Arizona republican., 1901-08-10

We daily, except on Monday, await the arrival of the Tucson Citizen with
 an intensity which oyer THE TAXA shadows our interest TlON OF in. our ordinary voca MINES. ticn. The Citizen is ac-
 customed to an express sion of opinion on all sublunary and some heavenly and now and then some hellish affairs. It's views upon whatev- CT subject are frequently instructive. always interesting and sometimes amusing.
 In the Citizen which came to hand yesterday the Jerome strike was con sidersd under the caption Let Us Have a Bullion Tax" The merits of the strike were not considered, for as the editor candidly observed, he was not familiar with the differences exist ing between Senator Clark and his men. His principal objection to the senator is not that he does not pay his men enough, nor that he enforces too long working days, but that he does not pay enough to the government presumably for the protection of his great property against lawlessness. Hence the demand for bullion tax.
 The Citizen is a democratic newspa- per, and a good one. It Is supposed to represent the best and most conserva- tive Democratic sentiment in Arizo- na. The editor of the Citizen vas in Phoenix during the greater part of the session of the legislature last winter floor of the assembly on the afternoon of January 2l. when Governor Mur- phys message was read in joint ses- sion.
 The editor of the Citizen will remem- Der that in that message, under the head of Taxation and Revenue" Gov ernor Murphy recommended to the leg islature a proper assessment of mines worth siOO. .OOO, 900. but which were not
 
 $2, 100000. The message said This is wrong and in no way can the proposi- ton be defended that great riches in gold, silver and copper dug from Ar izona ground and distributed as divi- dends in the east and in Europe should not be taxed in some form within the territory" Continuing, the message said Min ing corporations have opposed in every | way in their power a bullion tax or a | tax upon the net proceeds of mines, | their main argument being that a law | such taxation, if effective. | would subject them to inquiry and in to such an extent as to be | unfair and prsjudicial to their business | interests. After emphasizing the jus he governor recommended that the board of equalization be given the same authority over the mines as it low has over the railroads. It was the opinion of the governor that the mines were not bearing their share of the burden and in the strongest terms he irged a just distribution.
 The editor of the Citizen will remem- ,er that bills were introduced embcdy- ng the governors views in respect of he mines and that they were over defeated by democratic 'otes; that their strongest opponents were those who had clamored the most oudly for a fair and equitable dis!ri- ,ution of the burden of taxation. There vas no bullion tax bill passed. or any 'ther authorizing a just assessment of mining properties, though general bill of still doubtful efflc!en- y was passed.
 So whatever deficiency the Citizen inds in our laws in respect of the as- essmtnt and taxation of mines, it hould lay at the door of the last dem cratic legislature.
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