Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-12
A Disesteemed Contemporary.

Tho Washington Times by Its mendacious
acurrilitv some time ago placed ITSELF IN
the class of publications which Inc Stai
would not honor or advertise by the sisht-
est editorial attention The Star mas iei'
no apprehension that, by reason or us cum
temptuous refusal to correct them' the
Times Interpretations would cause
single washingtonian to believe that II mas
participated I'm or defended graft {; or that
II has made false statements to eVade .aA-
alton. A recent editorial, however, so hpeis
the municipal authorities In connection
with specific falsehoods concerning the
Star that 1t will break its rule for
once and permit itself few words OF
pointed comment The Times says:
"Obiecting In 1880 to a personal tax on
SlOO 900 and declaring then that the STOCK
of the company was worth but h1ty Genus
on the dollar, 1t (The starr now In the year
1904 declares that its stock Is worth even
less than fifty cents on the dollar In
other words a complaisant District gov
eminent or a criminally inefficient Board
of Assessors accepts as correct the state
ment that the stock of The Evening Star
Newspaper Company Is worth only s4S, loo!
The statement that The Star fifteen years
ago declared that it's capital stock was
worth only fifty cents on the dollar Is I'M
true and it's falsity was made clear at the
time in newspaper discussion of the whole
matter The allegation that The Star in
1904 in any connection or for any purpose
declared It's stock to be worth less than
fifty cents on the dollar is deliberate lie
known to be such by the Times when 1t
printed the falsehood The statement that
The Star, to influence it's personal property
assessment of 1904, declared to the assess
ors or the District government that its cap
ital stock is worth only S4S 100 and that "a
complaisant District government or GRIM
inalIy inefficient Board of Assessors ac-
cepted as correct this statement and. took
official assessing and taxing action In reli-
ance upon it, is a criminal libel, known to
be such when 1t was published.
The Times knows perfectly well that The
Star, like the Post and Times itself. Is
taxed as to Its personally not upon the
capital stock of the corporation, but upon
its tangible personal property, its presses,
type-setting machines. &c. The Times
knows perfectly we'll that the assessment
of s4S 100 for such property of The Star
was reached by the application of the same
standards of valuation that were applied by
the assessors to the similar property of the
Post and Times, and that The Stars assess
ment upon its personally considerably ex-
ceeds that of its contemporaries. The Star s
tax assessment for 1904 is 1904 $50 in realty
and S4S. 100 in personal property. total of
1852, 40. on which 1t pays in all tax of
S., $50 40. The tax assessment of the Times
Is nothing In realty and $4,000 in person
atty, on which a total tax of $SSS.50 Is
levied .--
In perfect harmony with its consistent
policy of malicious villification, the Times
has I'm this instance deliberately libel
ed The Star. the District government
and the Board of Assessors 1t has lied,
with knowledge that 1t has lied; and ex-
posture of the lie will not put a stop to
the lying. For in The Stars opinion the
falsehoods were deliberately put forth, not
merely in the hope of injuring neigh
boris business reputation with the ignorant
ana credulous, but to tempt The Star to
notice the Times by exposing their falsity.
The Times would, 1t is firmly believed,
prefer to be placarded as gross and ob-
vious falsifier rather than not to be noticed
and advertised at all.