Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-10-29

board of Supervisors, none to look
after the interests Of its town but all
seem to regard it as lawful plumber to
be plncked at their sweet will and
pleasure. The taxes of this township
already as high as the farmers and
owners of real estate can reasonably
bear, will oe increased 40 per cent for
1896 by the addition of 40 per cent to
the valuation of real estate, as fixed
by the board Of supervisors at the
June session. This Increase is out of
all proportion to the valuation fixed
for other portions of the county and
should be remembered by the people
when they come to elect the success
ors to the present board. In some
portions of the state the people are
falling over each other in signing pc
titions to the railroads and to the rail
road commissioners to give them re-
duced railroad charges in consequence
OF the low price of their farm pro-
ducts. Yet these same. petitioners
will, in all probability, ask the rail-
roads to continue the present rates by
voting fora railroad president for goY-
ernor, as man more interested in an
advance upon railroad rates, than in
an advance upon the prices of farm
products. And SO those who vote for
the return of Mr.. jacobson as SUPER
visor endorse the increased taxation
of which they will complain during
the ensuing year. The way to correct
such an evil is to defeat the men who
wantonly aided in its infliction.
The valuation of property in this
CO lnty during the past fifteen years
has increased more than SO per cent.
Vnf no fnv
the old rates. During the lower valu-
alton of property, county debt of
nearly $4,000 was paid, the poor farm
purchased and paid for, and the i'm
provements thereon paid for. the
court house furnished, the sheriff's
residence and Jail built, and nearly all
the iron bridges were built aud paid
for. These were provided during the
administration of Jas. Oallly as chair
man of the board of supervisors, with
John E. Peck as County Auditor, and
after paying for all these matters the
board of supervisors reduced the tax
levy to near the present per cent up
on a largely increased valuation,
These facts Indicate something ont of
place, leak somewhere, and a large
treasury surplus which should be re-
duced by leaving the money not need
ed for current county expenses in the
pockets of the tax payers, who have
daily need and use for it. Perhaps
n part of this leak has gone out into
the world through prosecutions for
violations of the law regulating, but
which fails to regulate the liquor
traffic. Thousands of dollars are paid
by the people for prosecutions under
this statute, and for boarding in Jail,
men who decline to pay either fines
or costs. This leak can be stopped
by the repeal of the present legisla-
tion and the enactment of a high
license law with local option as advo-
Gated by Gcv. Boies and the demo-
cratic party, and without in the least
increasing the use of intoxicants or
the vices of intempe, ance. The diff
erence between $4,000 in the public
treasury for licenses or $4,000 drawn
out for prosecutions under the pres
ent laws is $4,000 to the tax payers.
The way to leave this TO the people is
TO send representative to Des Moines
in favor of such regulations of the
liquor traffic as will compel those who
engage therein, 10 supply the public
treasury, instead Of exhausting it's
funds in costs and fruitless prosecu-
tion, and to this end vote for j. i.
Lowry. 1t is unquestionably true
whisky bought at AN untaxed drug
store from u registered pharmacist.
is equally rs harmful as if bought
from II taxed Vendor. 1t is also true
that tho whisky purchased from the
untaxed druggist and pharmacist is
used the same aus that obtained from
the taxed Vendor, for drink.