Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-10-01

yves OF the people.
THE corporation hire their repre-
sentatives and such persons, lobbyists
and agents, appear before the 7egisla-
ture, the executive council and other
officials of the state for the purpose of
securing advantage over the people
and the taxpayers, and when they do
SO 1T becomes necessary for the pub
lie officials to stand out manfully for
the right, for if they do not no one
else will. No efforts are made by any
one except corporations to control leg
islation or the acts of our officials.
Corporation agents should be abol-
ished in Iowa and anyone who pre-
tends to act as such and unduly in
tluence legislation, legislative mem
bers or other officials should be made
criminal.
Political pulls should not be allow
ed. Officials of the state should be
permitted to perform their duties free
from any outside influence. When this
is done it will be possible for the peo-
pie to secure the assessment of corpor-
ations and corporate property upon
the same basis as other property is tax
ed, and corporations will have no rea-
son to complain thereof.
Fair assessments and valuations
cannot be had from public officials
whose nomination and elections come
from corporate influence, manifested in
conventions where the sole contest is
between rival corporations. The en-
vironment and mental training of can
didates nominated under such condi-
lions produce corporationcontro
officers, who cannot do full justice to
the people. The designing official and
ambitious politician are more respon-
sible for the low assessment of rail-
road corporations than are the rail-
roads themselves. If all railroads in
Iowa had been assessed on the same
basis among themselves different
contest would have been waged in the
last republican convention in this state.
Assess all property equally and there
will be no cause for complaint.
There should be no grounds for say
ing that the value of railroad property
in Iowa cannot be ascertained as cas-
lily as that of town and farm property.
The spectacle of the members of the
executive council of Iowa considering
for weeks the railroad assessments
and the calling of meetings in other
places than the capitol building is still
fresh in the minds of the people.
What promise is now made that the
conflict over the assessments of Ger.
tain railroads will not be repeated?
counseIs New Taxation Law.
eff the fact that all personal prop
erty is not listed is an excuse for suf-
fering railroads and other property to
escape taxation, then means should be
devised for discovering all the person
al property of the state. To do this
stringent laws, severe in their nature,
will have to be passed. If evidence
could not be sgiven in the courts in
suits regarding personal property
which has not been listed for taxation
except suits regarding taxation, where
the owner thereof is party to the
suit, more personal property might be
listed and assessed.
"Thus protection of law to property
not listed would be withdrawn and the
erty. Again, if the assessments on the
individual taxpayer should be accept
ed as the conclusive amount of his
wealth and the securing of credit or
purchase of property on the claim of
any greater amount of property than
that listed for taxation be brought
within the criminal laws of the state
an her ince- re would exist for the
listing of pc ,-lal property.
''The voluntary statement of any cit
izen to any commercial agency bank
or other person for the purpose of Sc
curing commercial or business rating
in excess of his property listed should
be prohibited and no commercial or
other reporting agency should be al
lowed to give any taxpayer a greater
financial standing than that shown by
the assessors books.
The concealment of any taxable
property should be considered and
mad criminal offense. However, the
listing or non-listing of personal prop
erty should not afford person whose
duty is to list and value property an
excuse for not properly assessing and
taxing all other property which may be
listed. To say that it would is deplor-
able, and candidates should not by any
means countenance this excuse which
many taxpayers have for easing their
SoiioSShSSo WuCh WiIullcluiuS plOpSIly
from taxation.
None to Escape Taxation.
Penalties for a failure to list prop
erty should be visited upon the offend.
er, but without being subject to black
mail through the .informer, who might
profit by withholding or giving infor-
nation in regard to taxable property.
Spies and informers are not and will
never be creatures of the democratic
party. Candidates should deal specific
ALLY with this question of taxation,
and when they do not the voter in Sc
lecting his candidate should look at
the influence with which and the cir.
cumstances under which he was nomi-
mated.
No one should be selected to pub
lie Office who expects to use his official
position and thereby make political
combinations for the furtherance of his
political ar'bition.
The sckt hing politician is the one
to be feared, He will not hesitate to
perform the dos of his office in such
a manner as 10 alilg to his support
the poNc- oi corporations who have
and will use illegitimate means to adj
vance their political favorites.