The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-04-15
GOVERNOR BROWN And THE u.s.
SESSMENT BILL.

1t was announced, last Friday, that
Governor Brown had decided not to
sign the assessment bill. Saturday.
city papers confirmed the report and
gave the Governors reasons for the
veto. We believe Governor Brown
acted conscientiously in withholding
his signature from this bill, but we
can not help feeling that he has made
q mistake. In his statement he says
he approved the pledge of the Demo
cratic State Convention in favor of a
new assessment law, and is fully per
suaded that the present assessment
bill is the result of a sincere and
patriotic desire on the part of the Sen
ate and the House of Delegates to dis
charge their obligations to the people
and to redeem the pledge of their
party. The bill was held by him,
SO that he might have full and
deliberate expression of popular opin-
ion upon it. He finds, he says, that
sit has aroused deep-seated and al
most unanimous opposition on the
part of all classes of the people. The
protests against it are overwhelming,
while the requests to me to approve
it are so extremely few as to force me
to the conclusion that the sentiment
in its favor must be comparatively in
considerable. 1t is impossible" adds
the Governor, ''for me to disregard
this popular uprising against the bill. "
The Governor concludes as follows
''My own reflections lead me to the conclu-
sion that 1t would probably not bring the re-
lief which the people desire. The expectation
of any large increase in the taxable basis by
the discovery and assessment of bonds and
stocks and other personal property that now
escape taxation is not likely to be realized,
of the present condition of things are less
serious than those which would result from
the enforcement of the proposed bill.
$50 long as the fifteenth article of our bill
of rights remains unchanged the preparation
Of satisfactory assessment law will doubtless
be extremely difficult. Perhaps it is not too
much to say that 1t is impossible. The remedy,
probably, lies in the modification of that
article In such way as to give larger latitude
to the discretion of the Legislature in dealing
with the subject And the next General As
sembly, by calling a constitutional conven-
ton, will have it in their power to relieve the
people Of the difficulty which surrounds this
confessedly complicated matter, and to change
the constitution In many other important
particulars which call for amendment.
~ withhold my signature from this bill
with great reluctance, for l fully realize the
need of new assessment but upon the best
consideration which am able to give to the
hi hat hi,
q continuance OF the present condition of
affairs for two or three years more than from
the enactment of a law so universally resisted.
81 withhold my signature from Senate bill
number four hundred and fifty-three owing to
the fact of my having also withheld my sigma
ture from House bill number three hundred
and thirty-three, known as the assessment
bill, Senate bill number four hundred and
hfty-three having passed as a supplementary
bill to the general assessment act"
The farmers of Hartford county, we
are free to say, are keenly disappoint-
ed at the failure of the Governor to
sign this bill. They looked to him for
relief, and it was the deep-seated feel
ing among farmers and business men
who were not afraid to speak their
real sentiments, which led the Legisla-
ture to pass the Hayes bill. The House,
doubtless, preferred a modification of
the bill, but dared not carry opposition
to the length of defeating a revaluation
of property in the State. The pro-
visions of the bill were well under
stood and it's objects and aims COM
mended themselves to every man ex-
cept those who possess property that
is not taxed
We think Governor Brown was mis-
taken in his conclusions that the bill
was obnoxious to a majority of the
people of the State, and the fact that
the farmers-the class that suffers
most from the present unequal taxa
tion-did not send kilograms, letters
or delegations to Annapolis urging
him to sign the law affords no ground
for arguing that they opposed it.
The assessment bill passed both
Houses of the Legislature almost un-
animously, and farmers were not
aware that further efforts on their
part were necessary to induce their
Farmer" Governor to sign a bill so
manifestly just and to their advan-
tage. They took it for granted he
would signit. They are disappointed.
We repeat, we have not lost conf
dence in Governor Browns integrity
of motive and desire to do what is best
for every interest in the State, but in
our humble judgment he has made
grave mistake