Telegram-herald., 1891-11-26
SCORES 1HE TAX LAW
Auditor General Stone Says IL -
Q Foolish One
lyD he DOESsTC WHO KNOWS II
Tax Matters Get te Ne nssiy Mined Up
An Hls Omes- aAier Tyrrsii en- ssi-
disrs' Hsme-Gesstp OF the ae-
tsls and Leobass.

A<SAs-bk = "os 3 -css ~ 1"~Sss s~~%
DAY. To reporter for the TELEGRAx-
HERALD, he said: There isn't any
thing unusual gong on ~ Lansing.
We are very busy just now. We are
working on the delinquent tax roll just
At present. The delinquent tax sales
are decreasing. think. They don't
amount 10 anything IN the Older ooun-
ties, but of course are heavy In the
people begin to settle in place for the
purpose of making a home there, the
delinquent taxes are going to decrease.
1t Is only the non-residents who do not
pay their taxes. BY the way, l should
like 10 stand here ali day aud talk 10
you on the subject Of that lax law
passed by the last legislature. It's the
most foolish, suicidal piece OF ieglsla-
ture I've seen IN years. Formerly ali
taxes were reported 10 the auditor
general. and he could keep an exact
account OF everything. Now, no
matter whether tine auditor gen.
eral knew anything : about the
business or not, he had old and
experie need men who did, and the Of
nee had a complete check on every
thing. But how lsit nowy Instead If
having one auditor general, We virtn-
ally have eighty-tour. We send no.
tIce TO county treasurer stating that
his county has been assessed 500, 600.
These returns are due ia January, but
along in March, generally, he sends in
| $50. 900 and says that's all he has col
lected. Well what are we going 10 do
about it? Simply nothing. There
isn't anything we can do. We haven't
a single scrap o. paper to show for any
thing. Ii be Is disposed to be dls-
honest, We have no possible means of
detecting it. III the records burn in the
county treasurer's Office, We haven't a
single scrap upon which 10 base any
thing definite. Under the old system,
no fraudulent returns ever went
through the auditors otiice undetocted.
Now we have one mans word that they
are all right. The county treasnrere
are careless abont keeping up their tax
| entries too. On, gets Unpopular;
along in September, the convention
nominates another man. The treas
urer gets mad, and says he dorsa't care
whether he keeps Things up IN shape
| or not. The other man rs elected; he
comes In and sees that Jones dldn't
keep those things up; SO he says he
won't. That's just the way il goes.
Pm democrat, and believe IN rue
democrat; but can't stand by that last
act of the legislatures, nor by any other
legislation, democratic or republican,
that's against the interests of the peo.
pie at large"
Believes in soldiers Homes.
"Pm firm believer IN soldiers
homes" said Major Tyrrell of Jackson
| at Sweets yesterday; "but there 10 one
| feature of Il that wish IN ght be i'm.
proved. II is the one weak thing Of
the system. Now. of course. it is gen.
orally understood that it is an honor
able thing to be an inmate of such q
home. There isn't any taint of aims
| giving connected with it; but il seems
to me the one thing necessary 10 make
such an institution q sue, ess is some
scheme of admitting the wives of thcs,
| old veterans, and permitting these
| people who have fought llfe's baitlei
together to spend their LAST remalnlnl
| days together. The attachment VIII ci
| exists between those old heros aud thelI
| wives is just as strong and tender n
thas which goes out between any coupls
whom God has joined together, ant
many an old veteran has suffered 70
the necessitses of life or endured cx
istence in an aims house sooner thar
be separated from that dear old woman
who has been an aid and comfort {,
him in all the mis.ortunes and Il b ala
tons of his life. Aud oi,
veterans have said TO me, with tear
in their eyes. I'm happy, yes, In
happy here; but would be a great dea
happier II the old mother and l couiS
he together for the rest of our lives.
The thought that his old wife is n tn
poor house, carries bitter sorrow q
many of the old boys. l don't exacti'
see how il could be rcmedied. lol
might linit il 10 the wives of men wh'
have no means OF supporting them
selves, and who have no children 4
take care OF them. But regard tha
as the one defect of the present system
although | sincerely hope il may q
sometime be removed"