The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-03-17
KANSAS STATE NEWS.

KANSAS STATE NEWS.
Indignant Taxpayer.
The following resolutions were adopt
ed by the recent convention of taxpayers At
Sslina:
Whereos, A grant Of lands. including every
alternate section within ten miles of the Kan
saS Pacific Railway. and extending from the
Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains, was
the building of said road; to be patented to
said company at stated periods, conditional
that after three years from the completion of
said road all OF said land not sold or disposed
| Of should revert to settlement and pre- emp
ton; and that said grant in 1854 was increased
| to twenty miles on each side of the said road,
that. before patents should issue, said COM
pany should pay the costs of surveying. Sc.
!ecting and conveying, and by making the
| issuing Of patents optional with the compa..
| nv, but in no way affecting the right of
| said company to the lands; and that said
railroad was completed as provided by law
with, except the payment 81 the costs of sur
veying. collecting and conveying. and that
according to the rule which holds good as to
and just snen the patent IS ase
numerous local authorities as long ago as 1858
and 1869 assessed and attempted to collect
u
although sustained by the Supreme Court of
the State of Kansas, they have been uniform.
~ beaten in the Supreme Court of the United
States, and that in the greater portion of the
territory interested, according to the original
provision OF the act of 1862, concerning the
Issue OF patents, taxes were due on said
properly fourteen or fifteen years ago, and
the completion of said road, taking advantage
OF q legal technicality On the one hand, and
OF its own refusal to do what both law and
IN WIG fQfsf Sfc
gal charges incident to their survey,
until which patents can not issue, and that
TINS continuous and perpetual On.taXable
condition of said land is an outrage not toll
Grated anywhere on the part of an individual,
but Is one of the evil signs of the times. when
IT can be persisted and successfully carried on
by powerful corporation, where millions of
profit come solely as q donation directly from
the people, and that the unpatented land of
lions of acres, which should, according to the
appraisement of similar property, paw into
our local and State Treasury two hundred
sequence Of this exemption, taxation upon
the individual property of the owners reaches
In some counties the enormous levy of five
once q fraud upon the United States. BIZ null.
flying the plain intent of the laws granting
eaid lands to said company, and upon the
States, counties and municipalities of Kansas,
and in depriving them of a legitimate source
OF their revenues, and upon the citizens of
Kansas by throwing upon them the burdens
ottaxation, which law and equity alike re-
Quire should be shared by the Kansas
Pacific Railroad Company; and that
the utter lack of cost of carrying said land is
claimed by the agents of the company as a
portion OF its assets and values; and that.
during all these years, that said company has
exercised full control and ownership of these
lands-selling and mortgaging the same; that
corporate and other artificial rights are not,
and can not. be made more sacred than Ma:
tiOnal, State, county, municipal and personal
rights; that it is well settled principle of
be permitted to take advantage Of his own
wrongs, and that the wrong in question, be-
ing beyond the reach of State legislation and
by congressional legislation; and to the end
that the burdens of taxation may be equal
lied, corporations and individuals alike
bearing their just proportions; therefore,
Resolred, That we earnestly demand of the
Congress of the United States such speedy
legislation as will stop this inequality, by
plete title to said lands, thereby securing to
the Government the cost of surveying, select
ing and conveying. which is now unjustly
roll to bear its just share of the public bur-
dens.
RESOLVED, That the present non taxable con-
lar government, the very first theory of which
is equal and exact justice to all; that it is the
duty of the Government to defend the weak
vi
Resolved, That we Indignantly protest
against the influences which have thus far
succeeded in perpetrating such injustice as
this exemption of the Kansas Pacific lands
Resoired, That the Supreme Court of the
United States having decided that the mort
the meaning of the grant, thus giving us the
contradiction of a title good for all practical
purposes, but not good enough for taxation,
we are of the opinion that an act FORGETTING
the land would be imperative, or result in
endless litigation, and have deemed the COM
pletiOn of title the speedie,t way to reach the
end sought.
Resolved, That we are infavoro of the passage
of the bill introduced in the House of Repre-
sentatives by Hon. John A. Anderson, repre-
sentative from the First District. compelling
the company to perfect the title of these
lands; that we rejoice in the ability, bOldness
and determination with which Mr.. Anderson IS
this end we pledge him our hearty support.
Res0Lred, That the action of this convention |
be supplemented, so far as they may deem |
proper, by the Official expression of the Board
terested and by the petitions of the people, SO |
far as may be practical.
Resolved, That the thanks of the people are !
due to Senator Plumb for having secured the |
pas .age of said measure through the Senate |
OF the United States. and in view of its gener- |
al importance we urgently request the entire |
delegation from Kansas to use their utmost |
endeavors that this great wrong may be COR
rected.
ResOired, That i've copies OF these resOlu.
tons be signed officially by all the county Of |
GERS present and delegates, and that one copy |
of the resolutions be sent to each of the Sena-
tors and Representatives from Kansas, and
that they be requested to present the same to
the Senate and House of Representatives.
Miscellaneous Items.
A year ago Eddie Hackbusch, the g.
year-old son of CAPTAIN Hackbusch, of
Lawrence. was drowned in the river by &C.