The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-09-26

determined 10 appeal To the courts
Before the taxes could he collected the
Pennsylvania and Big -Four and some
OF the other larger corporations caused
s.junctions to be issued. and every
county auditor In the state was re
strained from putting the assessments
upon the tax duplicates. This was the
situation In respect 10 the assessments
OF 1891 when the Republican state con
vention met at Fort Wayne on June 2S
1892 Senator Fairbanks was in com
plete control ~ the party. and II soon
became evident that the convention
would denounce ti0iaw in its plat
form.
In the meantime. however. the rail-
road managers had sent their agents
over the state TO gather data TO show
that their property was assessed high
er than farm or city property. A
great mass OF data along this line was
collected and was presented to the
board OF tax commissioners by John
T. Dye. general counsel OF the Big
Four railroad. and 1t was charged that
private property was not assessed In
proportion to the corporate property
To demonstrate this individual assess
ments under the old and the new law
were collected and submitted to the
board. but every protest was met by
that body. which adhered to its reso
luton TO make the railroads pay some
thing like a reasonable share OF the
form was read at the Fort Wayne con
vention IL contained the following reso
luton:
We arraign the Democratic party
of Indiana for enacting an unequal
and unjust tax law. II imposes upon
the farmer laborer and householder an
excessive and unequal share of public
burdens. IL creates a great number
of unnecessary ofiiceholders hitherto
unknown to the law. To the burden
of taxation. already too heavy. II adds
more than 100000 for the fees. sala-
ries and expenses of these officers and
oflces. We demand its radical revi.
sion. We pledge ourselves TO enact
such amendments to the present law
as shall relieve the farm and the home
from the unjust taxation now borne by
them: which shall place just share
OF the public burdens on capital and
incorporate property. and provide a
more simple and less expensive meth
cd of assessment"
Charles W. Fairbanks. the corpora
ton lawyer and to-be United States
senator, presided over the convention
and thus referred to the new tar law:
The present odious tax law IL a
Democratic measure passed TO rescue
the financial credit OF the state I mis-
interpret the signs OF the times II the
people do not repudiate the law and
the Democratic party at about one and
the same time"
There is one way to cure the ia,
law. and that is TO radically revise 1t.
The indianapolis Journal. then the
organ OF the Republican party, but
now the personal organ OF Mr.. Fair
banks. thus commented on the plat
form in its issue OF June 90:
The Republican platform adopted
at Fort Wayne is excellent in matter
and form. 1t Is well conceived. wei
framed and admirably expressed"
But while the Republican state con
vention was denouncing the law FOL
imposing burdens on the farmer. thu
laborer and the householder. thu
agents Of the railroads were gathering
data to show that these classes were
being favored by the law and corpora
tons only were the sufferers. AND
there was never any doubt in the pub
lie mind at the time that the Repuh
lican platform made these silly ans
unfounded charges merely for the SAKE
OF getting into power that they nigh
give relief to their friends. the cor
porations. The only reason that the.
have not done SO is because the Law
was thoroughly established before the.
came into power and they did not dar'
to act upon Mr.. Fairbanks suggestion
and radically revise it," And il i
suficient evidence of the subterfuge II
the Republican state platform that
though the party has been In powe
since 1895. no changes have been mad
in the administration of the law, no
one ONCE or officer created under
changed.
The effect OF the Fort Wayne resolu
ton. however. was manifest on tn
corporation managers When tn
board met in 1892 they came before
with new vigor and when 1t agai
assessed the property at the increase
valuation and proceeded to bring tn
telegraph. telephone. sleeping-car an
express companies under the sam
rule, resort was again had to tn
courts and the taxes In all the countie
Of the state we're again tied up. Thi
determination of the corporation
continue their fight against the .la'
was the direct result Of the encou
agement given by the Republican pa
ty, and every dollar that the state ha
to spend in forcing the taxes from tn
unwilling corporations was just &
much tribute levied upon IL by tn
Republican party.
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