Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1900-10-25

The registration of the Incorporated
cities and towns of Chehalis county shows
that more than 1000 voters in those pre-
cincts will vote for the first time in this
county. To this 1000 voters the real
issues in the local campaign are compar-
atively unknown. With the $500 old
timers it is a matter OF business, not
politics. For the information of the late
arrivals in the county, the HERALD will
give brief resume of the political condi-
lions existing in Chehalis county and
their causes.
From the organization of the county
until 1896 it's affairs were managed by
Ahe republican party, which gradually
came into the control of select ring,
composed of few persons, who made
"milking the county cow business.
The admission of the state, in 1859, found
this ring firmly intrenched in the court
house, with their tentacles fairly well
fastened onto the pocketbooks Of the tax
payers. The new state laws were found
to permit considerable discretion in the
matter of county expenses, and an era of
looting the taxpayer began, seldom or
never equaled-population and taxable
wealth considered-in this or any other
county. The taxpayer squirmed, but
was Modified with the assurance that
the great expense was an incident OF
statehood that would soon cease. For
the years of statehood ending in 1896,
this ring SO controlled the republican
party as to name the candidates for office,
and, a nomination on that ticket being
equivalent to election, in reality this
gang ruled the county, and extravaganza
ran riot in the court house until its very
boldness attracted attention.
Under this rule taxes became so Oner-
GUS that mass convention OF taxpayers
was called, and met in Montesano in the
spring of 1894, to devise means of saving
their property from contiscation by this
rapacious gang. The most prominent
men in this convention were leading re-
publicans, and heavy taxpayers. A COM
mittee was appointed, of which Geo. Il.
Emerson, of Hoquiam, was chairman, to
investigate and report on the extrava-
The report of that committee, which was
published, opened the eyes OF the public
to the manner in which the affairs of the
was, in substance, as follows:
'"rhe total tax bill for the year is $685..
1871. go on valuation OF $9O15, 100000 or
something above 2N per cent. Of this
the state will get $29, 3Ol SO, the schools
$5O,515.16, roads and bridges $43, 1892,
the cities 1873, O55.88, and the remainder
72,126.9O will go to keep up the officials
and pay miscellaneous expenses of the
county offices.
"SOme of the amounts under the latter
are appalling; such as 5000 for books,
stationery and printing; four Thousand
dollars for medical attendance and burial
of the poor.
"Think of it, over 5000 per day for such
a service in a small and sparsely settled
county. 500 for the superintendent OF
schools, which means 7 900 miles travelled
in year or over 40 miles travel every
day the schools are open. And how a
superintendent can travel SO much and
attend to anything else, we leave some
one else to guess.
"$4,UOO for the assessor; $500 for
freight and postage and SO on.
'"rhe association thinks the actual val
uation of the county is slightly under
one-half of the assessed value, and, if SO,
the tax rate closely approximates 6 per
cent. If this,is true state of facts, it
seems mockery to claim that any man in
Chehalis county owns his land, he is
simply tenant to the county, paying 6
per cent OF the land value as annual rent
al with q covenant in his lease that, if
his rent is not paid when due, he shall
be fined per cent of the rent, be charged
20 per cent interest ON it, and at the end
of two years be elected, if he does not pay
up the rent, fine, interest, and big bill
OF costs besides. Talk about the wrongs
Of the Irish tenantry in the face OF such
condition OF things as this !"
In addition the committee made several
recommendations to the board of COM
missioners, among which was "That
they examine closely the unaudited bill
of the Vidette for 1854 for printing"
These recommendations were totally ig-
nored, and things went from bad to
worse, until the constitutional limit of
indebtedness was reached, and county
warrants were drug on the market at
GO cents on the dollar, and for about a
year no warrants were issued ut all, GER
titicates OF ndebtedness-that depended
upon the honor of the county for pay
ment-were issued instead. Notwith-
standing the enormous amount of taxes
being levied, as seen by the above report,
the county was sinking deeper i'll debt
each year.
In 1895, the fusion party swept the
county and assumed charge OF its affairs
the January following, much as a re-
ceiver would take charge OF looted rail-