Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-04-29

The first Legislature of the State,
1SS0-0O, which was Il Republican
Legislature, contained the following
named gentlemen, who were also mem
bcrs OF the constitutional convention
towit: ii. w. Fairwcather, John r.
kinnear, John McReavy, George H.
Stevenson, every one OF whom voted
for the revenue law this session.
And in addition, it should be borne
in mind that the revenue law OF this
Legislature, which became law before
the Constitution had been in force five
months, was passed in the Senate by
eighteen votes of the thirty-five, sis
J voting no, and eleven absent or not
voting, and in the House by forty nine
votes, seven voting no, and fourteen
absent or not voting. Section ) o
this act, found at page 532, Session
Laws of 1SS9-90, enumcratcs property
exempt from taxation, the eighth sub.
division of which section 5 is as fol
lows:
The personal property of each house
holder and head of family, liable to as
sessments and taxation under the pro
visions of this act, of which such in.
dividual is the actual and bona fide
owner, to an amount not exceeding
5000 in value.
In the Republican Legislature OF
1891 the revenue bill originated in the
Senate and was in charge of the COM
mittee on Public Revenue and Taxa
ton, consisting of w. II. Forrest, +.
W. Hastings, Henry Drum, A. 7. Van
de Vanter, b. +. Forsyth, N. H. Owings,
S. Vestal, B. c. Van Houten and l.. f.
Thompson, each of whom, except the
last, voted for the bill. Like preced-
ing Legislatures, there was provision
for the exemption of certain property
from taxation, found in section 5, page
2S1, Session Laws of 1891, the eighth
subdivision of which section is as fol.
lows:
The personal property OF each house.
holder and head of family, liable to
assessment and taxation under the
provisions of this act, of which such
individual is the actual bona fide
owner, to an amount not exceeding
$500.
The Republican Legislature of 1898
re-enacted the same law upon this SUBJ
ject, found in section 5, page 325,
Session Laws of 1898, which provides
in the eighth subdivision as exempt
from taxation the following:
The personal property OF each house.
holder and head of a family, liable to
assessment and taxation under the
provisions of this act, of which such
individual is the actual bona fide
owner, to an amount not exceeding
$500.
The Republican Legislature of 1895,
in dealing with the subject of revenue
and taxation, only amended certain
specified sections of the revenue law of
1893, but in doing this were careful to
re-enact the law upon the subject of
property exempt from taxation, as will
be seen at section 2, pages 509-5l1,
Session Laws of 1895, the eighth sub
division of which section is as follows: ::
Thus for just quarter of century
from 1871 to 1S95-by statute private
property in varying amounts had been
exempt from taxation and this period
includes six years since the constitu-
ton in which four successive Republi.
can Legislatures re-enacted the same
law, declaring SO far as specific amount
in dollars and cents is concerned, a
greater amount rs exempt than any
territorial Legislature ever did. But
the time had not yet arrived for up
setting the custom and policy so firmly
established with the people.
Two years later, 1897, n Legislature
elected by the people, who were de-
manding relief, and hence not Re-
publican Legislature, just chosen from
the people when they were suffering
from long continued, unbroken, in
creasing adversely, Legislature that
knew, on account of the reforms,
honesty and economy which would be
enforced by the new administration of
the reform forces Chat there would
not be demand upon the public for
so much revenue to support the gov
ernment as heretofore, passed law
also upon this subject of property ex-
empt from taxation, same being Sec
ton 5, page 13S, session laws of 1897,
which, after exempting a public
property of various kinds, contains in
the fifth subdivision an exemption of
young fruit trees, and the sixth SUBJ
division exempts the following:
The personal property of each per-
son liable to assessment and taxation
under the provisions of this act, of
which such individual is the actual
and bona fide owner, to an amount
not exceeding $500.
This act having the emergency clause,
was approved by the Governor March
Is, 1897, and at once became opera
tive.
At once some shrewd goldbug poll
tieian, philanthropic of course, quite
likely remembered the saying of law
urifnr 1ybo I'm con,p,apt;,r on tho