The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-02-24
FAIR PLAY.

"Vox populi vox Del is lie, and
its companion piece, 1.-THE viii of
the People Shall be Obeyed" to say
the least, must be taken cum grdnO
sails. We prefer Fair Play" to
either Of these. ...
Now the question lie, is the special
committee appointed by the legis-
iature to prepare revenue and
assessment bill, giving the railroads
"fair play?"
That the railroads in the past have
escaped with too little taxation, we
are inclined to believe and are will
ing to admit. But that should not
be taken into consideration in the
make up Of revenue bills for the
future; for the same may be said of
many other industries in the State,
and thousands of individuals.
The question is, what are they
paying now? Now they are paying
taxes on an assessed value just as
high as the courts of the land will
endorse. The assessors, two of
whom, by-tIe-way, are now on this
same committee, put the assessment
considerably higher than it now
stands; and the HERALD was one of
those who said yea to that; but the
courts said mo-" and cut it down;
not to the basis the railroads called
for, but what they thought was an
equitable, fair and just valuation.
The railroads insist, with a degree
of FEASIBILITY, that no other tax
payer is assessed at full value. They
say that the farming lands escape
at about half their value, and that
the money lenders and note shavers
and bond holders hide four-fifths OF
theirs. And yet this committee,
not able under the law to increase
the assessed value of the railroad
property, having already raised it
as high as the law will allow, rec
ommends a privilege tax of $25 per
mile.
This, it seems to us, is exercising
the taxing power of the State un.
fairly. We are no special defenders
of the railroads. We believe thew
are at times exorbitant and dis
eliminating in their freight charges.
We believe they will take advant-
age of the people and avoid the law
when they can. They have that
much that is human" about them,
soulless though they be. We be-
lieve they ought to be regulated by
law, and made to respect the rights
OF the citizen. But we do not be-
lieve that they should be unfairly
taxed, even it they are rich and can
afford to pay it. That is the kind of
prejudiced, vindictive, class legisla-
ton, that will injure the State.
The first effort of the Legislature
should be, not to raise all the money
possible, by taxing everybody and
everything all they can possibly
bear, but to cut down the running
expenses of the State. Twice as
many men are employed at the
State Capitol as need be. Cut their
numbers, and give the remaining
ones more work to do, and they will
have less time to lobby for their
special protection and against the
interest of the people.
The next effort should be to tax
and everything equitably.
Pass a law that will uncover the
millions of dollars of personality that
never pays a cent of taxes. Make |
this law so searching and the |
penalty 50 great, that these hiders
OF wealth will fear to take the
chances. Pass law to reach the
hidden personally, and tax it as you
now do the land and the merchants
and the corporations, and at the
present rate of taxation the increase
would soon pay the State debt.
The HERALD is no defender of the |
we have little liking and |
less love for corporations, combines
and trusts; but we are the champion
Of Fair Play" at all times and I'M
der all circumstances.