Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-05-21
THAT EIGHTH AMENDMENT
c. F. Clark Gives Notice That It
Is a Dangerous Prop
0sition.


proposed Eighth amendment to
the Constitution of Missouri that
was so well defended here u few
nights az" b, its able advocate,
Mr.F. N. Judson, which provides
for the separation of the state
and local revenues, establishing
local option in the counties and
municipalities of the state in
the selection of the subjects of
taxation, l have To say that, to
my mind, it is the most danger
Gus and unsafe legislation thGt
has been proposed in this state
for thirty years and deserves
defeat at the November elec-
tion.
The chief reason offered in ia.
vOr of this amendment is that
the large municipalities of the
state are compelled to pay more
than their just proportion of the
state revenue. as the constitu-
tional rate of taxation is made.
quate to MAINTAIN city govern
ments without raising the as
sessment of values oct of proper.
tion with the rural districts,
thereby putting upon the mu-
inequalities an unequal burden
for state revenue in proportion
to the raise in values. In an
swer to this unequal burden
complained of, will say that it
is not the fault of the law that
such an inequality xists in the
large cities, for in truth 1T does
not exist according to the un-
questioned facts. 1t is nothing
more nor less than wilIful neglect
on the part Of non.enforcement
of the law; III the city of st.
louis alone, there are nearly
5000, 900, 10000 on personal de-
posIt in the banks and at least
twice that much more in notes
and bonds, aud from the records
VIC see they only list for taxation
in money, notes and bonds com.
bined, less than $l2, 600, 600. 90,
Ii the cities wish relief and want
it in an honest way, all that il
necessary is to elect men to office
who will uhearth this vast
amount of wealth bS placing il
on the Assessors Books for taxa,
tion. The large cities of the
state have furnished for years
the harbor of safety for the tax
dodgers, and If 80 per cent OF
the property that is now hiIder
away in the cities of tins state
was listed for taxation, the rat,
for state purposes would not ex-
ceed ten cents on the hundred dol
lars. The friends of this amend
ment further insist on it becoming
the law on account of the liberia
privileges extended Ia the county
courts and city councils of the stat
by clothing them with the powe
as provided for in Sections 3 4
of this amendment, in subjectin!
to taxation for local purposes tn
real and personal property within
such jurisdiction, and extending +
them the power to exempt any elias
of property within such iurisdic
tion from taxation either wholly Il
: by reduction of the rate of taxa
tion hereon: Provided that an
taxation or exemption from taxa
ton made in any county or cit
0 shall be uniform upon the sam
/ class OF objects within such terri
, tory" and further by granting Oh
General Assembly power to sele,
special subjects of taxation fc
state purposes and power tO exemI
: those subjects from local taxation
In the constitution of our stat
v the power of taxation was wisel
I limited and the Legislature is eve
4. denied the authority of enactin
any local or special laws, Gran
ing tO any Corporation, AssOcii
ton ar Individual, any special ,
exclusive right, privilege or in
: mnnity," which is a very wise pr
u vision and many of the counties
" our state under the former cOnsi
. tuition suffered greatlyon aceouI
I of the wrecklessness Of their cOul
tyc0urts, bonding their counties (
railroads that were only seen {
9 paper.
y This proposed amendment gran
Il to the county courts and to &
!. city councils in each county al
city in this state the u
!, heard of power OF taxing and G
= empting property from taxation
they deem best with this limitatio
Il Provided that any taxation or q
- a n