The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-02-25
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
MATTERS BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE.
Opinions OF an AbIo md Experienced Dem
ocrat Touching Fees and Salaries, mud the
Reform Of Our Revenue -systsm-Ltvs
Questions Discussed.


TO its taxpayers and citizens. Foremost
among these are the bills calculated to re-
form the present system OF fees and per
quisites in the payment OF state and coun-
" officers, 10 change the system of tax
alton, and to facilitate the final disposition
OF causes in the courts. Some of these
measures were considered Of so much i'm
portance that the democratic party of In
diana, in its last state convention, solemn
ly declared itself in favor of them and
boldly proclaimed it TO the people in its
platform of principles
Every democratic member of the gen
eral assembly is bound by every principle
ofparty fealty and personal honor to labor
earnestly and untiringly to redeem the
political pledges of his party, and the
democratic masses of this state are conf
IDENTIFY expecting to see these promises full
filed IN both the letter and spirit
II must not be forgotten that
the industrial classes OF our people,
the men who created the sentiment that
forced this democratic convention 10 de-
clare in favor of these reforms, are not in
Indianapolis 10 encourage their repre-
sentatives TO redeem the promises of the
democratic party. They are toiling in the
workshops, on the farms, in the forests
and in their respective places OF business,
but they are eagerly scanning the legisla-
tive horizon and will not fail to note the
least sign of flinching or faltering on the
part OF their public servants. They are
the voters who have neither leisure or
money 10 attend the sittings OF the legis-
lature, and if they were to do so they
might not possess the address and speech
10 make a very powerful impression in
the Hobbies, but every one OF these is the
sovereign of ballot, and ne will strike
that man or that party to the heart that
dares to trample upon these pledges or
longer refuse to do him justice.
And now a few words as to each of
these important measures. The question
of fee and salary reform has been agitated
In this state for q long ime and IN obedi
ence to the popular demand a number of
fee and salary bills have been enacted,
but in almost every instance they have
utterly failed, under the construction
given them bv interested parties, to ac-
complish the reform demanded by the
people. As the question was better
understood the people began to see that
the only way that the taxation and col
lection Of constructive fees can be avoided
is to place every official on a fixed and
definite salary, and to turn all fees and
perqustes into the public treasury. The
committee bill now under discussion, in
committee of the whole house. with such
amendments as the discussions on the
bill may prove to be needed, viii IN the
writer's opinion, fairly and Justly meet
the demands of the public.
Should its practical workings prove in
equitable, either to the public or to the
ofticial, this can easily be remeded by q
future legislature. Our law-making body
will make no seri )us mistake if it passes
this measure substantially rs reported by
the committee.
Even ii it should prove to be grossly i'm
perfect, IL would b. an improvement over
the present law, and will be an excellent
nucleus for future legislatures to work
upon in the development OF fee and salary
reform.
The question Of radically changing our
system OF taxation, is, if any thing, of still
greater Importance TO every honest tax
payer and property owner of the state
Some system ought to be devised by which
nonresident money-loaners. capitalists
and corporations can be compelled to make
q fairer return To the commonwealth than
they now do Tor the privileges and protec-
ton they receive and enjoy within her
limits and at her hands. In fact it would
seem that our system of taxation needs
overhauiing, and that more rational and
Just plan OF taxing all corporations, both
foreign and domestic, should be adoDted
Particularly should some legislation be
had TO change the present method of list
ing property for taxation, SO as to secure
complete and full assessment of al per
sonal property OF every kind and char
acter.
1t is a notorious and lamentabIe fact
that a large amount OF the best profit pro-
ducing and interest-paying property in the
state Is bearing none of the burdens of
maintaining the state government. Mill
ions of dollars of property, represented by
bonds, notes, mortgages, and other secur-
tiles and evidences OF indebtedness are
not returned or assessed for taxation,
every year, and the owners of this prop
erty are not paying 4 dollar thereon to-
ward defraying the public burden. AS
sessing time is shocking carni-
on the onQ hand, and official comfy
ance on the other. The rascal makes no
ecruple to conceal all of this kind of prop
erty he can without mourning the risk of
finding a home in the penitentiaTy. The
semi honest man, weary of paying more
than his just proportion OF taxes, cOnceals
a part of this kind of property from the
assessor. The honest man conceals moth
ing, but, conscious of the cruel wrong that
is being done him, loses respect for the
law and looks upon government as an evil
TO be endured, rather than a blessing to
be enjoyed. The result is that an assess
ment oath is regarded with suspicion, and
the integrity of the people is thus being
swiftly and silently undermined and over
thrown.
The man who is accustomed to make a
false oath once year to the assessor is
likely to be careless in giving testimony in
a court Of Justice, and hence the rapidly
growing want Of confidence in the efficacy
of an oath az means OF eliciting the
truth in legal investigations.
In the name of our Christian civiliza-
tion let Us abandon a system that offers so
znany incentives to dishonesty and in
sustiee.
: There is bill pending in the general
assembly that, il enacted into Law,
would compel the listing OF every ac.
count and written evidence of in
debtedness. In order that nothing
can be concealed and that its
identity may be preserved, it provides
that all notes, bonds, mortgages, and the
L II l.