The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-29

The Governors Message.
The governor, in his message. which
We publish this morning. gives a very
1 clear and comprehensive idea Of the
states affairs. and he makes some rec
concentrations which should be given
thoughtful consideration. one Of these
recommendations relates to assessments
and another TO lynchinEs.
/ The governor calls attention TO the fact
I that last year and the year before the
/ assessed valuation Of property fell Off
\ very greatly He does not say that in his
/ opinion there was no such decline in
values at TO justify such a falling of as
| there was i'm the amount of property re-
/ turned for taxation but if we are not
mistaken that is his opinion, because he
calls attention to the fact that there
was little or no falling of in the amount
of property in the cities returned for tax
alton The falling of was wholly in the
rural districts and the governor makes
the point that under the present sys-
TEN of assessing property tax pay
ers have it in their power to fix the rate
of taxation at which they shall be as
sessed. \ man having $1,000 worth Of
property can return it at 500. and, in
that way. cuts down the rate OF taxation
one half. Another man. more conscien-
tious. returns his property at a fair val
uation, and hence. pays all the taxes the
law requires of him.
For years and years the Morning News
has urged upon the legislature the ne
cessity for having a board of assessors
in each county whose duty it should be to
assess property at or near its real value.
There ought also to be state board for
equalizing assessments. so that properly
should not be assessed at One-half its
value in one county and at it's full value
in another county We feel safe in say
ing that at present property is assessed
at very near it's full value in the cities
and at about half of its value in the
rural districts. In some of the counties
it is not improbable that it is assessed at
not more than a third of its value. The
governor thinks the time has come for
providing a method for assessing prop
erty so that it would be assessed through
out the state at somewhere near its real
value His recommendation in this mat
ter is an excellent one. and if the legis-
lature does not enact a law in accord
ance with his suggestion it viii fail in
doing its whole duty.
We are glad that the governor has
taken so firm a stand against lynch
ings. Since he has been the states chief
executive five persons have been lynched,
the crime alleged to have been committed
was in each instance rape. There are a
great many people who contend that
lynching for that crime is justifable.
IN no case is lynching justihable, espec-
tally in a state so well provided with
courts as this state is. Besides, there
is always danger of lynching an inno-
cent man. The governor holds, and
rightly so, that lynch law brings a state
into disrepute and retards it's progress.
Therefore he is in favor of adopting any
proper measure to put a stop to lynch
ings. The recommendation he makes is
similar to the one proposed for adoption
by the constitutional convention Of South
Carolina, namely, the dismissal from Of
fee of any official who permits prison
er in his keeping to be lynched. A law
of that kind in this state would have
salutary effect. Rather than suffer dis
missal from office sherins and jailers
would do all they possibly could to pre-
vent the lynching of prisoners in their
charge.
Notwithstanding the falling off in as
sessments, the governors message shows
the states credit is excellent and it's
financial affairs to be in good condition.