The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-17
n.vernOr Roberts and Occupat ion
Taxes,
70 the Edit r CT the tierald,


Taxes.
Ia the Edit r Ct the herald,
Understanding that 1t is your intention &c
ranublish An interview with me published in
the HERALD on my return 'Iom Austin last
Tuly. on the subject of the efforts made by
me to secure the repeal of the present occu-
nation tax law, desire /, add few words
nv way of correction and explanation of the
interview as published
Shortly after the adjournment of the reg.
mar session of the sixtc enth legislature there
was held in Dallas a large meeting of mer.
chant, and business men, called for the pur.
r,se Of taking steps to secure the repeal or
modi6cation of the occupation tax law re-
Gently pss;ed. This meeting will be remember
sdns one of the largest and most earnest ever
held in Dalss. A number of speeches were
made (some of them by gentlemen now ar.
dent admi ers and supporters OF Governor
Roberts and his policy, but then having
nothing good to say of ether in which this
oceupsLlon tax WAS denounced as unequal,
unjust and an outrage upon the mercantile
and industrial classes of our state. A COM
mittee was appointed to report resolutions
and TO secure, by an address, the co-opers-
ton of merchants throughout the state in an
effort to obtain from the special session
of the legislature, then called, relief from the
unjust burdens placed upon Them
An address was prepared and sent to nearly
every town in the state, and petitions to the
Governor and the legislature were signed by
merchants and business men all over the
state. praying for the repeal of the law. Inc
merchants of Dallas sent me to Austin to
present the petitioners and to do what could
10 secure the repeal.
Inasmuch rs the Legislature could only
act upon such matters as the governor should
submit to their consideration, my first efforts
were to induce the governor to refer the mat
ter to the legislature, then in session, |
presented an armful of petitions to
him. ard also showed him statement which
hal prepared exhibiting the merchants oc-
,cupation tax as provided In the three last
laws on that subject, from which 1t appeared
that the tax on first class merchants in 1873
was S25, in 1876 $50 and in 1879 5000, with
proporlionatc increase upon the other classes
of merchants. The governor did not agree
with me in the opinion that the tax was I'M
Just but took the ground that the merchants
paid less taxes proportionately than other
classes of citizens and he based his opinion
upon the fact as urged by him, that the
merchants would not givs proper
rendition of their stock for taxation. lsug-
gested that the proper remedy for
such cases, if they existed, were to provide
so ne more efficient mode Of assessment and
not by the imposition Of a higher occupa-
ton tax, which would bear alike upon the
honest and the dishonest merchants; but he
insisted that the only way of reaching the
merchants was by the occupation tax He
told me, however, as stated in the interview
published in your paper, that if would get
a request from say dozen members OF the
legislature he would send in a message sub
hitting the matter to them, as they were the
legislative department, and it WAS their prov
luce ~ detcrmiun such matters. When
sent to him request signed
by some twenty-five members, he
then delayed sending the mea-
sage and told me he wanted some
assurance that the legislature would grant
the relief which we sought Being discOur-
agad by the evident hostility of the governor
to the repeal of the law, left Austin, and
at the time of the interview with your re-
porter was not aware that on the very day |
left the governor had sent in a message sub
hitting to them the matter of the repeal o
the Law.
Now with regard to your published inter-
view, will say that it was simply CONVEX
sation with your reporter, who afterwards
reduced what he remembered as the SUBJ
stance of what L said, and / did not see it
until it was in print. Though substantially
he does not report my language.
The governor treated me with that pleasant
courtesy for which he is we'll known,
and discussed with me frankly and
fully the purpose Of my visit
and although when told him that the mer-
chants in our section felt that the legislature
had shown hostility to their class, and that
many of them had told me they would
leave the state rather than rest under what
they regarded as unjust burdens, the COVER
nor did reply let them go if they want t.,
we can spare any man who don't like our
laws" BE afterwards added that of course
he had said some things that he didn't mean,
aud that he would be unwilling to have any
citizens oppressed.
Ientertsin the highest respect for the char
acter and ability of Governor Roberts, and his
long and distinguished services rendered to
the state of Texas on the bench entite him
to the greatest consideration, but his ideas
upon many important questions of govern
ment, and notably his peculiar notions on
the great questions of taxation, public schools |
and public lands, are in my humble opinion,
opposed to the best interests Of the country. |
CHAs. FRED TUCKER.
Dallas, July l6, 1880.