Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-07-24


mento,S. not less plainly require
restoration Of its government to Demo
cratic principles. Let but a umtei,
earnTst parU protfer such administya.
ton by yhe harmonious nomination "a
true sud worthy men to their SUI
trageS, and il can hardly be believed
the people OF the state will prefer,
for the conduct of their public Sus,-
ness, the agency OF a party SO rent
and tom by faction, so bitter in its
antaEouiSmS, that no concord in Office
can lee possible among its copteudiug
partiSauS. We had striking proof OF
the Ill effects of such 4 state OF things
in the asst legislature, which was SO
veNeu by discussion that the public
interests had hard struggle for any
consideration against the paramount
demands of fractional strife, Not to
speak ot other instances.
And what would have been the
clamor Of its adverSaries had the
Democratic party perpetrated such
folltoS rs the people have heavily paid
for in the bungling attempts at
alleged reforms in taxation?
l. Upon the theory that large col.
porate interests escaped their fair
share Of burden, a commission was
created a few years since to discover
the truth and suggest remedy. What
has been the net result? Not dollar
or addition to corporate taxes, but
nearly million needlessly exactod
from the people last year, and tn.
same doubtless to be taken again his
year; ind worse even, than that,
more officials provided, at increased
cost, and new methods set ON foot e.
press inQuisitiOn against individual
citizens throughout the state
1t does not help the matter that
much of the additional tax levies were
for public schools, because the schools
were already satisfactorily provided
for; and in fact the levy was not made
to raise the moneys for them, but wae
the result of other steps recNessly
taken in pursuit of an illdigcstcd
theory of reform.
And to what good end is this new
system of personal inQuisition? What
good object is to be served by raising
valuations of citizens properties to
the highest point reached now and
then by occasional sales, when all
must know that such prices in no just
sense fix the value of the mass OF
property? Why create new otliCGrh
:, ., al,
ton of value of every head of stock,
OF implement of husbandry simply 10
swell to the utmost the grand total
The fayorite argument of the COZ.
poratc interests, whose escape from
just taxes it was professed re-
Quired this expensive special atten-
ton, has constantly been that in
fact the peoples share of taxation was
pTopOrtionately less than theirs. The
last legislature accepted that argu-
ment and refused increase OF COT
porate taxes still more, by this new
system seemingly sought to demon
Strate its truth, by adding every
thing possible to the taxing list %
citizens and swelling its valuation.
So that, in the outcome, the property
of citizens has been raised to uear
three times its former estimation for
purposes of state taxation, and that o.
these corporations left unchanged
and the tax returns now show many
single tax payers, not men OF large
wealth by any means, to pay moro
sleeping car companies combined
yea, many farmers of the state, also,
to pay more than some of these com.
panies which have great possessions
and do a large business in our
borders.
Whatever may have been the Dur-
pose of the promoters of this new
system, 1t Is clearly evident the great
railway and corporate interests could
have devised nothing more ingeniously
contributary to their arguments or
better calculated to maintain them in
their present position.
But unless to correct insufiiciency
in their taxation, there was no al
equate warrant for any of this effort
at protested reform, The state has
always enjoyed an abundant and easy
revenue, taxes for its purposes have
never been onerouS, and not the least
occasion existed to multiply exactIons
and visit lnquisition upon Its citizens.
No doubt there will always be some
Inequalities In assessment, and some
injustice of tax levy as between in
dividuals. 1t is inescapable by any
human methods applied to taxation IN
present theories. If, however. re-
forms are to be sought, they should
be most thoroughly studied before the
knife is applied. and such unskillful
and reckless attempts to force a
change as cost the people million a
year to no purpose, should at least tie
avoided.
This business contrasts strikingly
the present with the last Democratic
administration, which was able 70
apply TO the credit Of the tax payers
z AID