The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-09
1t Is All Right For Him to DecIaim
Now Against the
Tax Raise
BUT KEATON HIMSELF
Set the Tax Raise Ball Rolling When He Was Dis
trict Judge in Pott County -Doom's Manifesto
to the niddIe-of-t the Road opuIists.

- Guthrie. o. T.. Oct 8.-(Special. 1.-The
iorg expected manifesto 10 the middle-of-
she road Populists which Senator ]. E.
Doom promised in his recent letters print
e in the Eagle, has finally been made
p1olic. It is addressed to the voters of
a'ottawaromie county and IS signed by j.
". Martin. the Populist committeeman,
Senator Doom and Otner well-knoWn Popu-
iists of that county. II j sd revocation as
10 Kearon's attitude on the tax-raise ques-
zion, inasmuch as it shows him as thunder
:ilg against the iniquity of the tax raise
when on the supreme bench, whereas in
Pottawatomie county. while presiding as
District judge. he was threatening the
township assessors with indictment Tor re-
fusing to obey his Instructions to increase
tie assessments.
The manifesto clearly shows that Keaton
was responsible for the last territorial tax
raise. inasmuch as it was through him
that the assessed valuation of Pottawato-
nie county was raised by the county board
from .OSi in 1886 to sl,594477 in 1895, an
Increase Of S642.S93. an Pottawatomie coun-
~ at this increased valuation was subse-
equalization as the basis OF valuation for
the other counties of the territory. On
this point the manifesto recites:
"At the annual meetin Of gassessors, at
Tecumseh in January, 1895. County Attor
aey La, key Il en- stated TO the assessors
that it was only at his earnest entreaty for
mercy that Judge Keaton was induced to
forego requiring the grand jury to indict
the assessors because they had not valued
the property in the county high enough in
1897. We make this statement on the au-
thority of assessors who were present and
heard Mr.. Lackey. If Judge Keaton de-
MES its truth, we leave the question of
veracity for him and Mr.. Gackey to settle.
Assuming MIR. Lackey to be correct, we
have no hesitancy in characterizing this
action of Judge Keaton as one of the
greatest outrages ever perpetrated upon
the rights, liberties and interests of the
people.
The assessors are body Of men elected
by the people for the specific purpose of
viewing and upon that view affixing
value upon property for purpose of taxa
ton. They are the only officers who by
law are authorized or permitted to fix such
value Such waI the decision of Supreme
Judge Keaton. They are the safeguard
provided by law to protect the people from
incompetent or corrupt officials who ex-
pend the public money. Congress has fixed
a rate beyond which taxation cannot le-
galiy go Honest, faithful assessors, IA
miliar with the value of property, put a
value thereon and thereby fix a limit on
7.a T,,r11
doed, coerced or cajoled into assessing 81, 900
worth of property at $1,000 they are evae-
ing. in fact repeating the act made by
congress in the protection Of one of the
great interests of the people. The as
SCISSORS are a law unto themselves. limited
only by the state and their oath. and no
man or official has a right to threaten or
dictate to them. Al lof this Judge Kea-
ton must know. for 1t is the very marrow
OF the supreme court decision in Gray VS..
tiles. which Judge Keaton $50 heartily in
dorsed'' To show that there was no occa-
sion or grounds for the extraordinary pro-
ceeding on the part OF Judge Keaton and
MS co-partners, we call your attention to
the facts as shown by the records.
In 1895 the valuation returned by the as
70 meet county expenses and keep warrants
a. par. Certainly very healthy condition
In 1891 Cthe year for which they were 10
be indicted) the valuation of assessors was
S1,174,1S6. an Increase of SOD 052. Certainly
reasonable increase for one year, to
which III county commissioners added
S1g0 000 making total of S412052 for one
year. Yet, in the face of these facts. of
which Judge Keaton should have familiar
lied himself before usurping as dangerous
ana unprecedented power. wanted to indict
the assessors, thereby causing them great
expense and fixing a stain on their fair
name. perhaps to be thrown up 10 their
pcsterity.
Fellow Citizens, in all seriousness. we
say if high or low officials are allowed. I'M
rebuked. to exercise such warranted and
dangerous authority. then this government
Of by and for the people is but a sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal. and sooner
OF later anarchy or revolution will De the
result.
while posing as the only apostle of anti
tax raising in other parts Of the territory.
Judge Keaton should have explained that
in this county he had aided and abetted
the board Of equalization 10 raise the val
u2tion from S952. OSi in 1895 TO Sl.5si. AZ in
lSaS. an increase Of SGt3S93. He should
have explained that his co-partners. by
oalldezing. with threats of his CKeatnn's)
vengeance. procured the resignation Of
honest John Daniels. enabling the COM
nissioSers 10 appoint as assessor Of Avoca
township man who valued property high
enough TO suit. Avoca township was made
the basis for Pottawatomie county and
Pottawatomie county was taken as the
basis % the whole territory. with the r.
suit that Oklahoma is paying taxes on
about S9.o00.e0o Of territorial taxes Truly
tall oaks from little acorns grow" Judge
Keaton as an honest fsir-minded man.
ought % have explained TO the taxpayers
OF Woods county. who pay taxes on $3.50. |
with $1,000 worth OF property. that he
(Reaton) was more 70 blame than any
body else. II he asked why he did not
demonstrate the answer IS that under the
Keaton regime the rule is 70 do things in
the dark or in such haste that the mischief
IS done before itbecomes known. You have
heard OF the cat in hades without ciaws7
Well. that was our condition.
STUTSAtAN WITNESS FEES.
AT the trial OF Stutsman for the murder
Of Hsining. a large number OF witnesses
were subpoenaed- The bar very generally |
agreed that the state did not allow wit
ness fees. and as a consequence witnesses |
experienced great difficulty in dlsposing Of !
their claims. 4 stepson OF Judss Keaton |
and a young man employed in the district |
clerks once bought up these claims. y |
u supposed at a small pencen: OF their