The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-05-04
TAXPAYERS INJUNCTION.

AN INJUNCTION OBTAINED YESTERDAY TO
RESTRAIN THE COLLECTION OF RAILROAD
INTEREST TAX.
Messrs. Green & Gilbert, attorneys of
this city, on yesterday presented to Judge
D. J. Baker. of the Appellate Court, at Me
tropolis, (wherc he is now holding a term
of the Massac Circuit Court, bill in chan
Gerry for an injunction, in the names of
Charles Gallagher, Samuel 5. Taylor, Corodon
r. Woodward, and some one hundred and
fifty Others of the most prominent citizens
and largest taxi payers of Alexander county,
members of the Cairo Taxpayers Associa-
ton, compliments, against the sheriff and
| collector Of Alexander county, defendant
praying that the collector be restrained
and cnioincd from collecting certain taxes
levied by the State Auditor upon the per-
sonal property of complainant, and desig-
mated as county and city registered rail
road bond interest taxes
Judge Baker, after hearing the applica-
ton, granted the injunction as prayed. At
a later hour in the day the bill was brought
to Cairo and filed in the Circuit Court of
this county, and an injunction was issued,
as ordered by the judge, and duly served at
once on the collector.
|
The bill is very voluminous, and makes
a strong case not only as against the tax
but also the validity of the railroad bond,
themselves, to pay interest upon which the
tax is levied by the Auditor under what il
known as the unconstitutional Grab Law.
These bonds, il will be remembered, wert
issued by the city and county 100000
each. to the Cairo and Nincennes and Cairo
and st. Louis Railroad companies, after tin
adoption Of the new constitution Of 1870
and in violation thereof, as is claimed b,
many. Mcssrs. Green and Gilbert as cor
poration counsel, and attorneys for In
county, are now engaged in contesting tn,
legality of these bonds, as the public ar
aware, in the L. s. Circuit Court, at Spring
field, and this present action on the part O
the tax payers themselves, shows the animu
Of the people Of the county, and NANTES
determination to resist paymcr
interest and princpal-of thcs
bonds, in the unauthorized ssuanc
of which, as is claimed, great wrong wa
done them; and which, by reasons Of tn
enormous bonded indebtedness of the cit
and county as compared wit
the assessed value Of the propcrt
therein, the people have not ii
ability, even if they had the disposition
to pay in full. The mattcrof a compromi
, of this debt, at fifty cents on the dolla
has received some considerable discussic
Of late, and it is not improbable, irol
what we hear that some such amicablc Il,
iustmcnt might NEE, with favor ON Il
# part of the taXpoying porto
~ of the community; and the action of Il
. taxpayers on yesterday, and the obtainir
r. of the injunction, may possibly induce Il
holders of these bonds to accept as il
probably for their best interest TO do Il
a profcrcd compromise if one is offered, ,
!. the principle that "a half loaf is bctt
u. than no bread" In any event the su
+. ject is one of deep interest to the citizens
this county and city and not few of the
q. will be pleased to hear Of the Tax.pNyc
l. Associations injunction.
y Mr.. f. KoRsMEYER is just in receipt
A a very large and select stock Of Key W,
to and imported cigars to which he calls {