Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-07-08
AS 4 FARMER SEES IT
An interesting Letter To Which We Call
The Especial Attention of The
Enioiners.
EDIroRs DEMOCRAT AND HUSTLER


for gross ignorance or wholesale falsi-
flying has seldom been eeuAled and
never eXcelled even in the history of
the Register. We people of the
farming communities realize that the
article is meant as little taffy but we
have had the benefit OF reliable infor-
nation thanks to the 1.-TWO Bills")
and we know that one firm in Great
Bend had its valuation raised $4,000
and that with one exception almost
every business man In the county had
his valuation raised. We know that
the Board has asked for a statement
from the banks as to how much money
some of our best business men had
on deposit and that the board found
that they were actually ''overdrawn. !"
We know that some of US, when
Dmaking our property statements, can
forget what wheat or other invisible
property we may have, but when we
make special effort to dodge tie
tax. on such property we don't want
some measely- son-of a-gun~ to rub it
in on US that way and say: at is our
opinion that the farmers who were
brought before the board are not .'tax
dodgers" Great Scott Ira, don't we
know we didn't dodge that taxi
Now, Ira my dear boy, don't allow
yourself to be deceived by looks any
more.
Ira, that little 500 you speak of, we
farmers know that Mr.. Zutavern paid
his part and that the only other part
.collectable if collected would have
left widow destitute. Now we
would rather pay tax on our wheat
than have had that bill collected.
Ira, we know you want to curry
favor with us while we are sore, but we
admire Roosevelt for bis fight against
law dodgers in New York's tenement
districts, we admire Folk for his re-
lentless fight against frauds in ST.
Louis and we would have thought
more of you if you had not tried to
cover up our fault.
Yes, we admire our commissioners
Tor doing their sworn duty and max
ing the citizens of this grand old
county pay tax on what they own.
Now, Mr.. Clark, we farmers do not
know under what law the board could
put in ''the amount Of the raise. ="
Now Ira you know there was no
raise on any of the farmers. You
were taffying. You know they were
called to explain whose wheat they
had sold when they had sworn totheir
assessors that they had no such prop
erty, (See oath at bottom of property
statemen1s) and not to allow a raise
on property which was given in.
Ira, we would believe from your
article that you would class US with
the police official whom Teddy. found
in Mulberry ST., or the gentlemen
who went fishing when Folk went to
ST. Louis, but we don't care for any
such associates. We know that it is
policy for editors, preachers, political
aspirants and such people to say
what pleases the masses, but it is best
if you can't keep truth on your side
to please to be very quiet.
That clause where you show your
disinterestedness @ and speak of "an
illegal ORDER see Webster. Now
that clause makes us think possibly
your article may have been taffy sea
soned with envy. We farmers have
read of the methods of Tammany
Addicks, Butler, Quay and such PEG
pie until we are sure that there cal
not be too much publicity in regart
TO the public's business. Yes, Ira W,
are very glad to see that Uncle San
and the other two members are ''mak
ing a valiant effort to find taxable
property that was not returned.
Boys, that is a compliment to you
that is just what you were elected t,
do and what you took oath to do. Il
taking the oath of Office our official.
seldom notice the clause requiring
them to perform the duties of sait