Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1912-11-05
OPEN LETTER.
Frankfort and Covington, ~,

tTd0klOIl OON AAJp
October S1st, 1922
To His Excellency, Governor James b
McCreary; to all Administrative and
legislative officers of the State and
to all citizens Of the Commonwealth
who are interested in equal and uni
form taxation:
TELL my friends to be brave and
fearless and loyal to the great com
men people"
These last words of my assassinated
brother, William Gcebel, have sacred
&gnificance to me and when in Sep
aember, 1909, | again commenced t.
take an active interest in cur States
affairs, it was not to gain political IA
yer, fer there is no Office | would
have; but it was with hope and con
f6ence that my work would, during
the administration Of the present state
o.1cers, open up an opportunity fcr
I-satucky to take up William GcebelsI
Wc.k where the assassin's bullet had
Interrupted it. and in that event every.
q. -rt-cert CT cur government would
llsse saereto Ey'vcices and action mes;
McSitive, vigorous and loyal support.
Relief Must Come.
Necessity for action in the interest
CT tie people has grown as years have
passed until it has developed into what
is to-day a crying shame and from
which relief must come.
Too long, altogether too long, has
there been unjust discrimination
against the people, unjust and burden
seine taxation upon the people, as
compared with what has been required
to be paid by the big corporations of
our State. Corporation lawyers have
boastingly said the death of William
Goebel was a benefit to the corpora
tions. If this was true. the question
is, how much longer shall the people
be held in bondage because of his
death?
OGod knows the corporations now
suing the State have been able to pro-
cure land the word procure is used
advisedly) immunity long enough from
paying their just share of the taxes.
A hundred million dollar increase
In the value of corporation property
for taxation opens a new era in the
States affairs, and has awakened the
people, and brought them to a realiza-
ton of what has been done to them,
and there will be a further awaken
ing, which will correct abuses equally
as great as unequal taxation. A true
awakening of the people has come,
and henceforth every man who would
hold office must be q progressive, and
no imitation will satisfy them; they
will sweep aside and into oblivion as
Kpld chaff any man who hesitates or
Wares stand in the way of bettermeEt
OF conditions and Improvement in ev-
cry way fer the whole people
Gross differentiation.
No one doubts, had William Goe-
bel been permitted to live. that which
was done last month By the Board of
Valuation and Assessment would have
been done more than a decade ago,
and to-day, instead or the large cor
kL4AllOno lie Nuns - thN - 2AAA
by sinister methods, endcayoring 20
perpetuate unjust and unequal taxa.
ticn, TO throttle the action of this
state Taxing Board. the first to act IN.
~ in the interest OF the people, they
would long ago have been paying into
ne state, county and city treasures
their just proportion of taxes
it is very evident that in Ken
lucky. as in other States, bic corpora
tions will never pay cent more OF
taxes than they are made TO pay.
Take the case OF the C. & o. r. r..
In 1911 this road, on its entire sys-
TEN in-Kentucky, paid taxes on to
tai valuation of only $9.313,27O, where
as the street railway company Of the
city of Louisville was made to pay on
a valuation of $1O.sO0.0O0 The C. &
o. r. Re in 1901 paid taxes on a fran
ohise valuation OF only $2.17l, 1so, aud
~ 1911 on valuation Of only ,2.7ts,'