Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-30

SOME PULLMAN HISTORY

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SOME PULLMAN HISTORY.
Governor Lswelling. a few day
since, In q studied and inflammation
Interview, expressed q deep sym
patty for the strikers contendin
with tho Pullman Palace Car com
pany and their sympathizers. HI
purpose was doubtless to make pc
litical capital for himself. The tru
character Of the Governor is plainl,
manifest when you compare his lat
interview with his course In tn
spring Of 1898. In connection wit
the action OF the State Board o
Railway Assessors.
After years Of litigation, when Ia
Pullman Palace Car company
having been defeated In the courts
first consented to give In its proper
~ for assessment, 1t gave $4,000 a
the valuation Of palace car. Thu
State Board Of Railway Assessors, Ii
fixing the assessed valuation, put l
at $4,000 which was probably II
about the same proportion to its cos
or value as other property 10 tn,
state Is assessed. What Is knowr
as the tourists car, which Is . very
plain car, and car In which thu
laborlng man could afford 20 take
nights rest, the cost Of berth be.
Ing at that time only fifty cents, wss
assessed at 81 800 per car. The State
Board Of Railway Assessors. com.
posed Of the present populist state
officers, whose actions were passed
upon and approved by the Governor
In bis capacity as q member Of the
State Board Of Equalization, re-.
duced the assessed valuation Of the
Pullman palace cars from 5000 10
1850, making . reduction Of $500
per car, and raised the assessed val.
uation Of the tourist car, In which
the poor man rides, from 1880 to
$1,000. There are many more palace
cars that run through Kansas than
tourist cars, so the result was that
the sum total Of the assessed val.
uation OF Pullman's property was
reduced nearly Is per cent The
tourist car, with the plain, comfort
able bed In which the laborer and
poor man could ride for fifty
cent?, had the assessed valuation
doubled, and as q result MI. Pull.
man takes advantage Of the oppor-
tunity which the reform admins.
tration gave him, and raised the
price Of q berth to one dollar.
A very short time after this re.
duction the assessed valuation Of
the property OF the Pullman Palace
Car Company, Mr.. Lewelling and
his state administration were given
a free ride in Pullman palace train
to the Worlds Fair and return. The
train in which they left the capital
city Of this state was gorgeous one,
Mr.. Lewelling was not then com.
planning Of Pullman's iron heel, but
he did complain in his recent inter-
view most bitterly in regard to the
porter's fees, from which we Judge
that the service Of the porters we're
not donated.
And in the face Of these facts Gov
ernor Lewelling is now posing as
the laboring mans friend and the
enemy Of corporate greed"
Hon. W. +. Rightmire, who was
The candidate of the populist party
Jour years ago for Chief Justice, and
who is still member of that party,
IN June Sth. wrote an open letter TO
The Hutchinson News, of this state,
md over his own signature made
he following exposition Of the n.y.
]ocrisy OF the present administra-
ion in its pretenses OF being the
,eople's friend as aginst the corpor-
atoms;
RlGnlMlRE's STATEMENT.
after the State Board Of Railway
Assessors OF the state of Kansas had |
assessed the rolling stock Of the |
Pullman Car Company, operated In
he state OF Kansas IN 1887, and had |
efused 10 reconsider Its action, as
he time approached when the taxes
evled upon the said assessment
we're about to be collected, the Pull
nan Company brought an action in
he Circuit Court Of the United
states In and for the first division Of
he district Of Kansas against all Of
he counties In the state through
which its cars were run, and against
he county treasurers OF such coun.
leg, case No, 5777S, asking for an in
JUNCTION restraining the collection
4 the taxes assessed against the
aid company.
1.-THE Injunction was granted on
he lst day OF February, 1883, and on
Inal hearing in said court the de-
rec OF the court was for dissolu-
lon Of the injunction, and the val
dity Of the assessment and the levy
I the taxes was affirmed by the cir
uit court.