The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-30
TRYING TO DECEIVE TAXPAYERS.


Audacious Fa1sehoods in n Circular Issued
by Democratic Politicians.
The desperation of the Democratic party in
the local campaign has never been so clearly &C.
knowledged by it's managers as yesterday, when,
in the guise of taxpayers league, they is
sued circulars overfowing with misstatements
and bare-faced falsehoods The Taxpayers
League comprises a membership of three-Sim
Coy, saloon-keeper and dictator of the local De-
mocracy; w. w. Spencer, county attorney and
secretary in fact to the little boss, and County
Commissioner Sahm, Coy satellite. Outside of
these three no one knows the origin of the cir
culars, except the few who are acquainted with
their tricks methods and audacity in classifying
the records.
In one of their circulars they claim that a
Democratic Legislature reduced the limit of
taxation for Marion county to thirty three cents
lower than it has been In years When that law
was passed Republicans and Democrats
voted for it, but Democrats. particularly
County Commissioner Sahm and Reveal, have
said it was mistake. These officials not only
by their record, but by argument, claim and by
calculations have tried to prove that the limit of
levy at 33 cents was too low. Sahm, time and
time again, has remarked, ut ought to be 40
cents at least and. indeed, when it comes to
square ISSUE will favor an unlimited levy. The
limit, 80 cents, is too low No interference or
legal restriction should hold the Commissioners
from levying any amount they pleased. They
are the best judges of the county's needs as to
revenue" Sahm, frightened at the certainty of
his defeat for reelection at the bidding of his
political master, Sim Coy, now resists his own
convictions in order to curry favor with tax-pay-
ers by misleading them. Again, this circu-
lar says the Democratic party provided
a law for the consolidation of the Offices of the
county and city treasurer and city and township
assessor. The Democratic party did no such
thing The DILL was introduced in the Senate by
Ferd Winter, Republican, and it was largely
through mis- efforts and those of other Republic
ans that the law was passed by their votes as
well as by those of Democrats. No partisanship
was manifested in the introduction or passage of
this measure.
But the most audacious claim made is that
through the efforts of the Democratic party. the
valuation of taxables has been reduced about
So 000 000 most of the reduction applying to real
estate County Commissioner Sahm knows that
that statement is falsehood without the slight
est sem blance of truth to support IL. The some
what exciting township campaign, when the re-
duction of the real estate duplicate was an issue
is not so many months gone by that he has for
gotten the charges against him. He
could not deny those charges at
that time, nor can he disprove them now, al
though unblushingly he seeks the credit of the
great good done TO taxpayers IN this respect by
Republican officials alone. Before the township
election occurred II. B. Messick, Democrat,
was assessor. He had about a half month to
serve before his successor, to be elected came
into office. Using this slight advantage, at the
solicitation of Sahm, he began the real estate
appraisemeut and the listing of personal proper
" by deputies appointed for the sole purpose of
electioneering for Marshall Palmer, the Demo
cratic candidate for assessor, and Sim Coys nom
inee. Before these short-tme deputies were let
loose upon the community, Sahm and Messick
consulted about how to keep ND the tax duplicate
to valuation of $4,000 000 The former
said: 1T must be done. With a
SO cents levy we cannot meet
county expenses. There will surely be other
wise \ deficit. don't want that to occur, for
want to make n record. II it can be done
would like TO see che duplicate raised to $50 000,
600 Instruct yoar deputies TO keep values up,
particularly those relating to real estate" This
was the utterance of Sahm the County Commits
sioner who now claims that it was he and his
colleague, Reveal, who finally reduced the real
estate valuations. The fact is that Sahm not
only strenu0usly opposed such q reduction in
the County Board OF Equalization. but caused it
to be made political measure
When Assessor Quill came into Office he found
that the deputies of Messck had made no at
tempt at a fair appraisement of real estate. For
the two weeks or more they were at the work they
did not 90 outside OF the Office to view a piece of
property. Not change was made in the high
valuations of six years ago. Two pieces of prop
erty adjoining each other. with not a condition
or Improvements TO favor one more than another,
were assessed at difference of % per cent. be-
tween them. 1t was no apprasement at all
Assessor Quil was compelled 70 20 over the en-
tire work. ana on doing so observed the promised
upon whil ncAs elected. He cut down large
i||| . . . q ! ! !
II, but, \aw would not meet the wants
Equal ~ with hie views,