Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-11
Reform in Taxation and Elections.
Franklin, Va, January Q, 1890
To The Editor of The Dispatch

To the Editor Of 0ie Dispatch;
There are great many laws governing our
Stale that need revision aud Il great many
wOuld-be legislators who know exactly how
those laws ought to he revised. Perhaps i
shall he considered 10y the members OF the
Legislature as one Of the latter class. Yet,
even at the risk of that, / cannot help call
ing tho attention of those members to
some most needed revisiOns. / Will do this
as briefly as possible, so as to insure tho
reading of this article by some OF them at
least.
First. We ought to have thorough re-
vision of our laws relating TO the subjects
of State and county taxation and the
method Of assessing that property for tax
alton, and in this connection arises the
question about which SO much has been
said in the Dispdtch OF late OF the douDie
taxation of land under mortgage. This IL
an iniquity and ought not longer to exist
| own a house and lot. which bought en-
tirely on credit. now have to pay taxes
on the lot and the man | bought It from
has to pay taxes on the bond gave him IN
payment. There is nothing more III ex-
istence now than there was before |
bought il, except the little piece OF
paper the bond is written on. This
isn't right. Suppose he We're. to fore
close the deed of trust and sell me out
tomorrow; he would bid in the property.
cancel my bond, and 10! only one tax then IS
to be paid. No change has taken place ex-
cept the tearing up of that little piece Of
paper. The plan of Suffolk to remedy
this evil is best-that is. exempt from tax
alton bonds shOlcn TO he secured on real
estate. This will stimulate the loaning of
money on real estate. and probably insure
a lower rate of interest to the borrower.
As Suffolk SAYS, this won't cause much
reduction in taxable value, for not one half
of these bonds are listed fer taxation at
present, | believe. But, says some legis-
1ator, how can we make up for this loss in
taxable values? 1 reply by saying,
have real and personal property as;
sessed at its fair value. and it will
increase taxable values more than you
Will lose in that way. Don't allow mans
land to be assessed at $50 an acre when he
Is every year selling portions OF 1t at the
rate of 81 900 all acre. l know. OF num-
Der of instances i'll this town where mans
land has been assessed at 5000 an acre,
when they have sold a fourth of II for
$500; the purchaser of that one fourth has
to pay on $500. while the rich landowner
only continues TO pay on Sl5Ofor the other
three fOurths. 1t is equally as bad with
personal property. The Commissioner OF
the Revenue, elected by the popular vote,
and candidate for reelection, comes round
and asks you a lot of questions. You give
him list, sign your name. He asks you If
you swear TO it and you say yes, and he goes
on In that list you have valued set OF
furniture at $40. and if it gets burned up
that night the next day you swear TO the
insurance company that it was worth $50
cash you value horse at $50, and that day
o railroad train kills him and Won 60 into
court and swear he was worth $500 cash.
Something is evidently wrong. Now, how
TO correct this? BY having assessors of
real and personal property removed as far
az possible FROM the fear of public dis
fayor--tbat is, by election by the Lesisle-
ture--and let those assessors see the pro-
perty and put their own valuation upon II.
IL this is done you will see taxable values
go up so per cent. at least. and that too
without Operodluing anybody's property.
Second. Let Us have some revision dtleoS
of our election-laws. For Gods sake
don't leave us at the mercy OF the mig
gers" entirely any longer. II you do. soon
the negro politicians will own all the
property, or certainly all that the candi-
dates for election ever owned. Make the
following changes if no others:
l. Require that voter shall have lived
in the State twelve months. the county
three months, and the district airee months.
know that this would cut some men of
stability and high character out of vote,
but TO one of these cut out there would be
ten rowing negroes and vagabond white
men who have no property, no families.
and are always doing something for which
TO get in jail, and who ought not to have a
vote anyway.
2. Require voters before registering to
show by certificate that they are listed
for taxation.
8. Close the registration three mouths
before an election except rs TO those be-
coming twenty-one thereafter.
This will prevent negroes from swearing
they have been in the county three months
when they haven't.
4. Allow no yotin3 on transfers.
s. When a voter comes TO register mako
him s,cear and sign certificate that lie Is
not registered anywhere else.
6. Require every man to vote on certih-
cate from the registrar that he is registered,
and allow the registrar to issue only one
such certificate to voter.
Make these changes and let the laws on
p,ugin9 the regishotiol-books remain as they
are. and we can get along without the un-
tried Australian system.
Perhaps all these points have been con-
sidered by the proper committees OF the
Legislature: but If not, would ask them
to consider them for what they are worth.
j. &. II.