Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-27
THE TAX CASE.

The Attorney General, on behalf of the
State, continues to contest the action of
the county of Sacramento in compromising
the railroad tax suits. This may be a
duty which the Attorney. General cannot
well avoid, since it is no part of his bust
ness to Sit in judgment upon the assess.
ments of the State Board of Equalization.
But it remains the fact that the assessment
of the railroad in this county was placed at
the very least $4,000 a mile too high,
since it was more than that much higher
than any railroad has ever been assessed
before, and since it was higher by nearly
one hundred per cent. than large proper
ton of the railroad in this county could
have been rebuilt for. The railroad COM
pany moreover, having been assessed by a
body which assesses no other citizen, and be-.
ing thus plainly Disseminated against by the
State, has very strong case for the United
States Supreme Court, and in the opinion
OF many able lawyers cannot fail to secure
judgment against the constitutionality of
the assessment. Meantime, however, the
company has offered to pay sixty per cent.
OF the tax assessed. This gives Sacra-
mento within $4,000 of the whole amount
she could possibly obtain. If she does not
accept the compromise she must stand a
lawsuit the loss CT which would deprive
her of the whole amount, and all the costs
of which she must pay herself In word
the State seeks to make cat's-paw OF the
county, to pull her chestnuts out of the
fire for her, and the county has no reason
to look upon this attempt with approval
It is the interest Of the county to compro-
mise the tax cases. In obtaining sixty per
cent. of the taxes the county will get at
least twenty per cent. more than fair and
reasonable valuation would have given it.
WOODRUFF MILLER GETS A SETBACK.
Wood-Pulp Miller, Of New York, the
impudent Protectioniss who thinks to run
Congress as an adjunct to his paper-mill,
and who wishes to muzzle the American
press by putting up the price of paper, re-.
ceived severe setback On Friday when
he undertook defense of the tariff. His
argument was neither new nor true. He
told the usual falsehood about Protection
being in the interest of Labor. Why did
he not show that his own employees se-
cured high wages by means of the tariff -?
But Miller invited attack by an unprovoked
impertinence to the Southern members,
whom he undertook to lecture upon their
duty to their constituents, telling them
that unless some of them amended their
views on this question they would be left
at home at the next election. Thereupon
Morgan, of Alabama, asked if he Miller
expected that any of the gentlemen re.
turned from the South would be in favor
of wood pulp? And Miller instantly be-
came furious, though to no purpose. This
selfish and aggressive Protectionist will
learn that the time has gone by for bully
ing the country on this issue, and that the
stability of Protection in public opinion no
longer exists save in the imagination of
those who are pIunderipg the people
through the tariff, and who cannot make
up their minds to abandon their hold on
the public purse. The cup of these legal,
lied robbers is in fact almost full.