Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-24
LET Pill. SUERIDAN ALONE.

LET PHIL SHERIDAN ALONE.
When Phil Sheridan says, "There is not
the slightest probability of my being
nominated, and, in any event would not
accept" everybody believes that he
means just what he says. There will be
no side talk, no whispering that he "will
take the nomination if it ID rendered
him." and all that sort of thing, because
Sheridan Is not that kind of man, and
when n man is not that kind of man,
everybody knows ho isn't. All honor to
Phil. Sheridan for his open and
avowed refusal to be groun
up between the two con tending
parties in the coming contest, just to
please lot of politicians who care moth
ing about him outside of the matter of
his availability. Let Phd Sheridan alone,
and when his work is done and his time
comes to die, let his last moments be
made Joyous by the consciousness, that
the greatest nation ON the earth will
honor his memory and mourn his loss.
MILLIONS II IT.
I IL has. bocn so long since the Blair bill
was first introduced that It's provisions
are now almost forgotten. 1t gathers
freshness from the fact that it has passed
the senate and gone TO the house for
burial. It GPpropriates ST 900 900 to bo
distributed III tho states and territories
during the next eight years, "iu that pro
portion which the whole numbsr of per
sons in each who, being of the ago of 10
whole number OF such perons in the
United States" Seven million
dollars is to be distributed
the first year, ten million the
second year, $I5 ,OOO,OOO the third year,
then $13,0O0OOO, then $I1,OOO,OOO, then
$9,OO0,000, then $7OO0,0OO, and finally
S5000,O00. Tho money is to bo used for
educational purposes only, and an extra
$1,000 600 is appropriated for the erec
tion of achool houses in sparseiy populat
cd districts. Thore are a number Of other
provisions which 1t is not necessary to
cnumerate. An educational system fos-
torod by the federal government instead
of becoming strong and self supporting,
and that il the object sought in the bill,
would in n few years become great, over
inf
tectoG infant manufactures it would new
or be able 10 stand alone.
UNEQUAL TAXATION.
One branch of tho Ohio legislature has
passed bill for the organization of a
secret service, to assist III ferreting out
personal property and inerectiyely listing
it for taxation. 1t will be the right thing
in the right direction if the bill becomes
law. There is II crying necessity for
yielding in its requirements, compelling
the owners and holders of personal prop
erty to list it TO the last dollar. As it has
been and is uow, the farmers stock,
grain, and implements, are before
he assessors eyes, and he seldom fails TO
list the last calf and the smallest pig.
The merchants stock is also open TO his
inspection, and generally pays it's share
of taxes. The man who owns his home
in the town and city is assessed for about
all il will sell for, and sometimes more.
With an assessor dosirous of performing
his duty all property III sight may be said
10 be listed. Besides, it is not out of the
way to say, that men of moderate
means do not as rule attempt
to conceal their property, nor
are thoy inclined to make false
statements and swear to them. There
are exceptions of course, but the rule
will be taken rs true. The injustice and
miquity of our present system shows it
self most decidedly in the returns of
personal property made to the assessor
by men OF wealth, who hold large amounts
funds in banks. In their ease as n rule,
the whole or any considerable portion of
their personal property does not appear
on their lists. There may be exceptions
to be sure, and 1t will not be asserted that
there are none. But that as q
rule, they do not give in the
bulk of their personal property, is
too well and universally known to need
more than the statement for the proof.
The consequences are that those having
little means and those in what may be
called moderate circumstances, are CON
stantly compelled to pay much more than
their proper sha-e of the taxes; while
the wealthy are allowed TO escape by pay
ing only a small part of what they should
pay. Any method that would force
every person TO make out and return TO
the assessor full aud complete state
ment of all personal property subject to
taxation, would prove a blessing not only
in securing Justice but IN putting Il stop
to perjury in both the moral aud legal
sense.