davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

II all of the assessors in the state
understand that every species of
property is to be assessed at a cer-
tain per cent. of its true value in
money as ascertained from the last
cash sales of similar property in the
neighborhood where located, and all
adhere to that basis, the last and
most difficult problem in our revenue
system has been solved and there
will be no longer ground for COM
plant that any particular class of
property is made to bear more than
its Just share of taxation. If the per
cent. of valuation should be 100 Gas
fixed by law instead of having one
thousand millions of taxable prop
erty, as is now the case, we would
have about three thousand millions,
and the levy for state, municipal,
road and school taxes could and
would be reduced to one third the
present rate. Then there would be
much less incentive and no possible
excuse for tax lodging. 1t wouldn't
pay to send bonds, money, etc., to
New York, or to procure greenbacks
for gold and silver on the last day of
May each year. People with money,
bonds and notes would have no ex-
cuse for not listing this class of
property, and many millions would
be added from that source, alone.
AS 1t is now, with lands, horses, cat
tie, etc., assessed at 35 or 40 per
cent, and money, bonds and notes
at face value, the holder Of the latter
kind OF property feels justified in
emitting it from his list, and often
does 80, l am informed. 1t matters
not what per cent. of actual value
property may be assessed at for tax :
alton, SO 1t is uniform on all kinds OF
property, throughout every part OF
the state. The result would be ex-
actly the same. The greater the val
uation the smaller the tax rate. The
smaller the valuation the larger the
tax rate.
a \. L.
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

am of the opinion that the
present amount of money taken
from the people of Missouri for
public uses, $14, ,593, ,959.OS in 1891, as
shown by statistics collected by me
and published in my biennial report
to the last general assembly, is
ample and should not be exceeded
OF the taxes collected in that year,
$6,276, ,347.09 was for county rev.
enue; 1887 ,321.97 for school taxes
in the districts and S2,6S9, 1877 40
for state revenue and state interest,
of which big slice was distributed
for support of the public schools.
When it is known that nearly
SIS, 200, 900 is taken from our people
every year everybody must realize
that it is matter of the first i'm
portance that this burden be fairly
distributed, as it cannot be until
ali property in the state is listed
for taxation on an equal basis.
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

When our first general assembly
adopted the system of ad vdlorem
taxation, the act provided that the
assessors should value all property
sat the rate each article is worth in
money" This provision of the law
appears, substantially, in every rev.
enue law enacted since that time.
How long after 1920 the assessors
complied with this requirement it is
impossible to state, but it is fair to
presume many of them continued to
do. 30 until they heard that some
other assessor had put down the
valuation of property below Its true
value. No assessor could see the
Justice of keeping up the valuations
in his county II others, in adjacent
counties, had put them down. Each
realized that II he adhered to the
requirement of law and assessed
property Sat it's value in money!"
while the others did not, his people
must pay an unjust proportion of the
state taxes. Then the trouble COM
menced and has continued down to
this day. At this time there are
nearly two hundred assessors in Mis-
souri,, county and township assessors,
and the board Of assessors in the city
Of st. Louis, each, pra ,tically, acting
independently of the others. All OF
the old assessors know, and the new
ones soon learn, that the custom
prevails in every county, township
and district to place property on the
books at less than "its value IL
money" What can they do bu
accept the prevailing custom as thu
law, and then, to be perfectly fall
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

21 and so 100 cents.
1t will be observed that the sys-
tenn of levying specific taxes, every
900 arpens of land, so CENTS" "each
store, $780," without regard to the
value of the land or stock Of mer-
chandise, was changed by the first
general assembly to an ad uaiorem
rate, and that the sturdy frontiers
men of the house and senate sought
to check the effeminate habits Of
their constituents by taxing pleasure
carriages four times as much as land
and cattle; household furniture
worth over $500, twice as much;
watches and chains, eight times as
much, and at the same time they
made it to the financial interest OF
the bachelors to "pop the question"
to the girls. This act is also notable
for the evident intention of the legis-
lature to force everybody to pay
taxes, and to compel revenue officers
to account for and pay over the
moneys collected.
The county courts were authorized
by the act to appoint collectors of
the revenue in each county who
were empowered and required to
seize and sell personal property of
delinquents, and when personal
property of delinquent could not
be found, the collector advertised
and sold 30 much of the delinquent's
land as might be sufficient, cutting
off such part 80 sold in a square from
a corner. II a tract Of land could
not be sold for enough to pay the
taxes, the collector was required to
purchase it for the state. II sold to
the state and not redeemed by the
owner within two years, the collec-
tor, by deed, conveyed the land to
the state. The state afterwards sold
such forfeited lands to individuals.
When tested in the courts it was
decided usually that land owners
had not been divested OF title to
their lands so "sold to the state" or
to other parties. This plan for en-
forcing payment Of land taxes was
adhered to and amended from time
to time, the courts uniformly holding
tax titles invalid. Patriotism was
the sole incentive for paying land
taxes, and when man owned much
valuable real estate 1t frequently
happened that the taxes outweighed
love OF country. A ''tax title" was
generally understood to be WORTH
less, and when citizen read in his
county paper that his land was ad-
vertised for sale for taxes he paid nc
, attention to the matter unless he
took holiday to enjoy the fun oi
hearing the collector knock it of to Q
"new conner" for the amount o.
the taxes, or, for the want Of bid
der solemnly, declare 1t forfeited te
, the state" 1t was a standing Joke
! in some localities for the owner te
! approach the "new- conner" Gas q
| 'stenderfootn was then called,) who
: had just bought $4,000 farm for $2I
} and with mock humility beg no
/ to be put on "the place" until th'
> persimmons and wild grapes has
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

1t may be suggested, and that, too,
very plausibly, that it is the duty of
the state board of equalization to
correct the matter, When, however,
lit is remembered that the state board
cannot meet until the last Wednes-
day in February and that their action
must be certified to the county clerks
in time for the meeting of the county
boards on the first Monday in April,
it will be seen at once that the time
allowed, one month, does not give
sufficient time to carefully review
the action of the assessors in ia
counties and the city of st. Louis.
The state board must be content to
equalize the valuations among the
counties in the best manner possible,
within the time allowed, and correct
only the glaring inequalities.
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

and just to the people who elected
them, to be on the safe side in the
matter, cut down the valuations to
meet the anticipated cuts in other
localities. These cuts have gone on
from year to year, lower and deeper,
until people outside of Missouri can
not but be astonished at our slow
development and accumulation Of
wealth as exhibited by our assess
ment returns, and even some of our
own citizens join in the howl, "Poor
Old Missouri" 1t Is no longer any
use for us to make mouths at each
other and try to lay the blame on
"the other fellow" Great inequali-
ties exist in the assessment, the result
of which is that many persons bear
more and of course others bear less
than their just part of the burden Of
taxation.
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

1t may be objected by some per-
sons that II the property was
-assessed at q greater valuation than
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

1t is too evident to require argu-
ment that taxation under existing
law cannot be fair and just unless
every species of property, in all the
counties in the state, is assessed at
the same per cent. of it's true value.
If property is valued at 25 per cent.
in some counties, at 35 per cent. in
others and 80 per cent. in others, we
must conclude that the specific taxes
fixed by the governor and judges of
the Indiana Territory in their act of
1904, or those by the territorial legis
lature in 1915, might as well be re-
enacted in 1895. 1t is possible that
the system OF levying specific taxes
had it's adherents in the first general
assembly, who resisted the change,
claiming that an ad udlorem tax would
be oppressive to the people and pre-
dicted that the country would go to
the "demnition bow vows" in con-
sequence, but don't believe anybody
at that time dreamed that within
seventy five years the assessors
would put property on their books at
80 to so per cent. of its true value, in
the face of the requirement of law
that it must be assessed at ''its true
value in money" | do not attack
the official integrity of the assessors.
l am personally acquainted with
many of them, and know they are
high minded, honorable men who
seek to do their duty under the law,
as conscientiously as any state or
county officer. They find, when
elected and sworn into office, that
they cannot assess property at its
true value without doing great in
justice to the people who elected
them, and, moreover, that the uni
versally accepted construction of the
law is, and has been for years, that
"true value in money" means only a
per cent. of actual value.
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

! will not attempt to say in this
hastily written article what per
cent of the "true value in money"
would be best-30 perscent, 80
per 4 mt, or 100 per cent. / only
insist that it is absolutely and
imperatively necessary, in order
for taxation to be fair and Just
to the people, that uniform basis
or standard of valuation must
prevail in all parts of the state. This
is matter of vital Importance to
every tax payer and a solution must
be found.
The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-06-14

1t is now, the rate of taxes might
not#be cprrespondingly decreased.
There Us no foundation at this time
for Any fear that more taxes will
be levied and collected from Mis-
sourinbs than may be absolutely
REQUIRED. Taxation is a point on
which our people are justly sem
sitivc. and any political party that
dareskto take from the tax payers
more .nhey than is necessary for
suppoft tcf Ne government "econom-
ically administered" would be swept
out Of existence. This is a time
When the people rigidly scrutinize
every item ofsexpenditure by the
state, counties and municipal cor
porations, and any sign of extrava-
gance is promptly checked by
relegating the officials at fault to
the "Sylvan shades of private life."
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29
QUA WARRINGTON LETTER.


''''' '''' '''5'''''' y VII e'l ''''''''' ''
v AsHINGToN, Nov. rs, 1891,
Although Senator Cameron, of
Pa, does not carry his dislike of
the newspaper man in search of an
interview to the extent of contempt
uouslv referring to hIm as one of
''them d literary fellows" as
his distinguished father once did,
he disEkes being interviewed for
publication so much that he very
rarely meets such Il request fayora-
bly,. This fact is well known to
the fakirs who have been writing so
much tom foolery about the polit-
ical partnership formed between
Senators Jones, Of Nevada, and
Cameron, to promote the organiza-
ton of a new party with only two
principle8-the free coinage of sill
yer and protection-which is to
nominate Senator Cameron for the
Presidency in 1896. The builders
of the story, or series Of stories,
counted upon Senator Cameron's
publicly expressed silver opinions,
his friendihip with Senator Jones,
and every mans willingness to be-
come President, to give an air of
probability to their stories, and,
Judging from letters received in
Washington from all sections, they
did not count in vain. These sto-
Fies were first started Just after
Senator Jones announced that he
had become a Populist, and soon
died out. Within the last two or
three DAYS thew have been given a
fresh start with MANY additional
details. AS fairy stories they do
credit to the IMAGINATION of their
authors bnt as political informa-
tion thew are simply rot of the
worst sort It can be stated upon
the personal authority of Senator
Cameron that he has never at anv
time even considered withdrawing
from the Republican party; that he
knows Of no nossible combination
of circumstances that would cause
him to do so; that he does not ex-
meet to be nominated for President
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29
@TF- a. %- T--
- - 80 SSISG
FOR THE
WHEELING INTELLlGENCER
West Virgidia's Brightest and Best
Newspaper.

The splendid popular triumph fol the:cause
of protection opens up new chapter, and one
oI 1t ioSi has carred West Vrgnio into
the column of protection and produced rev.
olution in the politics of the State. There
will be new and important developments by
reason of the great victory of lS94-develop-
ments that will have a decided influence on
the presidential campaign OF lS96-and the
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER Will follow them
closely in all their details IN West Virginia
the Wheeling Intelligencer is the recognized
leader of the cause of protection and State de.
Velopment.
All the foreign and home news of the year
will be faithfully chronicled in the Intelli.
gencers Geographic columns.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29

old, popular and capable. That he
Will like Congress, | am not sure.
If the Republicans had nominated
men of his stamp in all the Texas
districts and made straight fight
on Republican lines, | believe they
would have elected four or five Con-
gressmen."
Moneyed Democrats are showing
a very decided disposition to sit
down hard on Senator Faulkner, of
W. Va, instead of subscribing
money to aid his new rainbow
scheme, Of utilizing the machinery
Of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee to distribute
literature intended to educate the
Democratic masses up to a proper
financial level. 1t will doubtless
be remembered that Senator Faulk-
ner is chairman of that committee.
One man who gave the Congress
sional Committee a check with four
figures was approached by Senator
Faulkner and asked to subscribe to
to the new sheme, and he is re-
ported to have said: "Look here,
Faulkner, if that committee really
has any machinery, send it to the
nearest junk shop as soon as you
can, for it is worthless for any use
full purpose. And as for the Dem
ocratic masses, | have my doubts
about their existence. | have no
more money to throw down rat
holes"
1t is generally understood that
Mr.. Cleveland is now dividing his
attention between a painful attack
of the govt in his foot and the prep
aration of his annual message to
Congress, but a Democrat who
ought to know said to-day: "The
idea that Mr.. Cleveland is engaged
in writing his message with his own
hands is an erroneous one. | hap
pen to know that he isn't writing
his message at all. He has a daily
talk with Dan. Lamont during
which he goes over what he desires
to say upon certain subject, leav-
ing the writing and the literary
shaping of it entirely to Lamont,
VINO makes full notes and at the
next interview carries what he has
in the meantime written out to
Mr.. Cleveland and leaves it with
him for REVISION. That's the way
Mr.. Cleveland is writing his mos
sage"
BY the way, speaking of the
message, it is not certain that it will
contain any detailed recommended
tons as to q new financial system,
notwithstanding Mr.. Cleveland's
recent intimation that it would.
The reason is that great pressure is
being brought to have the financial
part of the message limited to a rec
ommendation that Congress author
ize the President to appoint a non
! partisan monetary commission to
make a full investigation and re-
port what financial legislation ought
to be enacted. Two members of
the cablnet-OIney and Morton
are committed to the commission
idea and others are said to be favor
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29

ably inclined towards it, but Mr..
Cleveland has heretofore attached
no weight to Cabinet or any other
opinions, except when they agreed
with his own.
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29
ANNUAL STATEMENT.
OFFICE OF THE

OFFICE OF THE
GARRETT COUNTY SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS,
OAKLAND, MD, Nov. 81, 1891. }
To the Honorable, the Board of School Com
mlssioners for Garrett County, Maryland
GENTLEMEN - In compliance with a re.
quirement of the Bylaws of the State Board
of Education, herewith submit statement O1
receipts and disbursements on account or the
public schools of Garrett county for the fiscal
year ending July 81, 1891:
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29

v AsHINGT0N, Nov. 70, I094
The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-29
THE Observation-Disclosures

TERMS AND PREMIUMS.
The Weekly, one year, in advance.....S 90
The Weekly, six months, in advance .. go
copies one year and an extra copy TO
the person getting up club...."...... 800
10 copies one wear and two extra copies
to person getting up club..............." 1000
20 copies one year and four extra copies
toperson getting up club...............- 1000
~ w year free to person getting up club 5000
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-24

The Judges Of tho Court. arc pay
Sing more attention than heretofore to
the qualifications Of applicants for
naturalization. In Carbon County,
Pa, the other day, the Judge positively
refused to give naturalization papers
to lot who applied, on tho ground
that men who did not know the char.
hcter OF tho Government they were
willing to swear allegiance to. were
not the sort Of citizens this country
wanted. Judge Butler OF Phlladel
phla, refused the application OF a man
because lie was believer In unarch y
as he held that he could not be depend
ed upon to act the part Of good
citizen Notwithstanding his oath oil
fealt y 10 the government
The course Of these Judges Is worth!
OF commentator. There ia need of a
much more rigid exercise OF common
sense by many OF the Courts In this
matter OF granting naturalization
papera. and the Judges cannot toe
soon recognize that they are no
simply machines to grant the right Of
citizenship to every applicant who
has fulfilled tha mara letter OF til
Federal statute, belsing On the sub
iect, but to give honest and couscien
ious consideration to each case betor,
them aud reject the ignorau. and dan
gerou5.
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-24

n 0TlCE-For the purpose of reInov-
IN ing the ashes, dirt, etc, us atuTc-
said; the city will he divided into -four
districts Tint portion at The city east VI
the crutreut SIMPLIFY street ana south ~
the centre line OF seventh street, Includ'
ing all south aud east OF the Chrtst!ana
river. Will be known as the llrst district
All that portion of the city cast OF the
centre line of SIMPLIFY street. from Seven
III TO Tenth street. and east vi the centre
line OF orange street from Tenth u
{ brandy wine creek. and north of the CEN
tire line Of seventh street, Including all
iuoIih ana east Of lrRudy wine crepk, VIII
be know as the Sucun district. ALL that
portion OF the city wUst oi!uCnirniliHe Ut
>hipicy street from Soy nth 10 Tenth
street. nnG from centre line of Orange
street from Tenth 10 Bran lIwino cree,
Und month of cent q line OF seventh street
and south OF the l}randywinc creek. viii
lie isiown rs the ihlrd district. And al
that portion Of the city We OF TIN ~,
tire line OF Shiplcy street ana south OF
centre lin of seventh street and north
.aud west OF the thgi.tiuuH river, viii Toe
known IA, the Fourth district, Inc First
district shall lie removed on days tho
second on TuCsl vs. Tie Third on We'd
tuesdays aud The Fourth on Tlurslay7 oi
each y eek.
Contractor - viii he required 10 as pro
per care inthc handling at receptacle. OF
ashes ana rubbish. lhcy VIII lie he'd
rcspousi 10 for any ia mage danc tue
sGnc arising from care EessHUss oil GTly'
er4 or other parsons In I'll IT cup py.
A. g. Is. ANDERSON, Contractor
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-24
EXCURSIONS FOR SCHOOLS.
A Form of Instruction Scarcely Yet Known
In Ihis Country.


Among the methods Of instruction
scarcely vet known III our country, but
long established in Germany, is the
school excursion. Indeed, while to the
uninitiatcd this measure may be regard
I'd as no less than revolutionary, it i,
nevertheless truc that excursions from
tweia three weeks i'll duration were un
dcrtall,II by Sallmann with the pupik
1t his scheolat Sctnepfeuthal, in Thur
ineia, when Washington was prosident
of the United States. since the close o.
the last century the school excursion, il
one form or another, ha, lctn truwiHl
in popularity i'll Germany, aud toda,
il forms Il regular feature of perhaps TIN
majority Of tho elementary schools o
that county,
The school excursion offers tho mos
favorable opportunity fr introducing
the child into many branches Of lllow1
edge for tho reason that, ly means q
outings, the pupil may lie brought il
direct contact with various phases q
nature and the works of man. And i'll
deed the locality is exceptionally unf;i
yorablo where an abundance Of nIatcria
may not Inc found fOr instructing til
child in geography history and til
natural sciences.
In Germany this broad study of tn
environment il recognized as Il distiac
branch Of knowledge, known as di
heimathskmndc (hamcologyl, and y
such is included in the curriculum {
thG first tIirpp yp1FS If thg ClrpIputar
The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-24

Rev. j. D. c. Hanna preached an i'm.
pressive sermon in Union N. E.
Church, on Sunday morning, to a
large congregation, from the cath and
25th verses oil Jude. the shortest Epie,
tie In the Bible. Now unto him who
is able to keep you from falling, and
to present you faultless before the
presence of his glory with exceeding
Joy" ITO the only wise God our Sa.
viour be glory and majesty, comln-
Ion and power both now and for ever.
Amen" In the course OF his explana
ton OF the above text Mr.. II. said the
best christians are those who follow
the teachings OF the Bible most close.
ly. and when any profess to be inspir.
ed by something higher they soon to-
come fanatical and were In danger OF
falling from grace.
lie had known cases OF this kind
and he warned others against follow.
Ing false lights. as they may he led
into the meshes OF the evil one
While 1t was necessary to guard
against fanaticism 1t was equally i'm.
Iportant to guard against Indifference.
10 little OF the former being prefera-
BILE to the latter. The book OF books
was the only chart of safety. In that
lis eternal life. When he concluded, a
collection of about 800 was taken up
Tor the purchase OF coal, after which
the congregation was dismissed by
Dr. John Ii. Simms pronouncing the
lbenediction.