Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-10-11

he argued as follows:
"My reasons for moving the adop-
ton Of the above amendments, to wit,
an increase of q per cent upon the to-
tai assessment of the B. c. R. & N.
system, of per cent upon the c. M.
and St. Paul, and of 10 per cent upon
| the c. &, N. W., and q decrease OF 8
per cent upon the total assessment Of
| the c. B. & @. and OF 9 per cent upon
the c. r. I. & P, are the inequalities
exhibited in--the railroad assessments
during the past few years"
Not Word About RobberIes.
Not word about the robbed tax
payers" Of the state. Reformer John
was still trying to help the Rock
Island BY lessoning its assessment and
by "sockinG Il to- the Northwestern.
He tried 10 inveigle the Burlington
into his scheme by Offering II sop in
the way Of reduction, but the Bur-
| iineton, for reasons best known to At
torney Hubbard and Attorney Blythe,
prefsrred to stand together against the
| Rock Island, Attorney Cummins and
Reformer John.
In March, 1899, Reformer John filed
another whine in behalf of the Rock
Island. His aim still was ito equalize
the tax burdens OF the railroads accord
ing to their strength as shown by the
| officers in their sworn statements" To
obtain this equalization" in the inter-
est of the Rock Island Reformer John
said in this 1897 whine that he proposed
to bring about the result "bv various
changes in the assessment Of 1893, re-
ducing some roads and increasing
Others" He said in part:
Nov l submit that such glazing in
capabilities in the assessment and tax
burdens imposed upon the railroads OF
Iowa by the executive council this year
cannot be right and cannot be success
fully defended. This body in my opin-
ion, has no right or privilege given it
to assess one road at high rate and
another at low rate"
Not word about the "robbed tax
payers Of Iowa; it was simply ques-
ton with Reforner John of how to
compel the Northwestern and the Bur-
lington to 'whack up" with the Rock
Island in the division of the thousands
upon thousands OF dollars that all these
corporations, the Rock Island included,
were filching from the people from year
to year in the matter OF taxation.
The Great Reformers.
1t was not until 1900 that Reformer
John and the Rock Island and Attorney
Cummins discovered that the executive
council had for years been aiding GER
tain railroads ITO literally rob the citi-
zens OF this state of their property.
by compelling them. the citizens to pay
taxes that the railroads should have
paid Not until 1900 did Reformel
John tell the people of 'his state" thai
> Railroad assessments heretofore have
. been q travesty upon law and justice "
and that the proceedings Of the execu-
: tive council were dominated and con-
trolled by "perfidy and trickery." No!
until 1900, though he had suffered like
martyr for six years, did Reformel
7 John intimats to his loving constituency
that he had witnessed strange scenes
at the council board" Not until 1905
did he even whisper to the robbed citi.
zeps and taxpayers of Iowa that he
{ thought that if they knew the facts
they would be perplexed to determine
whether sheer stupidity or downright
dishonesty dominated the pronounce
! ments and proceedings of the executive
e council of the state government"
] Why did Reformer John finally
S speak out in 1900?
The plain facts are that the Rock
q Island, Attorney cummins and Reform:
t er John couldn't hold their own witt
r the Northwestern and Attorney Hub
bard and the Burlington and Attorne,
i Blythe in the council of conspirators al
{ 100 to 100000 republican majority in
!, The state, whose votes, they think, can
: not be turned against the party by
: anything short 81 an earthquake, tht
t Rock Island and Attorney Cummin.
r and Reformer John determined to sub.
e nit their contention to the dear PEG.
e DE OF Iowa" And now, therefore, Tx
S Simple, Honest and horny-handed in
t habitants OF Iowa have for determine
: tion at the approaching election iii
It old, the celebrated railroad tax-flchini
g case entitled, "The Rock Island Rail
r road VS.. the Northwestern and tn,
: Burlington Railroads." The questions
: at issue ares
Questions at,Issne.
l. Shall the Rock Island be per
United to steal as much in taxes from
r the people as the Northwestern ane
> the Burlington each are steaiingl
Il 2. Shall the Northwestern and tn,
! Burlington be compelled to "whacl
> up" with the Rock Island a fair ant
7 equitabie" portion OF the "swag" the
; are hlching from the pockets of tn,
: Taxpayers of Iowa7
5. Who is the biggest railroad
lawyer in Iowa, Cummins, Hubbar'
!. Tor Blythe?
Arrayed on either side Of this mo
= mentous controversy are the state bind
> cry and state printing thieves. the stat
the mulct-favored whiskey sellers, tn
:. building and loan sharks, lot of high
! " respectable insurance thieves,
!. thousand and one public papsuckers
: and about 5000 skunks who are trav
cling over the state en- railroad passes
doing political dirty work Ter thei
board and keep and in the expectation
o of future political reward from thei
n corporation masters.
! The Republican railroad syndicat
0 figure that all these questions were i
e TACT determined In the Republican stat
d convention, and that the So,ooo to 100,
IS 900 Republican majority will simpi,
It ratify the action Of that convention
! Therefore they do not propose to dis
S cuss state issues at all, but will de
;. vote themselves exclusively to nationa
e issues, or oriental issues, or question
= in astronomy, or something OF tina
g kind-apy old thing but state issues ii
r a state campaign.
Il They Won't Explain.
e They do not care to explain why
It is that the farmers and other propert
y owners OF Iowa are compelled to pa