Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-04-02
More ana More; Yes, More Revenue.

More ana More; Yes, More Revenue.
Editor REpUBLIcAN:-The following
is not intended to he personal or local i'll
its application. 1t was suggested by the
extraordinary circumstance Of the search
of our records by a foreign assessor.
In days mo- so far agone as to be Ell.
,irely forgotten. a discrepancy 'twixt in.
come and ontgo, with income short, al.
ways set OF foot a rigid retrench,nent
policy, but of late years the very opposite
prevails. If officials vested with the tax.
ing power find a shortage Of revenue they
at once begin to hunt for sources of more
,rtrnme, and in this mad search for mon
ey with which to make a display for bd,I,
purposes they not infrequently become
SPIES. They go nos,ng around in musty
records. prying into the affairs Of their
neighbors; often their best friends be-
come the subjects OF suspicion and Of a
dark lantern" sort Of investigation that
brings not good to anybody. In the old
days if a taxpayer forgot TO list a part Of
his property, or Of property supposed to
he his, and such failure to make return
canie to the ears of the assessor, he would
hunt up the delinquent and slap him OH
the back, with, Say, old man, did you
forget to list that Y = note, or is il paid'"
and right there the matter would he
settled. How is it done now? The
method is a stencil OH earth, a disgrace
to all who take part in it. II is at once
whispered around the circle of men who
have been honored by election to Office
and who ought TO Ike kindly disposed to-
ward those who support them, that 70 5
is hiding bis property from the assessor"
and with winks aud elbow nudges they
whisper, well get him." and before the
poor devil of a taxpayer. 9 S, ever
dreams of trouble the county records
are made TO say that QS has failed to
give in his property. and then some
newspaper publishes to the world that
9 S has failed to give in his proper
Nv. or, in other words. has made false re-
turns is a criminal-and is this what We
American people have come to- A mar
tried, convicted and sentenced without
notice. and the newspapers furnished
with a copy of the proceedings There is
not a tyiaut ruler on earih but has NOR
respect for his subjects than the modern
tax CATERERS have for the people who
toll 10 get money with which to satisfy
taxes imposed upon them. Has i, cu,ne
40 that. q mans good name is to be sacri
feed because some taxing official suspect,
that he hS not given in all Of his proper
~? Mr.. Editor, don't believe that p,er
are SO dishonest, and If they are, tn.
statute presents exactly the method b,
which those who do wrong may be reach
ed Our officials ought to be manly men
holding a due respect for every citizen
ever remembering that they are being
paid literally for their service out of tn,
money which they take from the people
Officials should, in the administration,
assigned them, be equally and exactl,
just, SO that all the people may homo
them, and they, if possible, honor III,
people, officials should have pride fo'
the people aud lift every ,uan higl, il
public esteem, il lie can; to suspec, a ,nal
al wong is to rob him OF his repu,a,io,
ASd degrade him, ia. alone in the out
w1rId, but alas! in his own heart, and tn,
wuraf hnst sou can give a man is TO rol
him Of faith in himself. As a citizen .
our coMxy and taxpay Ell, l beg Of yo,
who have t.eeu vested by our votes witt
the taxing power to deal with us gently
kindly. We do not need velvet Carpet
in our public .4:ces. Very few of n
have them at hss,e Ia floor covering o
wood splits is the esst yourhumble scrib'
can afford). Some If the well to do
are taxed out OF ak proportion 10 thei
income and the IesuN is a rapid absorp
ton Of their property by the taxing pro
cess; while others. ySuag and vigorous
with good income and .rAt lti>ed) tax
sble .iuff. pay almost sss.!aT Let u
ehink IN these suggestions. Aurl De wise.
SiXR