Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-01-19
Tay-TitIes.
Criticism Of Washington Plan by a
Republican.
Who, of Course, Claims to be the Only
Friend Of the Poor Man.

(From the Daily Eugene Register.l
Some peoples ideas Of political and
social reform are worthy of careful
study and some are peculiar for theil
sOphistry.
+. HOfer, Of the SALEM CAPITAL
| JOURNAL, is travelling through Wash
ingtOn, corresponding for his paper
and taking pointers OF Washington
populist government. Mr.. Hofer
promises to put these budgets in such
a plebeian style that VIC can all un-
derstand them. Here is one of his
| first arguments offered for the super
iority Of Governor Rogers 16 TO /
administrations. The correspondent
says:
"The law has also been changed TO
collect a penalty of Is per cent If
taxes become delinquent. Anyone
| buying tax title gets Is per cent a
year interest for deed at the end Of
three years. This compels people to
pay up or lose their property, Before
the penalty was 10 per cent. If they
could make more on their money they
did not pay their taxes"
Had all the ''gold-bug .plutocrats
grinding mOnOpOlists, ""Mark Hanna
trust Republicans" and "Wall street
robb rs" Of the United States, com.
bined TO pass law that would place
poor laboring man under their
power, no worse law could be enacted
than this one. 1t illustrates effec-
lively, the inconsistency of the ere
form movement" A poor laborer who
has little home half paid for, takes
sick: or his wife and children are
sick. He gets behind in his WORK,
and cannot pay his takes. A Seattle
or Tacoma money broker buys up the
tax title and ,after holding IL three
years he exacts 10 per cent annnm,
from this unfortunate victim, or
takes a deed TO the property.
We are glad our Eugene friend
called cor attention to this, as we
may be mistaken in our statement OF
the Washington plan as we only took
a rapid statement of a Seattle busi-
ness man for IL. We shall make n
careful inquiry into the matter, now
that our attention has been called TO
what might seem as an apparent in
justice TO the poor MAJ. The Popu-
list state treasurer told US at Olym-
piaithat until the new revenue Ewas
passed last year by the Fusion legisla-
ture dell1quent taxes were practi-
cally uncollectable, aud that the new |
law had compelled the delinquents to
pay up 50 fast that they had called in |
of thousands OF dol |
lars OF warrants and put |
the state credit above par
1t was not, he told us, so much |
the poorer class Of taxpayers who |
took advantage of the old law, but the |
money sharks, bankers, speculators,
and non-resiGents, for
whom OF course the Register is not |
Poor people never can
take advantage Of tax laws like the
rich.
In Marion county the poorer and
middle class of taxpayers pay up first
and as soon as it is delinquent, while
The big taxpayers take advantage of
Jhe delays and keep the county out OF
lhe use Of the money from six months
10 year. Is that just system
But we hope to be able TO furnish
specific and authoritative information
about the Washington law and its
actual operation. In the mean time
ne beg of our editorial friend that he
udge not too hastily from the stan
point of purely partisan prejudice.