Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-17


SHAMELESS BETRAYAL OF THE PEOPLE
II any man or set Of men should de-
liberately concoct a scheme to set the
town on fire or blow up its public
buildings with dynamite the community
would rise up as one man to have them
thrown into prison or lynched, but when
men set about deliberately to undermine
and destroy self government, the peo-
pie tamely allow them to proceed with
their devilish work. And yet this is
precisely what has been going on at
Lincoln for the last sixty days under the
leadership Of John n. Baldwin, the head
pusler Of the most rotten lobby that has
ever infested the state capitol.
When tie legislature convened its
members were for the most part dis
posed TO do what is right and just by
tue people. Nine-tenths of them doubt
less entered the capitol with the sin
ccre desire to give the people relief from
existing abuses and protect them from
corporate aggression and exaction, but
the machinery set in motion by John
n. Baldwin aud the allied corporations
has completely demoralized the legis-
ture and makes self-government a farce.
Men who have enjoyed the confidence
ard respect of their constituents, too
weak or vulnerable to withstand cor
pjrate temptation and corporate bull
doing are now championing corporate
rapacity in the halls Of legislation and
brazenly asserting that the railroads
! have been taxed too much in the last
ten years. when every man, woman and
child knows that the railroads have
controlled the state boards of assess
meut in Nebraska ever since the state
hoard was organized. 1t is q matter of
record that the railroad assessment of
1852 Is more than 30 per cent higher
than that cf 1902. which was dictated by
the railroads. Is it not an insult
to the intelligence Of the people
to assert that the railroads have
been taxed too much in the last
ten years? Does it stand to reason
that with a mileage many hundreds Of
miles greater the railroads of Nebraska
should today pay taxes on nearly
$4,OO0.0O0 less than they did in 1902
1t is n matter of notoriety that the
state boards OF twenty years ago and
the state boards of ten years ago did
not pretend to assess the railroad fran
chises, which constitute by far the most
valuable part Of their taxable assets. It
is a matter pf ~notoriety that the state
board of 1902 did not assess the rail-
road franchises and Auditor Weston
and Treasurer Stuefer so testified be-
fore the supreme court. 1t seems al
most incredible that in the face of these
facts men elected to represent the PEG.
pie SHOULD not only champion and de.
fend corporate tax Sinking in the past,
but inject into the new revenue law
provisions that they must know will
p%erpetuate this %iniquity.
The only excuse so far given In de.
Tense Of the differentiation of railroad
property is that other property, notably
personal property, has for years beer
assessed at ridiculously low figures, an6
special stress is laid upon the assess
ment of live stock on the farm anC
household goods in the home. A com
parison Of the assessment of this elias,
of property and railroad property ii
other states may be instructive. Take
for example, the assessments of per
sonal property in Nebraska and Ill
ipois: