The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-16
County Commissioner Flags Tax
League Officers.
Takes a Shot at Gov. Stubs on
"Grandstanding."
ADMITS HE is HONEST
Says League Should Not Meet in
Court Room.
Row Between O'Neil, Kemper and
TillOtsOn Warm.

Edwin L. O'Neil. county commits
sioner. positively declines to change his
: opinion that the Tax Payers league
: ought to go out of business. In addition
to paying attention to the local league,
+. O'Neil begs to sidetrack Governor
Stubs theory that every county needs
tax league of its own
Speaking of the Kelley & Kelley case,
: when the county failed to get par value
s for the Missouri Pacific bonds and
s missed the mark several thousand dol
? lars, O'Nen touches the subject gently.
Z The commissioners knowledge of the
Tinotson case is much fresher in his
mind. Then he raps the league off
3. Gals as disgruntled office seekers who
met with little success in their search
for public jobs. Finally and concluding
his own answer to the Kemper-Tillot-
!. son answer to his original charges,
y O'NeiI suggests that the tax league
could save the tax payers a few dollars
should they decide OF to hold their
meetings in the court house.
In a statement made today to a rep
resentative of the State journal, O'Neil
E has something like the following sug-
gestions to make as to how and why
the league needs fixing:
O'NeiI Flags League Officers.
Brother Kemper and Brother TiIiot-
. son. head pushers of the tax league and
erstwhile standing candidates for Of
Answering Mr.. Tillotson, so far as I
know no member of the board owes
the county Il single copper on accOupnt
of any stock deal, unpaid fine, or court
costs for crime committed or charged,
and it is my private opinion if they did
they would come through like game
sports or go to jail and serve it out.
and never go before the board with a
poverty plea at the expense of the tax
payers
LAS 1 was clerk of the court of To-
peka at the time of Mr. Tillotson's ar
rest 1 have personal knowledge of what
witness and counsel, and in spite of
that, the court f. ind him guilty of an
assault made on another man with a
hatchet and fined him IS and costs 1
have seen many a poor tramp fined
$50 and a jail sentence imposed for a
less serious offense.
After the trial the court remarked
that he 'disliked very much to fine
poor brother lawyer, but there was
nothing else to do for it was unjusti-
fable and without provocation.' What
1 Mr.. TillotsCn says about the arrange
ment to save him from the humiliation
of serving it out is doubtless true, and
am sure if / were prosecuting attor-
ney, and Mr.. Tillotson made a similar
clemency would be recommended.
Case Costs County $500.
But never theless his rash act cost
the county almost 5000, and the school
fund lost So fine. haven't any doubt
if Kemper and TilIOtSOn were the cOun-
ty board, they would so manage the
county business that the city, state,
board of education and township levies
would never increase, and if they were
left on the Job long enough, with their
superior ahiiity, the affairs of all would
be run without expense Apparently
there are some things these gentlemen
don't know.
They don't know that the increase
made by the city this year over last
is double that of the county; that
every township in the county made
large increases; that the state made
an increase, and they don't know that
the county levy was reduced for five
consecutive years until this year, and
they don't seem to know that the
same board which made the increase
this year gave the low levy last year.
And they don't want to misre present
the facts by openly stating that the
present county board is responsible
for all the increases this year.
Il have no objections to the tax
league if it had anything new to offer
or suggest. But it hasn't I am a
member. and have attended every
meeting. Another thing Mr.. TilIot-
son and Mr.. Kemper don't know, and
that is that nearly all of the running
expenses of the county, for which
taxes are levied, are fixed charges
made by the legislature, and every
time the legislature adjourns there are
many new fixed charges on the coun-
ty, sometimes to the regret of the
board.
Bad Faith Is Charged.
IF the moving spirits of the tax
league had given me some encourage
ment a few years ago when I was try
ing to get q new fee and salary law
for this county. at some personal ex-
penSe and time, and If they had back
ed up the present board in it's effort
to secure the passage of an act pro-
viding for quadrennial assessment of
real estate, and for quadrenniaI cleo
tions instead of biennial to save the
thing as q tax league in this county.
1.-The trouble with the moving
spirits of the league is, they don't
want those things because they might
miss some chances of sitting on cleo
ton boards or serving as deputy as
SCISSORS at the expense of the dear
peepuI.' and Mr.. Tillotson would not
have a chance to charge the tax
league rent for the use of his dingy
office. Fees are scarce though with
some lawyers
Il have fust read w Y. Morgan's
interesting little story, "A JayhaWker
in Europe In it he makes some per-
tinent remarks about the universal sin
or habit of kicking on taxes whatever
they are and observes, as many others
have, that death and taxes are certain,
the former absolutely, but that a few
are experts in dod ring or evading the
latter The greatest fight the board
has is in protecting the county treas
ury from such fellows as those who
are fathering the tax league. and from
some things I have have read in the
papers the city officials viii give the
same testimony. If there is anything
to the rumor that there is to be a
committee appointed, or resolution