The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-01-28
Subjects for Legislative Action.


Subjects for Legislative Actor
Taxation, registration and election la
and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, will
the chief subjects of legislative discussion
session. They are the paramount questic
and if they be satisfactorily dealt with
Legislature of 1888 will be entitled to
plaudits of the entire people. Upon all
these much light has already been shed,
it must be admitted that there is contrari
Of opinion. If the law makers can consit
all these opinions, and from the whole req
satisfactory results, they will have well d
charged their duty.
By an act of the Legislature of 1886,
commission was created to inquire into a
ascertain facts concerning the subject Of ia
alton, and to make report to the prese
General Assembly. The commission, 6
pointed by Gov. Lloyd, under the act cree
ing it, were Messrs. John P. Poe, Richa
T. Ely, James Alfred Pearce and James N
Sherry. These selected as the fifth memb;
agreeable to said act, Mr.. Charles NJ. Arr
strong. Mr.. McSherry, having been elect
to the bench, retired from the commissio
and the balance of the committee divide
making two reports, which were submitted
the Legislature last week. One report W
signed by Messrs. Poe, Armstrong and Pearc
and the other by Prof. Ely.
The former deals with existing law al
facts, and the latter recommends cerfo
changes in the organic law, and ho-
commendatiegarde up at the CASTLE San |
s-;fne castle stately and grand, x.sees its re- |
Invited the villagers to a feast Or,,,
To be given by her hand; se' 10y
And smiling they went to tho ere reached us,
And smiling they enteredrft the committee
Where chair Ir.EyJ WIS and endeavored to well
And -
s..arge its duty.
The majority report says that taxation is
unequal, unjust and oppressive, and that pro-
perry which ought to be taxed, and part of
which is legally liable to taxation, now escapes
its share of the public burdens, and we are
also prepared to suggest remedy"
The remedy proposed is license tax on
franchise, coupled with local taxation.
The report then goes on to discuss the sub
iect of railroad taxation, and concludes that
railroad companies are not bearing their le-
climate share of the public burden. Facts
and figures are presented, showing railroad
receipts and taxes paid, which is followed by
the assertion that if they were properly taxed
in the regular manner and through license |
system, which is said to be permissible under
the contracts between the state and the rail-
road companies, the state would realize about
$3.50, 200 per annum, and this increase would
hermit reduction of FIVE cents in the state
tax.
Iflegislation can be accomplished to pro- |
duce this result, without injury to rights and
privileges of railroad companies, the relief
would be hailed with great satisfaction by |
taxpayers everywhere, particularly by those
engaged in agricultural pursuits. |
Then. if to this could be added mortgage |
tax, relief would be still greater. And upon
this point it is difficult to understand why
a bill cannot be framed and passed, divid- |
ing the tax between mortgage and mortgagor.
For instance if A has farm assessed at SlO,-
600, and holds mortgage against 1t for
81, 900, let A be assessed at $4,000 and the |
residue, $4,000, be assessed to b. Such |
bill, would commend itself, and we hope that |
a measure accomplishing this object will be
one of the results of legislation this winter
The constitution forbids the taxation of pau
pers. etc., and the law exempts mortgages
from taxation. man holding 100000 in
mortgages, and no other property, is generally
regarded as wealthy in rural communities,
and vet under the operations of our tax laws
he is placed in the category of pauper
Tie iats> Democratic State Convention APP
pointed committee to draft an election law.
One of the members was Mr.. James Alfred |
Pearce, aud he seems to have well discharged |
the trust imposed upon him. We have not
had time to consider his report, but Judge |
from the volume of it, that he has given close
thought to the subject Mr.. Pearce regards
registration and elections so intimately asso-
ciated, that he covers both in one bill, and
provides that registers of voters shall also be
Judges of election The bill has many merits
and some defects. 1t will not likely be
adopted in its present form and we shall with
hold any consideration Of the question until
a bill is fairly before the Legislature. We
will remark. however, that as registration and
election laws have to be construed and APP
piled by the ordinary citizen, they should be
so framed that the ordinary mind can fully
comprehend them. The present registration
law has been administered differently in the
several counties of the state. and learned law
yers have differed as to its intent and mean
ing. When legal ntnds disagree, it is not to
be expected that ordinary individuals can al
ways act within the meaning of the statute.
Upon the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, the
ziews affecting its disposition or preservation
are numerous and conflicting, and it will be a
difficult matter to satisfactorily dispose OF.
The ADVOCATE will give the Subject attention
when measures pertaining to it are formally
before the Legislature.