The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-24

are wholly unprincipled and working to-
gether for epoils.
They seek to gain every Office within
reach from the highest to the lowest, to
| get their hands upon doodle" wherever II
| can be found and to strengthen the COM
binatson at all points.
"Thwarted in the attempt to defeat
| Senator Sherman for reelection the Cox
Foraker crowd has gone into legislative
'jobbery' to secure the 'sineys OF war and
! every possible coign OF vantage. They
have sought to put through great schemes
| from which the profits to themselves, di-
rect and indirect, would be .-umense.
Encouraged by success in some OF their
efforts, they have become so bold that
even before their main schemes have been
accomplished they have ventured TO strike
bow at Governor Mckinley, who re-
| fused to become an ally Of the gang.
THE one thing to be done IN the present
situation is for the republicans of Ohio to
rise and stamp out F'orakerism, another
name for CoxIsm."
This same legislature, still partially I'M
der the Foraker influence, held another
session in 1S3. Then it passed the Nichols
Jaw for the taxation Of corporations on
the market value of their capital stock.
but only IN the form agreeable to For
akers clients"
The Nichols bill. as it passed the senate,
applied this method OF taxation to express,
| telephone, telegraph and. mark you, street
railway companies Foraker way not yet
in town. In the house it was amended TO
| include transfer, freight line, pipe line, gas
and electric light companies.
Then Joseph Benson Foraker packed his
valise, got power OF attorney" and took
a room at the Nell House in Columbus.
The Nichols bill was thrown into a con-
| ference committee. The senate members
who had favored taxing street railway
companies on the market value Of their
capital stock experienced a change of
heart The house members who iad
wanted gas, electric light and other cor
poratlons included were similarly convert
ed. AS the bill passed st applied only to
telephone, telegraph and express compan-
les.
II the Nichols bill. which went through
the house that year, had become a law.
the tax duplicate Of Ohio, according to
men Of expert knowledge on this subject,
would have been increased anywhere from
$50. 600 to 500. 100000 That would be
something OF an item in a state that Is al
ways pressed for money. 1t would have
meant 4 good deal to the farmer whose
possessions in Ohio are taxed not less than
90 per cent OF the selling value. while the
capital stock Of franchise holding corpora
| lions seldom pays more than 10 per cent OF
It's market value.
Efforts have been made since TO tget
these other corporations included. When
ever it Is tried Foraker becomes an "attor-
ney."
Good lawyers have maintained that no
special act Is needed TO reach these cor
porations under the Ohio law. One OF the
best lawyers in Cincinnati. If not tho very
best, has written a brief on the subject
He takes the ground, and cites a Supreme
Court decision IN plain corroboratS'n. that
! the market value Of stock can be taken
into account by assessors and appraisers
| the same as the market value OF a build
| ing or a town lot.
The local authorities here have made
| recently an attempt TO apply this rule ia
the street railway company and the gas
! company. The former is capitalized for
| slS.OoOI0 and its stock sells around 40 1t
pays taxes on about 100000. The gas
company. capitalized for ss.OOO.noo with
| stock selling close TO 200. pays taxes on
! about 100000.
The local tax authorities. a. an expert
ment proposed % make considerable in
| crease n the value OF each. Immediately
their action was appealed 10 the state
| board 81 revision. There Senator Foraker
| appeared as an attorney"
Now. nobody ever accused Senator For
aker ~ being a specialist IN tax Jaw OF IN
| constitutional law. lie has been too busy
- -: n an Office and delve deeply into
those subjects. the one profound and che
other complex. But he is a specialist in
/ politics.
/ People VIII talk. You know. and say
mean things Hence. II comes that people
/ say senator Foraker appeared before the
! hoarl % revision as attorney for the
! street railway and the gas companies be-
cause:
! The governor Is q member ot that hoard
! and owes his place 70 Senator Foraker.
| The state auditor - member 90 that
| board and owes his place much 20 Senator
! Foraker.
The attorney general - a member % th7.
| board and owes his place to Senator For
| akcr.
| Anyhow Foraker Won RS case. ~ n
/ vote of two to one The board ~ revision
! saw the tax laws as Senator Foraker saw
I them. The attorney general voted IN. and
Il was not the first time Senator Foraker
had found his taausnce with Mr. Morns,,
] fsa
! But the street railway matters before
| that Legislature OF 1896 were OF rno-a
Paten'in'erest 20 the peoHe- The CON-
morality seldom enthuses over tax ouas-
t'cns. And as stated. that year saw +sa
commandments in earnest OF the carnpzss,
! Which eliminated in the Rogers law.