The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-04-07


Col. W. W. LaGg, Marlin, Texas:
DEAR SR;--Justice to the order o.
patrons of husbandry, and to the
fifteenth legislature, as well as to your
self, demands correction by you of the
charge made6in the weekly State Ga.
zette, of the 10th instant, which reads ;
"The comptroller OF the treasury is
now collecting from the farmers of'Texas
an al valorem tax on their corn cribs,
meat houses and agricultural nipple
ments. The tax is authorized by the
new constitution, and the grand master
of the State grange, Captain w. w.
Lang is the father of the Ubiquitous
law. Complaints, deep and loud, are
coming up from every part OF the State
of this monstrous outrage. We venture
the assertion that it is unprecedented
in the history of Democratic States.
Beside this, mechanics tools and the
material of printing Offices are taxed in
like Unprecedented manner, The
principles Of democracy are hostile to
all such expressions, and we protest
against making the Democratic party
responsible for such legislation. Letit
lie at the door OF the grangers, with
their late endorsement of their grand
MASTER
ssIn the first place the Fifteenth Legis-
lature is not resp onsible for taxing
corn, meat and other products Of the
farm, in the hands of the producer to-
sether with the farming implements
and the tools of the mechanic, for the
constitution, article viii. section IL,
says: "All property, whether, owned by
persons or corporations, shall be as
sessed for taxation, and the taxes paid
in the county where situated =
and section . of same article reads, =
\ But the legislature may, by
general laws, exempt from taxation
public property used for public pur-
poses; actual places Of religious wor-
ship; places for burial not held for pri-
vate or corporate profit; all buildings
used exclusively and owned by persons
or associations of persons for school pur.
poses, (and the necessary furniture OF
all schools) and institutions OF purely
public charity and all laws exempting
property from taxation other than the
property above mentioned, she'll be
void rs s.. sr1lD ~
IAN laws exempting property from
taxation other than the property above
mentioned, shall be void" The con-
stitutional convention (of which you
was not a member) took all discretion'
ary power from the legislature in this
matter Besides, the legislature Tor at
least the committee on assessment and
collection Of taxes) discovered thu
monster in the constitution, and in
framing the law, defining whatimoney
and property is subject to taxation oil
exemption, and the node of assessing
the same" ingeniously inserted into the
law, the exemptions enumerated IN the
constitution; and in its enumeration
Of articles Of property taxable, purpoosely
left out farm implements and products
Of the soil, leaving it for the courts o.
the county to determine whether they
are property or not, in the true mean
inc Of the constitution. | do not know
wbsther this monster in. the constitu
t;on prompted you and the member Q
the committee ON assessment and eollee
ton of taxes, TO vote uniformity io
amendments to the constitution
hui one thing do know: that you AM
a large majority (if lot ALI OF tina
oor,,sittee aid favor amendments U
The constitution. But, alasi We failed
tor Il was somebody else's baby. an
though deformed, it was a sweet an
nrom;sing child; so they Rugged
n closely 70 their bosolns that u