The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-07-10

(a) That the levy OF tsxes Tor sta
purposes was ncedlessly, and therefor
wrongfully. increased.
(b) That the law requires all properi
to be assessed for taxation at its trr
: cash value, and
u (c) That the law discriminates 10 q
Z. provisions In favor OF corporations On
the wealthy. and ag sinst the farmer
: laborers and poorer classes Of people.
4 THE TAXATION or CORPORATIONS.
1 Our republican friends are loud
their assertions thst this Law reduces IN
faxes on sleeping car companies 90 pc
cent; on telephone companies. IS pc
cent; on telegraph companies, 50 pc
cout., and on express companies, 90 pc
cent.
\ An examination Of the act OF March Z
1891, and Q comparison Of the new lav
with former laws. discloses that the IA,
on express companies prior to the act o
1889 WAS svl on esch 500 OF gross re
ccipts, TO be ascertained by an annua
statement By such companies TO thu
auditor Of state, showing the entire re
ceipts Of each company doing business il
this state for the year then preceding th'
Let day of April"-allowing deductionl
to be made from the gross receipts fol
expenses paid for transporting freight
70. wages TO employees, and money paid
fvr tangible property; all tangible pro.
perty OF the corporation to be assessed
as other property. (R. s, 1881. sec
6,352)
The oct OF 1891 on this subject is lit
ersl copy Of the act Of March 20, 1881
supra. (See sec. So Of act approved
March 6. 1921
The tax on telegraph companies prior
to the act OF 1859 was zone dollar on
each one hundred dollars Of such re-
coipts" to be ascerts:ned se in case ol
express companies, aud their tangible
property 10 be assessed and taxed as
other property. tR. S.. 1891, sec. $685.
The act OF March 8, 1891. on this sub
ject 10 . literal copy Of the act Of March
20, 1881, on the same subject. [See sec
79, act OF March 8, 1871
The same thing il true, barring some
slight change Of phrascoloRy Of secs. 20
and II OF the act Of March 6. 1891. corre-
spending to secs. o,345 and 6,355. r. g.,
providing the manner and rate OF taxing
telephone and sleeping car compsnies.
But our republican friends ssy. admit
ting oil this TO be true, yet there Wss .
= eat reduction on these corporations g
compared with the acts Of 1889, passed
BY . reform democratic legislature. II
our critics will take time 70 critically ex-
anime the acto Of 1859 on theso subjects,
they will discover that:
(s) Az % telegraph companies, the
ACT Of 1889 omitted the following pro
vision contained 10 the act OF 1891, viz !:
provided that nothing herein con-
tanned shall release said telegraph COM
psny from the assessment and taxation
Of its tangible property in this state, In
The manner that other tangible property
Il taxed and sssessed."
In lieu Of this provision one less spe-
cific and satisfactory Was incorporated.
A further distinction is noticed 10 that
lhe oct Of 1889 limited the assessment on
grOss receipts 10 business which sorigi-
mated and terminated 10 this state. /"
lActs 1859. p 3s9.)
(b) Az tO telephone companies Il will
be noted that the act OF 1859 limited he
lsscssment on gross receipts 10 business
which "criginated and terminated il
Ibis state (Acts 1889, p. 397)
(c) Az 10 slceping car companies III
will Be noted that the act Of 1889 Iimits
The assessment OF gross receipts 10 busi.
ness "0riginating and terminating Ia THE
'tate-" (Acts 1889. p. 396)
(d) AZ TO express companies Il will
be noted that the oct Of 1889 omits the
following provision Of the oct OF 1891 !,
viz: "And provided further that moth.
ing herein contained shall release such|
Dxprees company from the assessment
Ind taxation Of its tangible property In
he manner that other tangible property
: assessed and taxed !" srd in lieu there
" appeared . provision less specific and
satisfactory, and further, the oct OF 1889
imits the assessment Of the gross re-
:eipts Of such companies to business
originating and terminating In this
tate" [Acts 1889, p. 272.
QUEER BIT OF HISTORY.
In addition 10 the substantial differ
,nces between the acts OF 1889 and ls9
the taxation Of express. telc-
yraph, sleeping car and telephone COM
)anies, II these matters are to be treated
rom purely political standpoint, sim
'le justice requires that the whole truth
the origin, enactment andl
ubsequcnt operation OF these law 81
houId be told. When the whole truth
> known, the attitude and conduct oil
be democratic party as affecting those
avs is Infinitely more consistent andI
reditable than that Of our repu bIican
ccusers. The fact is that those laws
we're prepared by and under the direc-
ion Of the then republican attornay-
raj and chairman Of the republican state
entral committee. They were not onlv
repaired BY this "bossv OF the repu blican
'arty. but were distributed BY him 70
trusted men, Of HE own political party \
0 claim their authorship 10 the general
sscmbly tSee IA. Il. No. LIS, by Rep
esentative Cray nor, concerning tax alton
{ express companies; III. X. No. LIS, BY
Hessler, concerning tax
tion Of telegraph companies; 5. Il. No. \
5, introduced BY Senator Clemaus, con-
erning taxsti Of telephone companies IL
!. X. Nos. 81 aud So. BY Senator Boxe-
nan, concerning the taxatiou or sIcepiuRl /
q and telegraph companies, respect
vely.l