The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1890-04-28
Oppressive Taxation and Prop
erty Confiscation Have
Ruined Them
Taxes Once imposed Never Reduced
The Annual Assessments
Over S25.000oo0.
Accusations Against the Judiciary
Very Frequent Of Late---Sparks
from the Wires

personal property are often ssseased af
more than " per cent, and no one can
escape The tar gatherer. As the value OF
land has greatly deprecated. many are un.
able 20 pay either rent or taxes. Profess
sional men. too, find II very hard 20 satisfy
the tar gathsrer. Professional men and
men in basiness ars assessed as body
and not - individuals, aud In this way the
authorities are able in measure 10 control
the several professions and trades. This
explains why there are NO American CON-
mereial houses here.
Moreover. taxes once imposed will not
be reduced, no matter what legal steps
may be taken. When taxes are due,
notice that they must be paid by q certain
dav appears In the 06scial tasette. II
they are not paid by then, large fine Ia
imposed and IL they are not paid within q
few days the property Is seized. l know
one case whore the tax gatherer followed
sick creditor into friends house and by
threats compelled the friend 10 pay the
taxes due. In the American consulate,
here there are records OF similar cases, In
which American citizens have appealed for
protection against these extoFticsa-s.
One case is that OF an unfortunate
dentist. whose taxes for one year amounted
TO ss20. The furniture in bis house was
seized, bat was found 10 be the property
of an Enelishman, who appealed to the
courts for protection. After spending
much money. he won his case. The tar
gatherer, however, ignored the proceed
ings and attempted 10 seize the furniture
again. The doors were closed against him,
and second appeal being made, violent
action h suspended for the present.
The Annual Assessments
amount TO between s25, ,0o0, 600 and Sac
O00,0o0 and Jet only about half of this
amount In collected. The Spanish bank
loans the deficit NJ high raae of interest
and then farms ont these arrears 10 un-
prinripled sharks "a percentage. Arrears
thus collected necessarily involve con-
fscasion Of property.
Accusations Against tine Judiciary
Have teen very frequent of late. La TfT-
baHa, Tor instance. openly arraigns one OF
the highest ofiicialn la the country. This
man, 1t says, has served Her Majesty Cor
sir years Mt q salary varying from $2,500
10 SC, ,o00. To-day he Is worth 100000.
Through an agent he buys property ex-
tensiyeiy and secretly. Lawyers help him
and his own name never appears in ths.s
questionable transactions. He was once
publicly charged with selling Justice, and
We 40 not hesitate 10 SAY that prison cell
would be his reward IL he were 20 demean
himself thus In the United States" For
publishing this article the propriesors of
La TIsbsHa were prosecuted and the paper
wss suppressed.
Another paper, La Lacha, has also been
suppressed, because ii contained extracts
from a private letter OF the late Capt. Gen.
Salamanca to the minister OF Ultra Mar.
Previous 10 It's suppression La LacAa an
nounesd that the treasury intended TO pre-
fer charges against the clergy. II Ia al
legged that churches which have only one
priest and one ianitor have been drawing
salaries for three priests. As the clergy
are very powerful these charges may not be
pressed. and even IL . decision should be
given against them Il is quite likely that
tho court itself would be suppressed by the
government. The supreme court was re-
Gently suppressed because IL found vsr-
dict in favor Of one Prado, who Was
charged By the government officials with
heinous crime. Sanchez Fnentes, prssi-
dent OF the court, was placed ON the re-
tired list. Ramon de Armas was removed
and Valdez Pages was sent 10 Puerto
Principe TO preside over q branch of the
court there. Prado meanwhile had bean
rearressed and viii be tried again on the
same charge.
1he Pan American Congress.
The conservative newspapers here are
jnbilant over what they term the shipwreck
OF the Pam American congress nj WASH
iDgton, and their New York correspond.
ents never fail to attribute the meanest
names 10 all Americans who have taken
part ia the congress. These men pay no
heed TO that article OF the constitution
which authorizes the reigaing monarch to
separate, cede or exchange any part of
Spanish territory and 10 incorporate any
other territory with the spanish Kingdom.
According TO la Taris Il IN perfectly law
fni to discuss the expediency Of incorpo-
rating Cuba with the United States. and
popular petition ought TO receive attention
from the king and cortes. Conservatives,
mHMAWnflEs u&HouMoe Au8tN~ 0aAOH9 4hO
the Monroe doctrine, and cali loudly for
an Anglo Latin alliance. Opposed 10 thsm
are thousands of young Spaniards whom
modern thcnghi 10 irresisaibly impeliing
toward liberty and progress.
Liberal editors are doing their work
boldly, In spite OF arrest and impris-
onment. Many of thsse arrests are con-
trary 20 Law, and the authorities have been
severely denounced on account Of Them A
notable case Is that Of The editor Of La
1ribama. He has been placsd In solitary
confinement. though II Il claimed a. JET no
charge has been preferred against him.
From ell these facts you can infer how
this unfortunate island Is governed Al
present.
AT De Rnytsr. Madison county, NJ ",