Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-12
THE TEaMIN1L M PLEDoF.

The republican state platform Of
1905. upon which the present state
om6ers and all the republican mem
bers OF the legislature were elected,
contains. among others. the following
plank:
While we believe that the present method
81 assessing railroad property IN cities and
villages, and distributing taxes therefrom
through the various counties. Is just and
fair insofar as II relates to county. state
and school taxes, we demand that the reve-
nue. law be so amended that the railroad
property within cities and villages shall
also be assessed and taxed the same ne
other property for city and village pur-
poses.
This platform pledge is not only
specific, but was subscribed to in writ
ing by nearly all the legislative candi-
dates and thus became one of the in
ducements to their election. More
than this. through the stupidity of the
democratic state chairman endeavor-
ing to enlist railroad support for the
fusion candidates. this particular
pledge was made an issue and was In
fact emphasized more than any other
one plank in the platform.
If the terminal tax pledge means
anything, It means that without chang
ing the existing law as to the assess
ment and taxation of railroad property
for state, county and school district
purposes, law is to be passed to ena-
BILE cities and villages to levy and col
lect municipal taxes upon railroad
property within their corporate limits
on the same basis Of value as levied
and collected upon other property
within their Jurisdiction.
The justice of this proposition is not
gainssid even by the most ardent of
the paid railway lobbyists. They adj
NIT that the railroads are Sinking
their city taxes. Besides attempting
to stir up prejudice as between Omaha
and the rest of the state. their only
plea in defense is that to authorize
terminal taxation would tend to dis
turb the distribution plan of assess
ment for state, county and school dis
trict purposes. But this does not fol-
low at all, nor does It deny the justice
of the proposed terminal taxation for
city and village purposes.
The whole case in a nutshell is sim
ply this; The railroads have I'D to
this time escaped practically all city
taxes and naturally want to perpetu-
ate such a valuable privilege of tax
evasion. If they can do this, what
they save will have to be paid by the
other taxpayers in the respective cities
and villages. The railroad lobbyists
are hired to protect the railroad
pocketbook. II they can defeat ter
minal taxation they will be entitled to
ask for increased salaries. while the
Lawmakers who play into their hands
will be left to look out for themselves.
The terminal tax pledge, more than
any other pledge in the platform, in
wolves the question of railroad domi-
nation. When the railroads are COM
PEELED to pay taxes like other people,
to exact only reasonable charges from
patrons without discrimination, and to
provide proper facilities for transport
ing passengers and freight, they may
be less active in politics. but SO long
as they have special privileges and tex
exemptions to protect, they will try to
nominate candidates and manipulate
politics TO hold their advantage.