The record-union., 1893-03-14
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE.
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CONTINUED FROM FIFTH PAGE
he would find the company of Mr.. Hamil-
Ton, Mr.. Sargent or myself, the ostracized
Democrats, more congenial than that of
the most fascinating mermaid of the sea.
BACK To PLAGUE HIM.
az listened with baited breath to the
beautifully rounded periods OF our hon
ored Speaker, as in tragic attitude, with
the theatrical emotion and tricks OF an
orator, he conjured up the spirit of The
Raven, and with all the art of a finished
elocutionist tapped on something imagin-
airy, while he repeated in stage whisper,
1 think l hear the gentle knocking,
knocking, knocking OF Steve Gage upon
the outside door, That was a summary
of argument that was unanswerable,
climax of oratory that was Irresistible.
Let me tell my young friend that in his
zeal to serve his people he overstepped
the bounds of reason and good Judgment.
His patriotism and integrity are worthy
of emulation. l only complain that in
striving to accomplish too much, he has
fallen lamentably short of the mark.
There will be a day when his words will
come back to plague him. When the
Seawell reassessment plan shall have be-
come law, which now seems newt
able, that mystic knocking, knocking,
AAOChlER W III annoy ulIl ny udy anu
disturb his dreams at night. 1t will not
be the weird, nocturnal tap of the passer-
Inc bird that induced Poe to call an over
grown jag something 'nameless for ever
more it will not be the hesitating, doubt
ful tapping of a debtor begging for Iayors,
but the strong, lusty, persistent knock
ing of creditor demanding that every
county in this State refund a portion of
the railroad taxes paid in the years 1880,
1881 and 1882. No doubt he smiles at
such broad assertion, but / will prove
1t conclusiVely if l am allowed time TO do
So.
RAILROAD VICTORY.
''We are in the closing hours of an
eventful session of the Legislature, dur
ing which many vital public questions
have been considered, and chief among
which is the reassessment bill. A solu-
ton OF the veXed problem of the back
taxes due from railroad companies has
been reached which does not meet my
approval, and / here and now, with all
the solemnity that should be attached to
the public words of a man who has
studied the question conscientiously and
with an honest desire to arrive at the
truth and do his whole duty, publicly de-
clare that in my judgment the so-called
Seawell assessment plan is railroad vic
tory, and will result in relieving the
companies of the payment of large sums
OF pack taxes now justly due to the State
and county treasures. If | had framed
such bill / would expect, as soon as its
provisions are understood, to be branded
all over this State as a railroad hireling
No ono has accused the San Francisco
Report of being railroad organ. 1t has
not only labored TO induce capital to
build competing road, but it has de-
manded that the railroad company pay
every cent of the taxes it owes. 1t was
not deceived, however, bv the Seaweu
Of rs hrior II
efnclent correspondent upon the fact that
'he was among the first of the anti-mo-
1opoly newspaper writers to discover
that the Seawell plan is in the interests of
The railroad company and against the
people.
DUNN SHOWN UP.
For thirteen years this State, under
the leadership of Mr.. Dunn and others of
equally ultra views, has pursued policy
under which not dollar of taxes could
be collected from railroad property, and
as a result of that policy not a dollar has
been collected by law.
"At this session of the Legislature an
honest, vigorous and thorough effort was
made TO pass a reassessment law, which
the owners of railroad properties could
neither escape nor evade. After that
measure had been amended in the Judi
ciary Committee of this House it was re-
garded near perfect as could be. and if
L
believe the result would have been the
payment by the railroad companies of
every dollar of tax which can ever be
collected on any reassessment bill. 1t
would have filled the state and county
treasures this year TO overt1owing. But
under the guidance of men possessed of
moro zeal than judgment or fairness,
that measure was defeated, and in its
stead we have one which does not pre-
serve the rights of the people. The Sea-
we'll bill has been passed under party
whip and spur, but am firm in the be-
lief that its provisions are not understood
by most of those who voted for it.
THE sEAwELL BILL.
snow, l desire my young friends who
are so anxious to appear right on the
record, and who are no doubt actuated by
good impulses and a desire to do that
which is best for the party and the State
to weigh these words carefully. | assert
with ali the emphasis and earnestness at
my command, that the Seaweu bill is un-
just and unfair to the people, inasmuch
rs 1t omits entirely from reassessment
nearly, if not quite, two-thrds of all the
taxes which ought to be obtained on re-
assessment. l say again, consider this
prediction seriously. 1 will stake my
reputation upon its truthfulness. it will
rise up to confront you when it is too late
to undo the great wrong you have in
fiicted upon the people of this State.
"There are well-conSidered decisions
by courts of last resort that no reassess-
ment of properly can become valid until
NIL the moneys paid on account of the
former assessments have been refunded
The sums which have been so paid by the
railroad companies since 1879 are so vast
that the proposition to refund them to the
railroad company and then take chances
of recovering them on a doubtful re-
assessment bill are simply appalling.
TAXES PAID.
"During theyears enumerated. the COM
panies have paid to a few counties taxes
rs follows:
Tehama s7$792 "A
..-'---.-.-..--..- S,S67 90
MerceQ ..-.....- 62,352 90
StahlsIaus--''--'...-.... .-.-. 2S,617 25
.............. 1886 42
IS 5S2 a.
LAS before stated, before any valid re-
assessment can be made, this vast
amount of money will have to be re-
funded to the railroad companies. The
county treasury of my county is not in
condition to stand raid of that kind.
Against my vote this policy has been
forced upon my people. l am satisfied
that the provisions OF the reassessmenu
bill finally adopted by this House are
such that the railroad companies cannot
be compelled to pay anything. Under all
these difficulties, enforced against the
wish of myself, l ask that my county be
permitted TO realize something ana get
something. The Board OF Supervisors
of Tehama County are men OF integrity.
business experience and good judgment.
They can be safely trusted to do nothing
except what is tor the best interest OF the
county. Having by your action practi-
cally deprived us of these back taxes il
is your duty to open a door by which, if
these reassessments are invalid, we may