The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-22
HON. Tmos. wissON Ov CAlRO-A
FEW FACTS AND 4 SUGlaES.

~ Is vi tnc n,gncst importance 10 the
tax. payers of the Eighteenth congress
sional district that ex-Mayor Thomas
Wilson, OF this city, Ike elected to seat
in the State Board of Equalization. That
office is to DC filled In November. and IL
the Taxpayers Of the district consult their
own Interests Ia the premises they VIII.
for the noncc. put aside political consid-
erations and unite upon him.
Il cannot be denied that the property
of Southern Illinois pays an undue pro-
portion OF State taxes. This is So be-
cause our assessors strictly observe the
letter Of the law governing assessments,
and value our taxable property al its
cash value, while the assessors of North
ern and Central Illinois approximate the
cash value, and then divide the amount
by three. During the last session Of the
Board of Equalization Northern members
admitted this fact, and maintained that
the valuation was high enough.
Evidence that such a method obtains
up North, is furnished by the great Chi
cago tire. 1t was shown by carefully
prepared statement that the property
burned was worth one hundred and ten
million OF dollars; yet the entire city OF
Chicago and all of Cook county, with
their farms and town lots, their buildings,
their cash. bonds and personal effects,
| AZ, Vyult.a1 tl.s. nt tny
ton at only $0O,OOO,OOO.
It may bc urged that "therc Is the
law; II requires fair cash valuation.
and the honest assessor has no discretion
In the matter" And this we admit.
There's the law. it is true; bu: custom
makes law as well as legislatures. In
der the latter authority our Northern
and Central Illinois assessors have acted
for many years. and not one of them
will agree that he has disregarded his
oath, or in any other manner soilcd his
conscience.
The newspapers of Southern
Illinois, and especially of this city, have.
by the publication of comparative tables,
shown the generalization of our
property time and again and have
appealed to those Interested, to elect as
SCISSORS who would apply the neediul
corrective; but the proofs and the APP
peals were alike In vain. Year after year
our taxable property, and conspicuously
our well improved or wholly unimprovcd
real estate. was given u valuation that
placed it nearly or quite one-hundrcd per
ccntum above the value of like prop
crty north, and to like extent
placed an undue burden upon the shout
ders of its owners. SO manfestly high
have our assessments been, at times. that
northern members of the Board of Equal
izatiOn, moved by Il simple sense of jus
ticc, have voluntary. without solicitation
from any quarter lowered 1t from
fifteen 10 forty per cent. The sue
ceeding assessor. however, ignorant of
the rule that obtains in the northern
portion OF the State, almost i'll
varlably restored the old figures, and
thus brought back upon our tax payers
the burden OF which magnanimOus
board had voluntarily relieved them.
This has been the experience OF Alexan-
der county tax payers, and the property
owners of but few counties In Egypt, we
dare say, have escaped the same unplcas-
ant experience.
Since 1t Is manifest, then, that the re-
lief to which we arc entitled, can not be
obtained through our several county as
SCISSORS. there seems but one sensible and
feasible course to pursue: Elect Hon.
Thomas Wilson to the State Board OF
Equalization. Ills service in the board
four years ago furnishes an ample guar
antcc that he can and will cure, in a great
measure, the evils growing out OF heavy
ovcr-assessmonts by our county assessors.
Alexander county boasts of an assessor
that is well qualified for an intelligent
and satisfactory discharge OF the duties
the law land the facts" impose upon
him but he has not been tried. Should
he prove himself fully equal to the occa-
sion, We may safely assume that
large majority OF our Southern counties
have not, In the selection of their assess
ors, been equally fortunate. There will,
therefore, beyond all peradventure, be an
important trust to cOnflde to the keeping
of our member, In reference to Southern
Illtnnic IL M .,rnl.atI,
1t is scarcely possible, that, by concert Of
action or otherwise, the average Of South
ern Illinois property for 1876,
will fall below that Of 1875.
If this should be the case, onr
member would, In applying to us the
average Of the State, feel called upen 10
secure a general reduction Of not less
than from 40 to so per cent.
No man In Southern Illinois more
fully comprehends the situation than
Hon. Themes Wilson Of Cairo; no man
would work more industrlously and per.
severingly than he, and no man could
urge the rights OF his constituents In Ian
guage more terse and convincing. Hence,
we conclude with the remark We en-
ployed at the outset, that 1t is of the
highest Importance to the taxpayers OF
the Eighteenth congressional district, tina,
Hon. Thomas Wilson, OF Alexander coun-
ty, should be elected to a seat In the State
Board OF Equalization.
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