The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-04-12
HERO SHEDS
HIS GUNS

Captain BIZ Mcdonald Quits Pursuit
Of Bad Man.
/ Austin (Texas) Cor. New York Sun. ]
J Captain Bill Mcdonald, the man
\ ready TO make a change on Hades with
a single bucket OF water. is making
it hot for the tax dodger. In his new
Office as the State Revenue Agent he
Is charged with enforcing the state
revenue laws.
In the Office as commander Of the
Rangers Captain Mcdonald learned
that all laws were upon the statute
! books to be obeyed. About the first
thing that he discovered when he took
charge of his new office was that the
tax laws were being violated in every
county of the state.
Instead of property being assessed
at its full market value as the law re-
quires, it has always been the prac
tice TO place it upon the rolls at from
one fourth to one third of its real
value. Under this method the total
assessed values of the state last year
were $1.2lO.0OO. Instead Of Texas be-
ing a billion-dollar state, Captain Nc
Donald intends that it shall be a
hree-billion-dOllar state.
The first thing that Captain Nc
Donald did when he had read up on
the law was to send a circular letter
to all the County Assessors inviting
them to meet him in Austin. Then he
made his debut as a public speaker
His talks were not marked by any
oratorical flourishes.
Il am going to put some high life
on you fellows who have just been
doing your duty" he told the Asses
sors in one of his speeches. Just
because it has been custom to rem
der taxes in the old way is no reason
why we should not do it according
to law"
Many OF the Assessors came to
Austin with a feeling of animosity
toward Captain Mcdonald, but he
whipped them all into line, and be-
fore the meeting adjourned resolutions
we're unanimously adopted thanking
him for taking up the question OF
assessments and promising to assess
property at its full market value.
The present tax rate is 1923 cents
on the $10C. If Captain McDonald's
efforts succeed the next Legislature
will be able to reduce this rate to
cents on the 500.
Captain McDonald's appointment as
State Revenue Agent came to him un
solicited A day or two after Cover
nor Campbell was inaugurated he sent
for Captain Mcdonald and offered him
the place.
You have spent practically all OF
your life hunting down bad men" the
Governor said to him" and | want to
reward you by promoting you to the
position of State Revenue Agent"
Captain Mcdonald inquired as to the
duties of the Office, and, after some
persuasion, agreed to accept 1t. al
though the outlook was that 1t would
be tame job after the kind OF excite
ment that he had been used to for
many years.
A day or two after the Captain as
sumed the duties of the Office he was
asked by the Governor If he was still
wearing his gun. The Captain said
he was.
You are no longer peace officer;
you will nave to take them off," the
Governor told him.
CAPTAIN Mcdonald demurred at this.
He told the Governor that he had been
wearing guns for half q century and
hat he would feel lost without them.
The Governor insisted that he would
nave to lay the weapon aside.
Captain Mcdonald silently debated
n his own mind whether he would
give up the two guns he was wearing
,r quit the office to which he had just
,een appointed.
Governor, you don't know what
nay happen to me II take on these
runs" he argued. Like as not some
elbow who dosn't like me will throw
ne down and take my tobacco away
rom me; wouldn't mind being
brown down so very much, but |
would hate to have my tobacco taken
way from me-"
The Governors won his point and
captain Mcdonald removed his two
runs from their holsters. and has not
worm them since.