Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-04-26
To The Voters of Rockbridue

l do not enter the Primary as a can
didate for the Legislature,
In the year 1900 l taxed the Val
ley Railroad for the first time, l did
this almost unaided by single
citizen of Rockbridge. | wrote the
bill and tad it introduced before
the House and Senate on the last
day on which bills could be intro
duced that session. The House
bill was shelved in an hours time
by the chairman on roads and rail
roads conn. ittee, but the Senate
bill was passed unanimously Aithin
three hours. With the aid of Seun.
tors Keezell of Rocking ham and
Opie of Augusta, | took the Senate
bill over TO the House and had it
substituted for the House bill. MIR.
Bolivar Leech arose from a sick BID
at Ford S Hotel to make the subSti-
tute at my request. Rockbridge
owes il to the kindness of Speaker
Saunders, now Congressman Saun-
ders of tie 9th Virginia District,
that the bill was pushed and pass.
ing at 9 o'clock Gov. Hoge Tyler
sent for Clerk J. ". Burger OF
Rockbridge, to enroll the bill, and
requested him to bring new pen
and holder. and after signing the
bill he handed me the pen and hol-
der and said, II hope il will always
prove a pleasant reminder of the
service You have rendered your
county. l am writing with that
holder at this moment. The bill
was offered at 10 a. NJ. one day and
was passed and signed by 9 a. IN.
the next day after a lapse of % hours.
| felt quite proud of my first bill. |
Ii is now paying ROckbridge ar
uuslly 81. 900, Augusta and Staun-
ton 81, 1880 aud Rockingham,
$9441 IL.
The first year after the tax was
levied ! entered our county treasur-
er's Office to see how much revenue |
it had produced, and to my surprise
it was much smaller than [ had an
ticipated. l began at once to en-
quire the reason why, and / fou I'D |
the assessment had been reduced |
from 81 OO0 per mile to IS, 900 per |
mile, losing the three counties
1920, 900 and the State $12OO 600 tax
sble property annually. | took the |
next train out OF Lexington for Rich |
mOnd and entered the Governor S |
Office and asked the reason for the |
reduction in assessment. At that |
time the assessment of corporations
was done by committee composed |
Of the Governor, Auditor and Treas
urer. Gov. Tyler told me he was so
busy that he had to depend, to a |
certain extent, on the advice OF the |
Auditor and Treasurer for his value |
on the corporations and that be |
thought the value a very low one at
the time, and added, Go down to |
the offices of Marye and Hartman and 1
ask the reason why the valuation /
had been decreased. knowing /
MIR. Hartman / went to see him first,
and he explained to me that the au-
thorities of the railroad company
had come to him and said, IF you
Will agree to reduce the assessment
to $4,000 per mile we will not 90
into the courts and defeat your leg
islation, but if you do not. we will
enter the courts. Mr.. Hartman said
under the circumstances he thought
best to acquiesce, but if | would
wait until the next year he would
put the value back to it's original
amount, and probably more. l did
wait and no increase in value. |
then laid the matter before the
Board OF Supervisors and said /
would not vote for Mr.. Hartman.
During the primary which de.
" L
be Mr.. Mann, Mr.. Swanson, or Mr..
Willard, and | wanted to vote for
Judge Mann on account OF his local
option views, / was challenged by
4 gentleman OF Lexington at the
polls, and letter from Lieutenant.
Governor Ellyson was produced and
read to me, having been received by
the County Chairman of the Demo
cratic party in ROckbridge, saving
do not let him vote, and was told
10 stand aside as / could not vote
because / would not SUPPORT Mr.
Hartman. who was the nominee for
treasurer of the Democratic party.
explained, Mr.. Hartman was not
before the primary as he having no
had already been named
as the nominee and that would not
vote Tor his opponent or electioneef
against him; that / did not care to
lose my vote for Governor. was
told to vacate the premises, and |
went, full OF modification and indig-
nation that l could not vote with
the party | had always affiliated
with, that | had acted for as chal-
ienger through the entire Readius-
ter regime, having to come twice
from another State by request to act
as challenger, because no one else
could be found in my party to do