The independent., 1907-01-24


in bringing the matter into it's present
shape.
The new method Of electing a United
States senator is so much in advance
of the old corrupt scramble that cul-
minated in the scandals of 1901 that
the state will never willingly go back
to the old system. The next advance
will be the substitution of the primary
for convention nominations That will
be as far as the state can go until a
federal constitutional amendment per-
mits popular elections. As the country
is now moving, that wholesome reform
cannot be more than half dozen years
in the future.
A curious gap in the laws protecting
minors from liquor and tobacco came
to light in the trial of Louie Kasdorf
for .'bootlegging" in York the other
day. The evidence against Kasdorf
seemed to show that he had given
away whisky to minors, an offense fin
able to the amount Of $25 when COM
mitted by a licensed liquor dealer. The
defendant in this case was operating
without license, however, and a
search of the statutes failed to find
anything to forbid an unlicensed liquor
purveyor from giving away liquor to
minors. The defendant was according
ly discharged The law on this point
touching tobacco forbids any person,
firm. or association" to furnish tobacco
in any way to minors under eighteen
years of age, but only lie nsed dealers
are forbidden to furnish liquor to
minors. The York Republican, which
reports the case, thinks that If one Of
York county's representatives in the
legislature drafts the proper bill to
remedy this glaring inconsistency on
the statute, by making it at least as
much of an offense 70 give booze to a
minor as it now is to give tobacco to a
10 so9Id HqlIoM9s!BId HI9A 'Iou!tu
legislation would certainly be enacted"
George w. Berge does the state a
service by devoting a part of the last
issue of the Independent under his
management to the question of ter
minal taxation. An effort was made by
certain democratic politicians last cam
paign to make the people of the state
believe that terminal taxation meant
taking a certain portion of the rail-
road taxes away from the country and
giving it to the towns. The statement
was so plainly false as to throw Just
doubts upon the sincerity of any per-
sons acquainted with the facts who
made such assertions. Mr. Berge's
statement of the matter, coming from
a prominent member of the party
which has not favored terminal taxa
tion should set at rest any ill informed
minds that may still suspect a scheme
to.--take something from the country
and give it to the cities.
that the plan of assessment for county.
school and state purposes shall not be
disturbed but that in the cities for citv
purposes alone the railroads shall be
assessed on all the property actually
in the cities. In doing this it will not
increase the taxes of people in the
western counties one cent. Tt will
simply make the railroads pay more
taxes in the cities and villages
This explains the vigorous opposition
of the railroads to terminal taxation
an opposition which must have
seemed strange to those who sup
posed the matter to be merely a
question of the distribution of rail-
road tax money between city and
country. Terminal taxation is simply
tnis AS everybody knows, the entire
vaiue or railroad property, including
expensive improvements in the towns.
10 supposed To be distributed for tax
u.inh purposes over the entire line
cities and towns are compelled to lew
.pcoiai city taxes for paving, fire pro-
,ection, policing, and such things, the
dement's OF which accrue to the rail-
road property within the town ,,xaat,v
as 10 any othc. ss..partv. Under .he
present method. this extra city lew
iaiis. not upon the value OF tho rail.
ROAD property within the cities hui
upon only that small proportion OF the
value OF the property that the milea ge
within The cities bears 10 the total mill
.sse OF The road. The country does
nor gam what the cities lose here The
ssi'fosds gain II by escaping their
SHARE OF the taxcs which 70 10 pr,-
s.ct and increase tho value of their
city property. The country has no n.
nancisl interest In the question OF ter.
niHai taxation. but II has a mnral in.
teress " seeing that the towns receive
Justice IN his matter al the hands of
the railroads.