Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-10-28
INSTRUMENTATION.

house in South Bend township,
by the Republican nominee for rep
resentative when he accused Mr..
FEEDER, the Democratic nominee,
of having been a supporter OF,
and to a certain degree response
bic for the law which authOriz-
eS the office of County Assess
or. 1t was thought that possibly
the statement was made in error,
but as it has been made in other
sections of the county, and not
denied by the author, it seems to
be done for the purpose of mis-
leading the voters of the county.
We are indeed surprised that any
person should make this kind Of
q statement, when an examinations
Of the records shows that it is abe,
SOlutely false. 1t is an indica;
ton that the opposition to Mr.
FEEDER is hard pressed for an argu
ment.
In charging Mr.. FEEDER with be-
ing a supporter of the law, and
responsible for its passage, they
give him entirely too much cred
it. They attempt to credit him
with possessing influence of con,
siderable Importance in a Repubr
lican legislature, of which he was
not a member. 1t is not in line
with their other argument, that
the member from this county
should belong to the dominant
party, in order to do good service
The facts concerning the law
are these. The legislature of 1907
passed what is usually referred
to as the "New Tax Law, and
which created the tax commission
and the office of county assessor.
The law was approved March 9th,
1907, or almost two years before
Mr.. FEEDER went to the legislature.
Mr.. NewcOmbe, the first county
assessor for this county, was ap-
pointed in January, 1908, and he
served during that year and the
next year. Mr.. FEEDER was not
nominated for the legislature I'M
til August, 1908, or not elected
until November, 1908, or was not
sworn in. until January, 1909, so
therefore it was impossible for
him to WELD the power attribut-
ed to him in the statement. .'fi
1t will be remembered that one
Of the plankS of the Republican
platform in 1908 called for the ell
ectiOn Of the tax commissioners,
also the county assessor. In his
message to the Legislature in 1909,
Governor Stubs called attention
to this plank, but recommended
that the office of assessor be abOl
iShed in counties having a popu-
lation of less than 10000. In sup
port of this proposition House
Bill No. 1872 was introduced, but
raised the minimum population to
10000. This bill was adversely
reported by the house committee
On assessment and taxation. But,
upon this bill, Mr.. FEEDER united
with Mr.. Buchanan, of COwley and
Mr.. Mercer, of Chase, in a minor
lty report (see page SIP of the
proceedings urging the house to
pass the bill. Senate Bill 1853
was favOrably reported by the
committee. This carried with it
& county assessor. When the bill
came before the house, the minor
itE report, complying with the
governors recommendation, was
adopted by the house (see pages
759' ard 1907 Not only did Mr..
FEEDER join in the report and vote
for its adoption, but he practi-
cally led the fight for the same
See the State Journal of March
End, 1909. This put the matter
up to the Senate, who refused
to accept the amendments, which
were the minority report. See
page 76S of the proceedings. A
conference was held. The same
members who made the minority
report were on the conference
committee, and labOred hard and
long to secure favorable action,
but it was without success. It
was therefore up to the house to
leave the law as it was which pro-
vided for the appointment OF a
county assessor, or to partly full
fill the pledges of the Republican
party, make the county assessor
elective. Mr.. FEEDER stood by the
GOVERNORS recommendation bv