The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-05-08
GORDON CALLS HADLEY
States That Governor FaIsified Regarding
Board Of Equalization


ernor Hadley in letter to DR.. E
B. Clements of Macon and made
public by the governor, in which he
denies that he attempted to raise
the assessment of real property in
Macon county, State Auditor John
P. Gordon quotes from the records of
the state board of equalization, show
ing that the Governor not only
attempted to raise the assessment Of
real poperty in Macon county, but in
every other county of the state.
The following is the statement of
Auditor Gordon on that matter:
81 have read that portion of the
governors personal letter to his
friend, DR.. Clements, which the gov
e-nor had published in the Globe
Democrat under the headlines Had
ley Calls Democrats, ETC., and re-
plying will say the governor is in.
error. The records of the state
board of equalization discloses that
Macon county had its hearing on
March %, 1909, and at the conclusion
of this hearing and on the same day
the governor for some reason of his
own offered the following resolution,
omitting preamble;
''That the true value in money of
each class of property, as the same
is returned to this board for equaliza-
tion in each county, be ascertained
by thiS board: that this trne value in
money of eal \ class of such property
in each county be set aside in a
tubulation to be prepared, and that
where the value of any of the classes
of property in any of the counties, as
returned to this board, is less than
its true cash value, that such per
centum of its true value be added
thereto by this board, as will make
its assessed value as equalized by
this board, equal to its true value in
money, so that all Glasses of proper
ty in all of the counties will be and
is hereby equalized and assessed on
the basis of its true value in money!
"This resolution offered by the
governor was supported by him and
was defeated by the votes of Major,
Roach and Gordon. Now the COVER
nor's statement, the records of the
state board Of equalization show that
it was Governor Hadley) who made
the motion to leave the assessment
of real and personal property in that
county (Maconl the same as it was
returned by the assessor is not
correct The governor neither made
nor voted for such motion, and the
record signed by him does not sup
port his statement, but contradicts
it.
In considering the assessment and
equalization of the real estate Of
Macon county, it was considered sep
arate and apart from the personal
property. The fact is that after full
consideration General Major moved
to leave the real estate of Macon
county at the value as returned by
the assessor, which motion was. sec.
onded by myself and the motion was
carried by the votes Of Major, Roach
and Gordon, the governor not voting
either one way or the other, This
fact Will be supported by every other
member of the board who was pres
ent, as well as by the clerk of the
board. Mr.. Cowgill was not present
when the real estate of Macon county
was considered.
GAS to personal property Gordon
made the motion that horses in Ma
con county remain the same as re-
turned by the assessor. Gordon made
the motion that mules in Macon
county remain the same as returned
by the assessor. Gordon made the
motion that cattle, hogs and sheep
in Macon county remain the same
as returned by the assessor. Hadley
made the motion that asses and jen-
nets, of which there are lOS in Macon
county, remain the same as returned
by the assessor.
1.-THE board in considering the va
rious properties of the state consid-
cred horses, mules, cattle, sheep,
hogs, etc. separate and each class
was acted upon separately and upon
motion Of the auditor. Personal
property was not considered
nor acted upon in connection
with real estate all Real estate was
passed upon by itself, and it would
have been a physical impossibility
for the governor to have made the
character Of the motion he says, be
cause real estate and personal prop
erty cannot be and we're not con-
sidered together.
I'm considering real estate the
governor specially voted, as the rec
ord affirmatively discloses. to IN