Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-08-24
ECU A LIZ A TI0N
THE "GALlED JADE" WlNCES.
DAVIS EXPLAINS ~
And. in Fond Delusion. lmasines Abuse Of
the HERALD Editor will Pass With the
People for Valid Reasons for Overriding
the Judgment Of Assessor Archer.

The last issue Of the HERALD contained
a mild criticism of the action Of the board
OF county commissioners in reducing the
assessed valuations Of three mill COM
panies $4,000. The criticism concluded
with the statement that the columns of
this paper were open to the board. if it
desired to explain its action in the
matter.
With cha, actpristic assumption, that
he Is the whole board, and the slrenuosity
OF bull puncl,er, Chairman Davis rushes
into print, via the Daily Bulletin, with
the following lame attempt to dodge the
question instead Of explaining it.:
"In its issue OF the Goth inst, the Aber-
deem HERALD again shows its sore spots
and accuses the county commi :sioners OF
being assistant tax dodgers and makes
next to demand that they explain their
actions at the board OF equalization in
the columns of the HERALD.
ut is possible the Mighty Colonel is 80
stuffed with egotism that he thinks the
commissioners would cringe before him
and make explanation at his bidding; if
so he is labor,ng under a delusion and
the sooner he ribs himself OF it the better
The proceedings Of the board OF equaliza-
ton will be published in due time, in the
Official paper, when each taxpayer in the
county may read and form his or her own
opinion as to whether the poor taxpayer
has been unjustly treated, or the rich
favored at our hands. do not believe
the career of J. J. Carney lin business
Way has been such as would prove to the
people of this county that he has the in
telllgence or ability to be a judge as to
what is just or unjust. For the past
three years he has fumed and fretted be-
cause the commissioners have failed to
recognize him as. an advisor and do his
bidding. We thank him very much for
his kind advice in the past, for while it
has not been useful to us, it has been
very amusing"
Now, it would be unfair to Mr.. Davis
to have the taxpayers Of the county be-
lieve that the above screed was de!iber-
ately written as an, explanation Of the
boards action, presuming upon the ig-
norance OF the readers for its acceptance.
The fact is that Mr.. Davis does not know
any better, therefore there can be no in.
suit offered the intelligence OF these
people where none was intended.
The trouble with its writer is common
to dull minds. When stumped for rea.
sons they have an abiding faith in the
effectiveness Of making abuse OF an oppo-
nent pass for argument. Nor are they
altogether blameworthy in this line OF
reasoning That kind OF argument passes
for logic with them. Why not with
others? They are more to be pitied than
blamed.
But, to pass from the frothings OF Mr..
Davis to the question in hand. The only
point made in the letter to the Bulletin,
if it can be called point, is that our
criticism was made before the publica.
tion of the official proceedings OF the
board. Unless the published doings of
this board differs from all previous pub
locations of this kind. it will be simply a
record OF what has been done, showing
who appeared, what he wanted, and the
action of the board thereon. Nothing
will be shown as the boards reasons for
its action, and it is its REASONS the HER.
AID demands, not, as Mr.. Davis would
like the reader to infer, because this pa
per has any grievance against the board,
but on behalf OF it's readers, who number
fully one-half of the small taxpayers of
the county. 1t may be said, in passing,
that the HERALD has had no cause Of
complaint against this board. Its editor
has never asked them for anything, has
never attended one Of its meetings and
never, until now, has had occasion to
find fault with It's actions.
The following facts remain. That large
corporations have not been paying just
proportion OF the taxes has long been
notorious. This year Assessor Archer, a
republican official, determined to make a
start in the direction Of remedying this
evil, and made a gentle raise all along
this line. Several mills objected. The
west & Slade Mill Co. objected, but when
Mayor West went to the board and saw
that his company was assessed about the
same as the others, he was satisfied, and
asked no reduction. The assessment Of
these companies was made with exceed.
irg care, with view to estop just such
action as has been taken. Assessor
A rcher and his deputies personally ex'
amined the property, and, it must be ad.
mitted, without the most complete show
ing otherwise, that they were in better
board, sitting at Montesano, to arrive al
an equitable valuation.
The line Of excuse for this action
adopt ed in some quarters, that some mills
were assessed higher than others, is noe
excuse at all. The only Ouasti0n Cor th