Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-14
IN HOTEL CORRIDOR

OF course. l speak an opposing parti-
san. bat l believe that Gov Bob Taylor will
be the next United States senator from
Tennessee said Col. G. W. Baker of Nash
ville who was for four years chairman of
the republican state committee of Tennes-
see. at the Normandie. There is quite a
feeling for Benton Mcmillan in the CEN
trail part of the state. but I do not believe
he will develop strength enough to walk
away with the prize. The friends Of
Thomas, the speaker Of the senate, are
working hard for Taylor. This is natural.
as Thomas would succeed Taylor as gov
ernor should the latter be elevated to the
senatorship.
The coming session of the legislature is
quite likely to be an important one. The
question of regulating the taxation Of rail-
road property has forced itself to the front
and will occupy much attention. The last
legislature passed an act creating com
mission to assess railroad. telegraph and
telephone property. Previous to that this
duty devolved upon a railroad tax ASSESSOR.
The assessment was about Si0,O00O00.
the new commission increased the as
sessing i'll some instances more than 100 per
cent. On the whole it is so per cent greater
than the former assessment. In other
words, Tennessee, with a railroad mileage
of .;.O44 miles, is assessed by the present
commission SI2.246.S21 "A comparison with
other states is quite interesting. Virginia
has 3,491 miles of railroad, and the property
is listed at s4S,0OOOOO in round figures.
North Cardinals 3,IoI miles are placed at
SO, 900 900, while Georgia's $40 miles are
assessed on the basis of $4,000. 900.
When the commission attempted to GER
tify the assessment to the controller to be
sent out to the counties the railroads filed
a bill before Judge Clark in the United
States district court, asking for an injunc-
ton restraining the commission from GER
tifying the assessment to the controller.
Judge Clark granted the injunction. In his
opinion
excessive. and. under the constitution Of
Tennessee, which provides that all taxation
shall be uniform. that the assessment of
the railroad property was incommenshrate
With other character Of property in the
state. and. therefore. was illegal and void.
But he held that the railroad companies
the basis of the old assessment pending the
final determination of the case. This de-
cision was rendered pending the considera-
ton by the governor of the question of
calling the legislature together for the
enactment of such legislation as Memphis
requires which is to extend the limits Of
the city for sanitary purposes.
After Judge Clark's decision the state
omc1ais seem to be greatly incensed and
outraged at It's effect. and Gov. Taylor has
embodied in his call to the legislature the
consideration of the taxation of railroad
property. 1t is also believed that the as
sessment for years back has been too low.
There is clause in the governors call
which substantially asks the legislature to
take into consideration such remedial legis-
iation as is necessary to prevent the federal
courts from interfering with our state af-
fairs" -
People of the east have a mistaken i'm
preston regarding the Indian nation" said
Senator j. NJ. La Hoy of Claremore. who
Is member of the Cherokee delegation, at
the National. I'm the Cherokee nation
alone there are 125 primary schools kent m
by our government. In addition to these
'here Is an orphan asylum. with go in
mates, nigh schools, female and male SEM
mares, asylums for the insane and blind
and one freedmers high school The in
terest on the $J,O0O,0oO United States bonds
neid by our nation pays the expenses Of
our government. and our people have no
taxes to pay.
Every person who is interested in hay-
ing the Indian nation turned into states "a
Interested in land sites There is a selfish
motive back of the whole scheme. Our eli
mate is something like the climate of Wash
ington. The wheat harvest comes about
June ]. and often we plant corn in March
AS to railroads, we have the Missouri Kan
sas ana Texas, the St. Louis and San Fran
cisco. and the K and A. ". branch of
the Iron Mountain. on the east side On
the west side are the Santa Fee and the
Rock Island. and then there is the Choc-
taw, Omaha and Southern running east and
west through the territory.
our capital, Tahlequah, has about 1000
inhabitants. Instead of a governor and
lieutenant governor, we have a first and
second chief. We have a treasurer secre-
tary and auditor. and a senate and house
to formulate legislation. Each district has