The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-04-11
WHAT ABOUT 4.SSE.SSllENT;Se

just this: The Supreme Court, by
its unanimous decision, declared invalid
every assessment made in the State the
past and previous years, because prop
erty was not assessed at its full value;
not what it would bring at forced sale,
as was supposed by many tolerably well
informed Interpreters of the law; but
what it was really worth and would
bring after reasonable effort at private
sale.
Among the last acts passed at the re-
cent session of the Legislature was a
new assessment law, drawn with express
reference to the decision. Ou readers
will soon receive it with all other laws
of general nature, in a supplement to
the Crescent. Then they can best judge
whether 1t will be wise or prudent to
withhold from the Assessors proper
and truthful exhibit Of their personal
property. Then must citizens decide
whether they will risk the chances of
conviction for perjury by the making of
false lists or the placing OF false vaIua-
tons or estimates upon their personal
property. Then must they decide
whether the wicked and corrupt practice
of concealing the ownership Of notes,
bonds, mortgages, or other evidences of
Indebtedness due them, is to be By them
still further perpetrated, knowing as
they must that it viii bring them, as it
should do, beneath the shadow of the
gates Of the penitentiary. And then
they viii also learn that if through fault,
carelessness, OF wilful intention any por-
ton Of their property escapes its just
and equitable proportion of taxation, it
can and will be reassessed the succeeding
year. The stale trick of men signing an
affidavit attached to their personal prop,
erty lists, but not formally taking an
oath-first originated in the cunning
brain Of some Oshkosh genius to eFade
the punishment due to infracted law
will no longer be of any avail.
The oath annexed to the assessment
roll, requires the assessor to swear that
each valuation of property made by him
is the full value. Woe betide him if he
knowingly swears falsely. And the
District Attorney who neglects, evades
or refuses to discharge his duty when
perjury is made manifest. viii himself
L. 70 -
law.
When the Legislators separated it was
with general determination to use
their whole influence among their con-
stituents to have the new law obeyed,
and to have all property assessed at its
real value. The principle is just and
equitable; no other system of assess
ment is defensible.
The Crescent INDUCES the hope that
every Assessor il Outagamie County
will bear in mind that our court of last
resort has jud.cialfy declared that any
tax levied upon any depreciation in val
ne in the assessment will be void and
invalid. Every citizen is interested to
have the new law fully observed and al,
its requirements complied with, no mat
ter whether he is large or small land
holder, nor whether he is ulanufactur-
er, a merchant, g mechanic, OF gentle
man OF leisure. So faI as we can learn,
the great body of the people admit the
justice and wisdom of the proposed new
departure III assessments. Let them
see to it, therefore, that the few who
will rack their brains to eVade the bear
ing OF their just proportion of the public
burden, are compelled to act righteously
IN the premises; SO that the farmer
whose homestead is worth $4,000, or
the money scalper whose $4,000 worth
of mortgages hidden in the name of dis
tant friends, are no longer assessed at q
third or fourth of their value, OF entire
ly withheld from taxation.
The suggestion has been made to us
to ask: Would it not be very proper for
the assessors to meet together and adopt
some basis upon which they may get
more uniform and correct assessment of
personal property throughout the coun-
tyf Lit IS not for us to suggest a reply;
but 1t is proper for us to say that the
assessment OF q horse or watch worth
500 at $40, or of a stock of goods worth
$4,000 at so, GOO, VIII be in direct vio-
lation to the law, and if persisted in
will surely become speedy plague upon
its perpetrators.
The State generally viii observe and
obey the new law. Let not Outagamie
run the risk of mourning burdensome
and oppressive litigation, or of vitiating
taxation, or of crowding our courts with
criminal prosecutions, by any illegal
course Ill the premises on the part of
citizens or assessors.
iucaaoND, Va, Dispatch: We de-
precate fba uukiDH or,J r,n,uSt HiDcc OF