The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-15
UNEQUAL TAXATION.

| Four years ago, the last Republican
J legislature in Kansas, realizing that
| the assessment laws of Kansas had,
| by frequent amendments, become a
Uere tumble, of inequalities and i'm
F, possible of the uniformity enjoined by
| sion TO compile and report new law.
! AS we remember the bill as made up by
| the commission was reported back, but
| falling into the hands of the succeed
| ing Pop legislature was slaughtered.
In the meantime the assessment of
! property has grown from bad to worse,
| until the annual returns are beyond
the powers of the state board to equal
iZe. There is no longer any uniformity
or equality. This was understood by
the last legislature, yet that body ad-
journed without having accomplished
anything in the way of relief, and
the whole system is left in confusion
in which injustice TO taxpayers is iney-
liable. Each county is practically a
law unto itself, and fayoritism is left
to dispense its unequal burtherns on
the individuals OF every township.
Market values cut but little figure in
the returns and a buShel of corn or Il
hog remote from any market are often
assessed at double or thrible the
amount at which they are valued in
counties along the Missouri river. The
injustice and inequality are glaring
when the values as fixed by the asses
sors for the different counties are com
pared. The disparity runs throughout
the entire state, but we quote the rates
fixed on live stock in a few counties
that our readers may see more clearly
the great injustice which prevails:
Douglass county values hogs at 81 per
hundred, cattle So to IS a head, sheep
81, horses S. to So, corn 10 cents, wheat
u cents, oats 10 cents.
Rice county has fixed SO per hundred
for hogs, So to $50 for cattle, 50 to SO
for horses, 81 to 81 for sheep, so cents
FIR corn, 20 cents for wheat and so
cents for oats.
Shawnee places hogs at $3.50 per
hundred, cattle 81 to $50, horses So to
$50, sheep 90 cents, corn IS cents,
wheat 20 cents, oats II cents
Sumrer county, s. per hundred for
hogs, Sc to SIS for cattle, 50 to $40 for
horses, 81 for sheep, Sc cents for corn,
sc cents for wheat and 80 cents for
oats.
Anderson county makes hogs worth
81 hundred, cattle $40 to so, horses
$40 to S100, sheep 81, corn 90 cents,
wheat so cents, oats 20 cents.
Reno assesses hogs S1.25 per hundred,
cattle So to 81, horses IS to SIS, sheep
40 cents, corn 10 cents, wheat Il cents,
oats S cents.
1t is asserted by county treaSurerS
and county clerks, as also by assessors,
all who have practical knowledge and
experience bearing on the subject, that
Il change of but few hundred words
in the law would remedy the most of
the glaring evils. Why has not some
thing been done viii be asked by every
taxpayer.
THAT OPEN GRAVE-edO5I -otofit- k
Henry Watterson is the famous south
ern Democratic editor who prophesied
that his party was marching through
Il slaughter house into deserted
graveyard we believe. Anyhow we re-
member that there was blood in it and
IN open grave. Cleveland was elected
and the Fifty-third congress has had
iTS day as Democratic body. From
Il long editorial we extract few dis
jointed excerpts from which may be
gathered that gentleman's reflections
ana convictions:
Two years ago the life of the Fifty
third congress began under conditions
which could hardly have been more favor
able. Yesterday it ended in failure
which could hardly have been more COM
plete. 1t began with the confidence of a
great majority of the people of the United
States. 1t ends with scarcely enough
friends for pallbearers. 1t began with
authority from a mightier upheaval of
the popular will. 1t ends in Reputation
by even a mighty upheaVal of popular
disgust. It began with the Democratic
party elevated to such an opportunity as
it had not been for over thirty years.
1t ends with the Democratic party in
volved in as dire wreck as ever befell
a congress. 1t began with the chance
to make sure lasting and glorious future
for the democracy. It ends with the
democracy deeper in the morass of doubt,
dissension, confusion and impotence than
ever before"
THE ABUSES OF CREDIT.