The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-10-14
LETTER FRO N COZ. CMIPHEV.
He Handles MckiaAOa Withoae
Gloves.
PENsAcoLA FLA Oct. G. 1894

|
of business have overlooked the matter until
| nov.
Mr McKinnon says that neral Barnes, in his
| open letter, show ed very concusivey Ia hs mind
| that the road had not been assrs<r'i Al IFS full
| value II is very easy 10 convince Mr.. d 'kinnnn
of almost anything against rAllrn.d, for, adds
| he in his speeches, "th,y make me lay my tatr,
| while Democratic SPEAKERS travel ON passes >;
and the P"pr organ, the Ne'o Era, says: "One
| thing WI d" know, and that Is that every III! tie
| cross road politician who is taking any inIere>
| IN The L rction of eiry is provided with free
niss." Ii This editor pays hi. way, it is not be-
| cause he neglected to ask for u pass. Pretend
| ING to believe that the Democrats are ali asst"i
II becomes manifest that the weltare-4f ne State
| uQuires reform iu the diSIribltin oh passes
| Your readers will no be Slow 10 disc 'vrr tht
| cause OF the cling ncn h.acst these ref 'rnl
rs 1" assail my motives in rarnt~, >npi"~i "
| 'hc DEM crntlc andilaics, he result ''t ei"'-
| ':'.ntIciinns.
ln>lullalions are uttered AGAINST CAp'nl
| Maxwell because lie !, enthusiastic for Pc: y,
| "ho WAS his General ID the VA. Cannot 'h'-r
| men understand ine trehny hiCh On 5 sol
| iler to his commnnJrr especially Ia one "t con-
| spcn.us courage? For The sake 0t nrg,lnrn'
| >upl"sc Tie railroads could ei.1, Governor n
man at their own selection. and >ul,>trvient Il"
their will, what possible official acl could This K
| rcuive perform which could aid the railro. :!
None Whatever; and such chan Is an insult 10
Tie intelligence of the ciiZens U FiTid%.
/ With AL apology tIr thus dIgrr>son, Will re-
| turn To the m .iter OF assessment General
Barnes did n I convince ME that our assessment
Was just. | said Then, and have not changed
| my mind. and think now that il Was not An
| outrage upon the ST ,i,, bur To draw il very
mildly, great hardship upon ,hr rnrond But
| did not reply. tor the decision OF the Supreme
| t"urI Of the United States in the case at HE l. 4
! n. road had altered The c"mlmny's position
that nothing WAS lett me hut 10 btc"nlt suppll-
cant, and bend the knee before the Cnmpir'lrr,
which did, Intellectually, As General Barnes gave
| The company n" aid whatever.
| II D. l.. McKinnon should b over as>t>se'i he
| would 20 be'ore The County Commissioners and
| seek relief This is just what The PcnsacnlA and
| Atlantic Railroad did The Commissioners at
Escambia reduced The assessment from $40 1000
| per mile t. 1000 Santa Rosa county Ia 1880
aud other counties To $4,000. General Barnes
then ordered corresponding per cent. OF the
c,mpany's taxes due the Stale held in abtyaHce
| unll the Legislature meets To do heI Wise
would simply be robbery 1t would be deprIv
lug the owutr> Of a aIge interest OF the privilege
enjoyed by the humbles! property holders in the
| State, To wit the right Ia revise their assess
ment.
| | will here, illustration oi General
| Barnes shameless discrimination in favor OF
railroads" 50 called, 30 giby charged by the re-
formers, mention the compnnys assessment for
| tue current year In my return | fixed The valu"
| OF the road by the only true ani equll able stand
ard by which every honest man is governed in
returning his own property, 10 wit: its cost val
ue based upon what it would sell Or-noi what
1t cost General Barnes nearly doubled my val
| ualion, placing it even higher than the C"inmi,
.uners ut TWO Of ,he counties. The ra' roads
| may we'll cry, save us iIOm our friends
| The appalling result ot such assessments can
| not be appreciated 10y the public. The assess
ment hich Mr. McKnnon considered just
| upon This company. ro ID bed alone without roll
ing stock, del" or lands, would have taken nj
| teen cents from every gross dollar which it
| earned DOES any other irreres' bear such Taxa
| uony Can ANY interest endure it? This assess
| men Was laid upon the company March ISL BE-
| fore The road was completed. II amounted in
| the c"uniies of Wa>-iigton, Walton and Hnlm~s
| tu 2133 46e more tLan tue total assessment on
| hose counties before the road WAS constructed,
! and conse eQuen;y in tnose counlles, Oh us road
! bed alone the company pays m're tax than all
! Other Interests in the counties named.
In Alabama governed 0y railroad c0mm's
| sion tue roads are taxed according 10 their rev.
| enue fer he year preceding tax year. The high
est on n road of any length is I'll ,0M per mile
npon road earning ST, 1921 per mile. TEE
! lowest is 81 900 per mile road without rev.
enue. Tue next lowest Is 81 900 per mile assess
.neni upon Il road earning Fl ,26l "A per mile per
| annum.
The Pensacola and Atlantic was assessed $10.-
| 900 tnI a year during which the earnings were
ess.ry.
| 1t il not unusual tor the collection of taxes 20
| be suspended. Jackson county is an instance in
| luiui its taxes being suspended this wear for
| months Ye, Mr. McKnnon obecis TO this in
diligence TO a railroad which is developing his
| natl ( county, and while il was struggling n
| oay a tax onerOus in The extreme. he 'lamored
FOR seizure an safe | do not hesitate N rest the
ompm,'s case with the sturdy yeoInsnry OF
| Waton aud W Washingt0D, where Mr.. McKinnon
| concentrated his best. or more properly speak ing
| his worst etfor's
| Mr. NcKianon'S only connection with any
cubl;c enterprise that the record shows is III hi.
| capacity Is lawyer vs. some Railroad, notably
his ow n case VS. T. A He has twenty eight
acr.s near Marianna. Had the railroad taken
'he true route indicated by the topography o. the
| the country The lue would have been nca'eC
miles south Of Marlanna and Mr. McKn
mons properly rnued- But at an additional cos
II 400 0OO .nt railroad was carried through Nj
rianna and through Nr. McKinnon's properly OF
= hillside ou;siie Of his enclosure, the railroac
rCh, of wav occupying about Eve acres. Fol
hi, he sues tor 81 600 AT This rate the remain
;ng twenty three acres worth 80 200 or more
| az The rrai occupies poor hill! side. On th
| olacs i h;e family residence, worth certainly
| - OOO anil a hcnse built tor rent, say $0O0 more
| IN xli S12 OOO by his own valuation Ye; be re
Turns il ali for taxation ~ 81 2O-teE per cent OF
| his own estimate
I
NV lot 70 direct railroad and other, are deveOpin!
1.t the p g. A. engineers found q perfect vii
| lern.ss Villages, churches and schools ar
| Snrinvinp az Population IS coming in, ant
9p;,hin the limits of Walton some of the mos
| ,mnoI,an; schemes III the Stale are being devel
| oped ,.;s
,sncy on Mr. McKinnon's part is his criticism G
,h;e p & A. companv's land grant II is nnnec
essary for me 10 say anything to the people q
W-.i Florida about the Necessity for the I"ae
| The line VI the ROAD 'raVerses "huernes'
| Given its construction its trains have cost NOR
,nnsv thsn ,hcy have earned, but the benef
not only 10 West Florida, but to the entire State
cannot De represented, and from all sections
| IN. STATE come expressions OF appreciation {
tIe greatest work for the whole State which hs
Acen performed since the change OF flags
A. the road will require years to become prod
| able 10 i,s owners the State gave its protector
land grant without which the road could nc
| 40 heen bui.l Al the time these lands wei
Iveo ,hey were regarded by the State as wort
| 9erv little: they were encumbered WIN neav
,rbi. and they were given 20 Dullo roao
WesI Florida iivsi0n OF the Stale which ha
t ,ever received auy help, while the State ha
' aided roads in other DIVISIONS Oh "uf o'a'e
.,.aoy has moi received one half OF The lane
q r,,p;s.a II and has not sold enough 10 pay 81
P.,ns ;n,erest on the road the company hs
,rsde every effort 10 see tina; every setter upo
e / comnanv lands is allowed 10 buy the came. witt
4 | onr regard 10 Improvements, al SoVefnmei
. > prices ,rconss,ancv 2
, cr;,,;ses a yrant Of 8 O000O0 acres, which up
! tb;. time the company has MOI received Inc
= valne il known 10 ycnr readers. IL required 4
+ ,sxstiop 10 give them, but placed them on !!
IN