Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1895-08-22

what our State platform declares
upon tins subject.
.'The question, however, which
in this State canvass comes more
closely home to our people and
which engages their attention more
than any other is that Of reassess-
ment.
"Upon this subject am heartily
in favor with the declaration of the
platform and the reproduction of
that declaration in your letter.
ga complete and thorough re-
assessment is now imperatively de-
manded, and should be provided
for, without fail, by orr next Leg
islature.
"The history of our State legis-
lation shows that q longer interval
has elapsed since our last general
assessment, under the act Of 1876,
than has been allowed to pass for
more than half century.
"We had general assessment in
1s41, again in 1852, again in 1866
and again in 1876.
"During the nineteen years since
this last assessment such great
changes in the condition and valu-
alton of property, real and person
al, have taken place that justice to
the people, to the State, to the city
Of Baltimore and to the counties
absolutely requires full Teyalua-
ton of all the property of all our
people, carefully provided for, as a
business, not as a political measure.
"ln the disturbed and depressed
condition Of business and property
for the last two or three years a re-
assessment was not judicious, for
its results, so far from remedying
the evils complained of would have
led to fresh mischiefs, more even
than those that confessedly existed.
"For this reason l not only did
not favor but actively opposed the
passage Of reassessment bill at
the session of 1894, and interested
myself with many of my fellow
citizens Of both political parties to
induce Governor Brown to withhold
his signature from the bill passed
by the Senate and House of Dele
gates at the session of 1892.
"The controlling reasons that
then existed for a postponement of
such legislation have largely, if not
entirely, passed away, and there is
no longer any good for denying to
the people this necessary measure
of relief.
"The primary responsibility for
such an act rests upon the Legisla-
ture and the intervention of the
Governor cannot properly 60 furth-
er, 10 the first instance, than con-
sultation and recommendation and
the public expression Of his opinion.
Indeed, he should be careful, in the
due exercise of the functions of the
Executive, to avoid everything like
interference with the independent
action of the legislative department
of the government, but publicly
declaring now my deliberate belief
that the passage of law for a gen.
eral and thorough assessment of the
entire taxable property of all the
people of the State should not any
longer be postponed, | wish to be
understood as distinctly ANNOUNCE
ing that, should / be elected Gov
ernor, | shall promptly sign such a
bill and actively interest myself as
far as may be proper in securing its
passage by the Legislature.
'In order that the party pledges
upon this important matter may be
fully kept, it is most desirable that
great care shall be exercised in Sc
Letting capable and efficient men,
bers of the neutrality-suspicious.
who will not only consider them
selves bound by the platform, but
thoroughly competent to deal with
a subject SO vital to the people.
"The agricultural interests of the
State appear to me to be especially
worthy Of attention and encourage
ment, and / shall feel it to be both
a privilege and duty to aid in all
proper ways to attract within our
borders thrifty and intelligent i'm
migrants.
There is one topic to which wish
to refer, and here also, in view of
certain comments that have appear