The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1877-02-03

ceptlOns, not even in the shape of bonds
thoroughbred stock, OF any other species
Of property. Why make a specially priv.
lleVed class Of the holders Of our national
and State securities, and insist on retain
ing them, or .legislate to spare the rich
alone
ReSoiced, That we believe that many ~
the dlfhcultles Of assessing personal proper
~ can be overcome and made more eqnita-
Die ny having the assessments made Nv A
board q three men, rather than BY one, aa
az present
hcs0ircd, That we urge our County
Board q Supervisors, before fixing A tax
upon the county, 70 consider well the ahili-
~ - the county 70 pGy, believing thaC pub
lac economy should correspond to the econ
omy we are driven 70 use as individuals
hcs0irsd, That we recommend the sub.
ordinate Oranges Of the State to make our
system Of revenue and amount Of tax
special subject for discussion.
The above report was discussed by the
Grange and postponed to meeting for
further discussion.
Banks, county bonds, notes, mortgages,
moneys, railroad stocks, &C., are assessed
upon their capital, and not upon the inter
est. dividends and profits, while farmers
are assessed, both the stock raised un the
farm, and the gram necessary I'd feed III
ana when crops fail the labor, seed Ana IVY
" land are All lost Horses ANA cattle ars
assessed two or three times before they are
ht for market.
Referred To the Committee ID finance.
and ordered printed.
..II r..
y. Castle, of Sandwich. was read and or-
dered printed
SANDWICH, ILL.,, Dec p, 1876.
Mr.. JoHN Armstrong Your letter aud
circulars are at hand, and meet my views.
in the main, as you know. In regard To tax
alton, ! am IN favor Of releasing real estate
from all State taxation, permitting coun-
ties and towns to tax themselves for local
expenses, and raising the State revenue
NOW about three million dollars) By IA sys-
tenn Of licenses aud tax On corporations.
How Do yUu like that
NJ. B. CASTLE
The Chair stated that, a. they had now
gone through the regular order d business
for the afternoon, any gentleman having
any papers Jr resolutions which he wanted
read Or sent to committees, could send
them to the secretary's desk He would
reaC oft the different standing COMMITTEES
dpr jinted before an djournment.
4 Ne Secretary, as soon IA the Chairman
took his seat, rose and read the following
article, taken from Chicago daily paper
" THE RAILkOAD COMMISSIONERS M The
principal railroad managers IN this city are
of the opinion that the Railroad and
Warehouse Commission. as at present CON
stltuted, Is a complete failure, and of nu
earthly use To any one except the Commis-
sIoners themselves. They do uot think.
however that the Board shOuld be- abpl-
ished altogether. Ii a different ltw we're
passed regulating the election aud duties
u the Commissioners, they think great
deal nt good, both to the railroads ana the
public, might be accomplished They ar-
NJ the opinion that arbltraturs between rHr
corporations ami the public aIe necessity.
aud II the right Kind W mru were chu,ut.
much trouble and I'M feeling between ths
tWl could NJ avoided "A majority wv thr
railroad managers and solicitors sav that
II che Commissioners could be chosen Iu
the following manner. the problem ut
regulating the railroads by state supervis-
ION Nuulu be solved All the railroads Iu
the state should be given the right 10
choose one Of the Commissioners. They
should select a man Of high integrity. aud
of ability as a railroad manager some
such man as Mr.. Robert Harris. The
Supreme Court shall be given the right to
select the second member Of the Board
They shall chose one Of the best railroad
attorneys IN the State-a man like Judge
Lawrence or Beckwlth. The third mem
ber of the Board shall be selected bv thg
Governor, aud he should appoint a repre-
sentative W the farmers. The Commission
organized in this manner would represent
all interests, and all matters referred IN Il
would be dealt with according To law ana
Justice. Tie Commissioners should be nt-
vested With judicial powers, and III them
all cases for arbItTament should be refer
ferred, aud their decision accepted as final.
They should have to decide who va to
blame for accidents, regulate the rate VI
speed. etc.-ln fact, all questions between
the public and the railroads should be re-
ferred to aud decided by them. Some
such system as this prevails in England
and works like a charm and it is the oplu-
ION that II It were tried here it ould give
general satisfaction To all the parties H.
terested in the matter"
On motion Of Thompson, Of Dewitt. il
was referred to the Committee on Railroads.
and ordered to be printed in the proceed
Ings
The chairman read a memorial that Il
being crcuted through the State for siy-
natures, and earnestly requested that all
present take a copy, and get all the sigma
lures they could, they would, on read WV
the paper, see the immense Importance Df
the subject.
Mr. Smith, of RewanOe, asked IL IL had
the usual wind up and w. your peti
tIons, will ever pray, etc He saId that
All memorials to either the State ~ Na-
tIonaI houses of Representatives should
be headed and We the tax payer.
and producing classes DEMAND that you al
So aud So, not as a favor but as a part of
tnat duty that We the people pay Tor. The
earnestness of the speaker enthused the
convention, and on taking his seat he was
loudly received.
On investigation, it vas found the d Gu
ment did not contain the objectionable
sentence. 80 all affixed their auto traphs
On motion of Mr.. solomon, vf Macuu-
pm. 1t WAS ordered printed.
Tn following is the
MEMORIAL
To he GrHsrH ASs,Ytb,y WI nv state of
TitnOi..
THE undersigned citizens w the state wv
Illinois respectfully represent That Nv the
year 1870, more than Xix ears since. the t,..-
ple "a this state, by vote NJ l44 1lO w lg.
80. AL pted thu su.c called Ball.lad sections
% the New Cons itutttUn, whose ayuwed ui-
Ivct was t. prevent IN future gross abuses iu
railway management, by enforcing 81
supervision and control ut the various iat.
road corporations then doing busines ~ that
should thereafter do business within the
hmits ut the state These provisions were
rauhed by vote Of more Jhan SIX u one.
That AZ was made not only the implied. but
the expressed duty Of the General assembly,
To eniurce the provI.Inns Of thesa ~rrIlnns l y