The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-18
THE VEIL REMOVED.

Some days before the meeting of the
general assembly, we found, floating
through the press of the stste an item to
the effect that an effort would be made
through a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the railroad
...'.. u I'D IL" -onrar "-tefiraa frnm ths
''b ok towns, to repeal the law, passed il
1874, providing for the taxation of the real
estate OF railroads. This report, although
seeming almost too absurd for belief, W,
commented on and, at the same time, ex.
pressed our disbelief in ito authenticity. Ii
few days thereafter, however, wcieeeiveo
such inform ton as led US to believe thai
such project was on foot. We saw evi
dence that in the nominations and elections
to the general assembly, there had been
"still hunt" and we were informed by
those who had carefully looked the grounc
over, that there was danger that this pro-
Ject would succeed; and we were pointed
to represt natives from some OF the larger
towns in the stste-towns in which there
wa, real estate of railroads liable to taxa
tion-who, it was said, were either favor
able or pledged, not only to a repeal of The
law of 1874, but to all attempts to provide
for railroad taxation.
Believing as we did, and still do, that
every town and every taxpayer in tho
state is interested in having railroads bear
their proportionate share OF public bur
thens; knowing that even the present law
would, with only exislug railroads, uti
matey add three millions Of dollars to our
taxable property, or thirty thousand dol
lars to the grand list of the state, thus ap-
precably reducing the state tax in every
town in the state, and the town and Other
local taxes in every place through which q
railroad runs TO much larger degree we
thought, and still think, that it was only
necessary to inform the people of the pro-
ject to secure its defeat. To be forewarnod
is to be forearmed. The repeal of the law
Of 1874 can he secured only through a
trick. Win such tick be attempted?
Let us see.
Early in the present session, O bill was
introduced in the house repeating all acts
and part Of acts Inconsistent with the acl
of 1874 providing for the taxation of the
real estate Of railroads While avowng
our disbelief in the charge, which was
openly made, that the bill was introduced
simply a, an entering wedge to which
might be attached an amendment repeating
the law Of 1874, we commented on the Till
as illustrating unnecessary, excessive End
hasty lcsislaton. Our comments were
based upon the text Of the bill, and we had
charity enough to believe that no trick was
intended. We fad ourself mistaken. a
morning paper-supposed to speak under
stan1ingly, when referring to the mover OF
this bil-n brief comment on our article,
says that tie mover of this bill ''knew that
" the act of 1874 had proved imperative,
I" and SO with excellent judgment cough,
= 10 clear the ground for intelligent leeis-
lation as regards railroad tdaati6n By
" smeeping from the statute 6ook all ld'os rel
" atice to 10 THIS morement on his 7,art,
" MrGfore, is the reeerse Of Tasty legisa-
"tion.'
The veil 10 removed. The purpose is de-
liberaicly avowod. The objec is, not to
repeal all laws inconsistent with the law
providing for the taxation of the real e.
tate of railroads, but to repeal the law it.
self. With excellent judgment, the pur-
pose is covered up by lay seemingly de.
signed not to interfere with railroal taxa
ton. 1t is not hasty epi,lation." 1t Il
"intellipent legislation The purpose ii
deliberately and inteligently formed ant
boldly avowed to "swERP FROM THE STAT
"UrE BOOK ALL LAWS RELATIVE TO" RAIL