances, increased
the valuation of the little lots and small
houses of our working people % per cent.
and at the same time reduced the valua-
ton of the rich landowner 1 per cent"
And then he puts in a word or two for
Rock Island, as follows:
| 'The same intermeddling with other
peoples affairs on the part of the board
was exercised towards Rock island this
year. This Ofhclousness was perpetrated
againts the vote of the two towns. and 10
this instance as will be seen, it would have
been as well for US if we had been with
out representation in the board"
1t would have been about as well, and
it will probably be no better until Rock
Island and Moline send ADLER, more intel
ligent and more influential supervisors
If Mr.. Kerns had been member of the
board, he might, and probably could have
convinced the members that Moline and
Rock Island lands ought to be assessed al
$1,000 an acre.
By the way-don't Mr.. Kerns exhibit
some pretty large sized demagoguism when
he talks about reducing the assessment OF
"the rich landowner" Did not the re
|, | duction apply to all the land in the town
ship? And were not the poor land own
ers benefited equally with the rich? AM
is it not demagoguism to talk about lin
, creased valuation of the little lots ant
small houses of our working people?" |
not Mr.. Kerns aware that the per cent. @
increase on lots applied to the big lots an
big houses of the rich and the non-work
ing people as we'll as the little lots an
small houses? Does Mr.. Kerns expect t
deceive anybody by that sort of demagogu
a ism? The increase was upon all lots an
q houses, big and little, and whether owne
o by working people or non-working people
and the decrease on lands was upon a
6 lands, whether the owners were poor {
rich,-and ir is disingenuous in Mr.. Kerr
to attempt to convey contrary impre
q sin.
- But will Mr.. Kerns, or somebody {
a his side, demonstrate how the people al
: to be benefited by some system other ths
that of township organization? What NJ
,r Kerns would do, except to destroy Il
S present systemic does not tell the publ
Guyer wants the public business transac
ed by little ring of three men. of whit
two will be majority. How equality
representation or of taxation is to be S
II cured by three men. instead of ninetee
he does not even make an effort to shoI
If the country were to have two of Il
three, would Guyer, Kerns & Co., be a.
:. better off? And if Moline and Rock l
and were to have two out of the thre
where would the country be? And
neither of the three should happen to
ho residents of Rock Island or Moline; whel
%. then, would be the equality?
We think it becomes these fault-fnde
20. to show that the system they advocate
desire will give equality of representa-
"a and equality of taxation, before they a
the people to abandon the present syste
"a And until they do that we do not belle
90. the people will listen to their propositic
=, for a change 1t is good deal easier
~ find fault than it is to furnish remec
,or 1t is easier to pull down than to build I
70 The people of this county, for twer
be years, have shown their approval
c,r township organization. Of coul
= there have always been fault -iude
M some for one reason, and some
,os another, but they have never been able
70 convince the people that the system is
bad one; they have never,in five electio
been able to poll 400 votes in the VIII
"A county against it.
1t is quite likely that the equalizing
"a taxes could be more iutelligently done, |
that need not be expected under a
49, other system; it may be expected WI
=" the people cease to follow ward politici;
r. and elect better men for supervisors
Rock Island and Moline.
For the present, we wait for Mr.. Ker
800 or somebody else, to demonstrate h
: three men will be likely to furnish re