The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-01-18

| VARIOUS KINDS were purchased. HOuid recOm-
mend that a legislative committee be appoint
ed to thoroughly investigate the securities on
hand with instructions to report the actual
cash value of each. and to recommend such
steps as ray be deemed advisable to fix the
responsibility Of illegal investments. to collect
doubtful securities, and to suggest any neces-
sary legislation to guard investments in the
future. And would suggest that this COM
mittee be appointed early in the session. so
that 1t may report and recommend any amend
| mentS to the law that may be necessary for the
protection Of the fund
No penalty whatever Is attached to the yio-
lation Of the law by the school fund commits
stoners, in regard to the class OF bonds they
may purchase for the permanent investment OF
the various school funds. There are now thou
sands Of dollars invested in bonds which are
not authorized by law, and which may prove
\ total loss to this fund. Bonds have been pur-
chased that are not even recognized by the
counties from which they purport to have been
/ issued. The laws governing this board should
be made more stringent, and severe penalties
should be provided for any violation
| Of them. Each commissioner should
/ give a bond loan officer OF not
less than slOo,OO0 and the law should provide
/ that he should be held liable on that bond for
any loss that might arise from the purchase of
bonds not authorized by law. No more i'm
portant duty devolves upon you than to guard
with Jealous care the funds set apart for edu-
cational purposes.
Intemperance.
The blighting influence OF intemperance Is
still seen in our state. There is scarcely COM
munity that does not suffer from this cause,
and happy is the family that is not directly az
| fected by 1t. Its approach is so insidious that
| its danger is scarcely realized until it is too
| late to stay its evil effects. How to cure, or
| even lessen the evil, has commanded the
| earnest thought of every lover OF his race,
| be he statesman or moralist. Its demoraliztng
| effects are universally conceded and can hard
| ly be exaggerated. Much Of the poverty and
crime, the suffering and the sorrowing existing
to-day can be clearly traced to its evil infu-
ence. Whatever tends to refine and elevate
| people-to give them purer and nobler aspira-
| tionS-will surely tend to lessen this evil The
| great work OF removing intemperance from our
land must be done through the churches,
schools and other elevating helps Law is
| only help-an assiStant-and never should be
| placed before moral influences. 1t in fact can
only be enacted when moral forces have ere
ated healthy public sentiment against intern
perance. 1t is valuable as an aid to help ere
| ate and maintain a healthful public sentiment.
but ought never to be substituted for it. The
great work Of advancing the cause OF temper
ance can only be done by thorough organiza-
tion and active effort along the lines Of educa-
tion and moral suasion. aided by laws fully
abreast Of the public sentiment.
cannot refrain from expressing my unquali-
fed communication of the action of the Chi
cage & Alton Railroad Co. in requiring that
their employees shall abstain from the use Of
all intoxicating liquors. The public have
right to demand that the men under whose care
they place themselves when travelling shall be
sober men; and IL is to be hoped that the rail-
road companies of this state will soon follow
the worthy example set them by the Chic ago q
Alton company
In 1880 an amendment TO the constitution was
adopted. prohibiting the manufacture and sale.
OF intoxicating liquors, except for medical
scientific and mechanical purposes. In 1881,
1885 and 1887, laws were passed providing for
the enforcement Of this provision Of the consti-
tuition. Three legislatures have since been
elected and no attempt has been made to re-
peal or essentially modify these laws. 1t is,
therefore, fair to assume that the people desire
this to be the settled policy OF the state upon
this SUBJECT. The only fair Interpretation to
be placed upon their action Is, that the open
saloon shall not return to our state, and that
they believe that the effect Of the prOhibitory
law has been to lessen the evils Of intemper-
ance.
That the law is but imperfectly enforced, is
conceded by all. Law is but a reflection Of
public sentiment, and the enforcement Of law
will depend upon the action of the people. Ex-
perience has fully demonstrated that the en-
fOrcement Of any law, in opposition to the pro-
nounced sentiment of the community. cannot
be long successfully accomplished. Whenever
the people in any community demand the en-
forcement Of a law. their voice will be heard"
Without the support of public sentiment, the
effort of the officers to enforce the law will not
be crowned with success. All laws ought
to be enforced for the open violation
of any law is demoralizing to the
public conscience. 1t breeds a disregard for
law which is dangerous to any community.
In this country the law is supreme. 1t is the
governing power; and a disregard of the law is
a disregard of the government itself. A con-
tinuation OF the open violation OF any law can
only result in evil to the state. The duty OF
every officer is plain; the legislature declares
what the law shall be: it is the duty Of the ex-
ecutive to obey and enforce it.
Assessment and Taxation.
There is an almost universal expression Of
dissatisfaction with our present mode Of as
sessing property for taxation. That it is IN
equal and consequently unjust. no one familiar
with it would for moment deny. 1t Is prob
ably one of the most difficult matters to
provide for in our laws Our theory Of
taxation is that property shall pay the tax,
and the only safe rule to follow Is to
assess all property at its actual cash value
without regard to its character or the use to
which it is applied. To a certain extent, how
ever, the revenue derived from property ought
to be taken as q basis upon which to compute
its value. II every piece OF property in the
state were assessed at its actual cash value
there would be absolute equality in the pay
ment Of taxes. But the same would be true II
all the property in the state were assessed
at 10, 20 or so per cent OF It's real
value The inequality arises, not from
the fact that tie property Of the state
is assessed too low, but because it is
assessed unequally. When one piece OF prop
erty is assessed at 10 per cent OF what IL is
really worth and another piece is assessed at
its full value and other property is not as
sesSed at all, great injustice is done to some of
the taxpayers; and yet that condition Of things
actually exists in our state to-day. Millions
OF dollars worth of property escapes taxation
entirely as a result Of ignorance, ineffciency or
willful dishonesty on the part OF assessors,
Other property is assessed at from 10 per cent.
to 100 per cent. OF its actual value according TO
the judgment or within Of the assessor.
There would be less danger Of this inequality
il an honest attempt were made by all assess
ors to place the true value on all property; but
before that could be safely done the laws in
regard to limitations on levfeS should be
changed. To make the assessment four or five
times what it is at present, allowing the limit
alton on the levy to remain where il is. might
prove practical confiscation Of property in some
school districts. or counties even. After pa
tient and careful examination OF the law. am
unable to see where it fails to provide for an
honest, impartial assessment. The fault seems
to be rather in the administration Of the law
than in the law itself. II the proper
officers complied strictly with every pro-
vision of the laws relating to assess
ment and taxation there would be little
cause for complaint. More severe penalties
might be attached for violations OF the law, but
that remedy would hardly accomplish the de-
sired results. for when an assessor makes his
return. with property assessed at from 10 to p
per cent. of its real value, and swears that he
has TO the best OF his judgment given the true
value. he knows, and everybody else knows,