Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-04-07

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While it is the opinion of this office that
the present method Of assessing railroad proper
ty is fair and lawful, and is not rcpugnant to the
Constitution of the United states. and that it
will be so held by the Supreme Court of the
United states before which that tuueSti0u is now
pending yet | have thought proper to direct
your attention to the advsability of providing
( that the property of railroad companies and cor
porations ana all debts due to and by them.
shall be assessed by the state Board of EqUaliza-
ton aS the property of individuals is now as
sessed by local ASsessOrS-G Governors Message
to Extra Session.
1--WE know now that the new Constitution,
which it was supposed would remove burdens
from the people mas proven to lie an instrument
favorable to the corporations. Take the South
ern Pacific road for instance II Is mOrtgaged
for >4b.OOn.VH its bonds are selling above par.
and it ought 10 be assessed nj >i u1JO 900. Persons
are assessed on mortgages ut 40 per cent more
than the face of the mortgage. So ought that
road yet they have complained to the Circuit
Court of an injurious discrimination against
Them and have appealed for the benefits of the
Fourteenth Amendment. But, you see. il is Il
false clamOr. | agree with Mr.. DcmgS. in the
MAN, that they pay nothing. There Is no law
in the State TO make them pay taxes if that de
cisOu be the law. We are here representing
the grOanS Of an oppressed people 1t is their
defiance their resistance to the law of the land.
that has aroused the people. ! never shall be
lieve until am told that the Supreme Court will
uphold that deciSiOn-that they will make de
clson that will destroy the autonomy of the
states of this Union. Judge Wallaces Speech
to Third House Monday Night
As a matter of fact, Greed Haymond did
offer to Governor Stoneman, before the ses-
sion was called, TO enter into any stipula-
ton the States attorney might draw for
the advancement of the tax cases on the
calendar of the Supreme Court and to try
them on the merits, in the meantime offer
Ing TO pay, on account, rs much as the face
g.l Z l. Il l.. f.I.
Court, would we not be in a better fix in
fixing the law to suit ii? The Governor
or Demas for him-savS he does not be-
ieve the Supreme Court Will decide against
the State Judge Wallace SAYS the same
Then, if the law was going to be sustained,
and the cases could be brought on immedi-
atelv. why the extra session now? As in
the above extract the Governor in his proc
lamation confines the Legislature to giving
power to the State Board of Equalization
to assess the railroads and deduct the mort
cages. Now, the pith of Judge Fields de-
cision is that we have two tribunals for as
seSSing, and that we must have but one
The Legislature cannot act except on mat
tiers presented in the proclamation. Sup
pose the Supreme Court should sustain that
part of Judge Fields decision, would
not that part of the legislation
be of no avail And that, by the
way, is the principal part of the whole
business. 1t viii be remembered that NJ.
NJ. Estce made speech in the Constitu-
tional Convention declaring that the State
had not the power Of establishing two
methods of assessing; and Mr.. Estee is not
a railroad man-at least the railroad
people went for Stoneman to defeat him
We have, then, Estee and Field as author
itv that the State cannot do that which the
Governor has demanded of the extra ses-
sion. BY waiting very short time we
could have had the opinion of the Supreme
Court Of the United States on the subject.
But We wish to add most emphaticallv
that we wish the Legislature, now that it
is there, to do all it possibly can under the
very cunningly devised proclamation, for
the lawyers, TO make the railroad company
and all other rich people and corporations
pay their just share Of the burdens of gov
ernment; and if il is possible, TO make
them pay promptly. We hammered away
at the tax question when it was too small
matter for the professional demagogues,
and hence, we would have liked to have
seen it possible for the Legislature to pass
a law that could not be questioned The
big lawyers seem to have gotten hold on
the State, and If she gets off without
plucking she will be in luck. Compica-
tions suit them.