The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-01-29
STRIKE; BUT HEAR ME-"

that the boards Of Equalization, Railroad
and Warehouse, and State House Commits
sioners, the members Of which, he says, draw
fat salaries from the State Treasury, be
wiped out"
To what impulse or feeling this demand
of the editor of the Sun is ascribable, we
confess we are unable to determine. Ger
tainly no friend of the people who is cogni-
zant of the value of the services rendered
by the commissioners enumerated, could
wish the boards abolished, or their sphere
of usefulness in any manner limited or re-
stricted.
Take, for instance, the State Board of
Equalization. II is moderate estimate to
place the amount that has been saved to
Alexander county, through the action of
this board, at 100000. In 1874 our assess
mcnt was reduced one-half, so that, instead
of paying State Tax to the amount of SEA
900, we were through an equitable cquali-
cation of our assessment, compelled to pay
only $4,000. In 1875, the reduction upon
our property was about 50 per cent, which
saved US $4,000. In 1876 it averaged about
80 per cent, relieving us of the payment of
about $4,000 In 1877, the amount saved
was more than $1,000, and prior to 1874 we
saved fully $4,000 But for the State
Board Of Equalization, every dollar of this
SAL 900 would hsye been wrested from the
hard earnings Of our people, and turned over
into the State treasury Until our revenue
system undergocs radical change for the
better the Board of Equalization will be a
necessity. But for its Intervention Alex
ander county, and three-fourths of all the
counties Of Southern Illinois would, since
the organization Of the board, have paid
from 20 to so per cent. more than their
equitable share of State taxes,
The Board of State House commissioners,
which the Sun would have abolished be-
cause it is an expensive supcrhuity, serves
the public without any compensation what
ever.
AS to the Railroad and Warehouse COM
missioners i. is well kno Sn that the useful
ness Of that body has been considerably
hampered by suits involving the constitu-
tionality of the law prohibiting cxtortion,
which were carried TO the Supreme Court
by the railroad companies against which
they were instituted. The court has with
held its decision for nearly three years. and
until il is promul gated, further action UNI
der the law is, in effect, forestslcd. Mean
while the board has frequently been called
upon TO arDltrate differences between rail-
ROAD corporations ana the people mum
cradle abuses nave been corrected IN this
manner winch, otherwise, could only have
been righted through protractcd and cxpcn-
penslVe litigation And the very fact of
the existence OF such board has re
s'ralhlhg eilect upon the railroads. The
knowledge that the board steps in as the
representative of the public to punish
wrong.doing has rescued the people from
eStortion and a thousand other grievances,
which, otherwise, they would have inevita-
by suffered, Railroad companies have a
contempt for the resistance circumstances
Of single individual, knowing as they do,
that they can readily law him to rum or
submission. But not SO, when they are
compelled TO deal with the State, the whole
people, represented in the Railroad commits
soners, They are brought face to face
with power greater than their own-a
! power that commands their respcct and con