Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-04-19
LOCALIZED ROBBERY.

Inc ChehniiS county tax list Tor the
1891 taxes, just published, is u "fAt take"
for the county printer. 1t consists largely
Of outlying town lots and the odd sections
in the indemnity strip, all strung out to
the greatest length. The county printer
is not to blame for its length. but the me-
farious laws enacted by Republican legis.
latures for the purpose of giving as much
pap as possible to Republican officials.
The law in this state governing the assess
ment and collection Of taxes was and is
ono OF the most outrageous pieces of legal
lied robbery that WAS ever perpetrated
II Il man owns u section of land and is so
unfortunate rs to be unable to pay his
taxes, he is taxed by these Republican
laws $3.50 to have the fact made known,
when it could just rs we'll be done in ono
description for thirty cents. The same
thing is true Of the assessment of town
lots. man may own block of "a or 4S
lots, and under this ncfarous scheme Of
legalized robbery lie must pay thirty cents
for each lot, $3.50 or $l4.4o for the block,
when it could just AS we'll be done in
either case for thirty cents. And this is
for the advertising alone, to say nothing
Of the other fees that are taxed up as
costs in like manner.
To illustrate more clearly the extent to
which this iniquitous system is carried,
an Aberdeen man went up to the county
seat last Monday to see about some taxes
when he discovered that by All oversight
the taxes on one lot Tor the year 1891 had
become delinquent and the property sold
to the county. The original tax was just
fourteen cents. The costs, penalty and
interest on this fourteen cents amounted
to $45.44. Ie gods And still the G. o. y.
points to itself as the emblem OF purity
and the perfection OF economy. Did ever
highway robber do worse"
Coming home to where county govern
ment controls take the indemnity lands
1t may have been robbery to have given
any part Of them to the Northern Pacific !;
it is robbery that the railroad should have
withheld their patents to escape taxation,
but will this atone for the additional
robbery pcrpet,ated by Republican county
officials who, while these lands were vet
III the name of the United States and by
law could not be taxed. have assessed
them to the railroad, and by means of u
iarcical sale OF them to the county have
wrongiully thrown thousands of dollars Of
the peoples money into the Golfers OF
Republican officials? We are not talking
about The right or the wrong OF the claim
Of ownership of these lands, but no settler
can be compelled to pay taxes on his land
until his patent is issued, neither can a
railroad in All indemnity strip, and these
officials knew this at the time, but it gave
pap to Republican officials and organs,
and hence the robbery. For the farcical
sale OF these lands to the county the
county attorneys and printer have peck.
eted thousands, and the cost to the coun-
ty in this year OF distress for the adver.
Using alone will very nearly equal another
thousand, not 4 cent Of which can ever
be recovered.
Will the people OF this county and state
allow themselves to be thus robbed an
other year? We think not. The last
twelve months have shown them what
the results OF Republican misrule are.
Every action shows that rs Il party they
have been in for all methods by which
expense could be incurred and money
tilched from the pockets OF the people.
But the people have the remedy in their
hands, and if those opposed to waste and
extravaganza will stand together for a
more economical government the G. o. p.
in this state and county will be buried
this fall as deep us their ex,ravagances
have been great.