Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-02-17
BANK DEPOSITS.

10 The Editor of the Herald:
If there is no law to compel banks 10 make
returns to Assessors, the sooner our Legisla-
tire cnac,s such law The better for the peo-
rlc The evils, the I'M uSticc, and oppression
must be apparent to many as The question
now stands towards property holders OF every
description except the depositor. 1t makes
pcriurer Of the man, who, when under oath
in making returns to the Assessors, evades
the items or moneys and Credits, and at
the end of the list, 'All other property
not herein enumerated" and then deliber-
ately swcars he has listed in the within
list all moneys, goods, credits, and all other
description of property owned or held by him
rs principal, partner or agent.
What will be the results in future years OF
the fathers instructions to the child, of such
principles involved, in listing his property
falsely? Is it not step downwards toward
the disgraceful positions that some OF our re-
cent revenue and whisky ofticials now oc-
cupy? Is not this systematic lying degrad-
ing, from the fact that the conscience
must continually be an accuscr Of wrong,
and bring censurc and reprOach from
others? If there is any one point or fact in
the code of morals that is a cardinal virtue, 1t
is truthfulncss. The respect due one from
another, the continued possession Of distin-
yuished position, the esteem and consideration
accorded men and women, the dignity of the
nation depends on the truthfulncss of its peo-
pie. 1t is foundation stone OF the nations
honor. And what is this honor? ''1t is the
finest sense of justice which the human mind
can frame.
The injustice is in the fact tha; one is taxed
and another not. Because property has diff
fcrcnt names and shapes, one class can be
concealed, the other cannot. And this is why
compel all to come in subsection to a Just
law. 1t is an injustice for the merchant,
farmer, mechanic, and miner 10 feel and
know he is supporting the burden Of taxes
which depositors do not share with him; and
herein lies the oppression. Where is the
right, the justice, in compelling one class OF
our people to enact support, and pay for
laws to protect these men in the possession
of their property for which they do not pay
cent. Do they not demand such laws shall
he enacted rs will guard banks from stealing
money? Do they not demand the laws shall
lie executed by the expensive routine OF our
courts to restore to them their rights of pos
sessions lost DO they pay for such legisla-
ton, and the execution Of such laws2 What
is to be gained by investing in ''mincs undc-
ycloped, agricultural interests PROSTATE, stock
raising in its infancy, where there is SO much
risk, where the Assessor can easily obtain re-
turns, when the mere act Of depositing saves
his money, accumulates interest, and avoids
taNationl
1t is no: the desire or object to underratc
the usefulness, excellence, or enterprise of our
banks, but there should be no inclination to-
ward establishing privileged class. We arc
supposed to be free and one man is another's
peer only in honor, knowledge, and wisdom
Is it not fact that the lowering Of the rate
of interest from three and four per cent. is
caused by the necessities Of our people, who
could and would not pay he high rates, and
the banks and individuals were compelled to
tower rates TO keep their money employed?
In the statement Of one of our banks, the
sum of $50, ;,G0i is in the hands Of private
depositors and in the absence of any law by
which the assessor can list il, this amount is
exempt from taxation. At % mills On the
dollar, the tax would amount to $l3,.i4
This amount, or a portion Of il goes TO the
bank again. which should have gone to the
county treasury. One statement declared a
dividend paid march 4th, 1874, of $40, 1000.
Some portion Of this is profit from invest
ing the S597,GO4. Cannot the snarers of this
dividend deposit this again, and because it is
private deposits it in turn is exempt.
1.-THE presumption that AL persons having