The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-30

DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
THE ASsEssoRSHTP.

The Office of assessor at all times and il
all places is an important one, and care
should always be exercised in the appoint
ment of a competent man to fill it. An
unfair assessment can be reached in. two
ways; by assessing one man more than an
other or one kind of property more than
another. This latter is the most common
phase. There is a certain kind of property
notably real estate and fixed business in
terests-that is open and in the sight of
every one, that is always assessed and
taxed; but there is property of another
kind-personal property, like stocks,
bonds and mortgages-that will invariably
escape taxation unless the assessor does
his duty. Now this first class of property
is what tends directly toward building up
| the city; il is the sinew and backbone of
our prosperity it is what constitutes the
business of a community. On the other
hand. this second class does not except in
a small and indirect way, benefit the local
ity; it is simply q matter of personal
riches
But with the kind of assessor that we
have had for some years past, this latter
class has entirely escaped assessment; it
has gone scot free. The consequence is
easily seen; the former class has been
forced to pay taxes to support the other,
and has, in addition to being the support
of the city, furnished all the funds where
by the life and property of the others was
made secure. There must be SO much
money raised at all events, and If all class
es are not uniformity taxed, one class has
to suffer at the expense of the other. 1t
has been stoutly asserted, and no doubt is
true, that more than half million dollars
of taxable property can be placed upon the
With different assessor than we now
have even larger figure than this could
be reached. A short time ago a new as
SCISSOR was elected in Mercer county and he
at once instituted new order of things. |
Inside of one month he placed upon his
books over a quarter of million of prop |
erty, rightly taxable, that had previously
escaped
There is another phase of the assessor
ship question that also needs reform. 1t |
has been the custom of Mr.. Philleo to ia
vor some men at the expense of others and
this has had the result of making many
poor men, who own nothing but their
house and lot and perhaps that with q
mortgage on it-said mortgage paying no
tax under his assessment-on whom
the burden of q high tax fall most heavily,
pay much higher rate than his richer
The above is a plain statement of
.he mere outline facts of our pres
INT assessment under PhilIeo. It hasj
been so in the past and if he is re elected, f
will continue so in the future
It is an actual fact that our present val
lation is much lower than It was in 1872
md no reasonable man will believe that
uch is the case.
With view of abating these evils. and
making the taxes equal, thus taking part ]
# the load Off of men who are now carry j
ng it all and placing 1t where it belongs,
he democratic party has nominated Elmer !
Hurst His ability and industry no one ,
oubts; his integrity and sincerity is above .
uspicion and his honesty of purpose and
discrimination to be just cannot for mo- I
aent be questioned. He is the right man {
Or the place and as members of all parties J