The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1912-11-06
In Open Letter He Asks That
Lawyers Known To Be
Loyal To the Cause OF the
People and Free From Cor
poration Taint be Employed
In the Suits Against Tax
Dodging Corporations
OPEN LETTER.
Frankfort and Covington, KY,

October 31st, 1912.
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
mon people"
These last words of my assassinated
brother, William Goebel, have a sacred
Significance to me and when in Sep
TENDER, 1909, l again commenced to
take an active interest in our States
affairs, it was not to gain political ia
vor, for there is no Office l would
have; but it was with hope and con-
tidence that my work would, during
the administration of the present state
officers, open up an opportunity fol-
Kentucky to take up William Goebel's
work where the assassin's bullet had
interrupted it, and in that event every
department Of our government would
give thereto by voice and action mosi
positive, vigorous and loyal support.
Relief Must Come.
Necessity for action in the interest
of the 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
some 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?
God knows the corporations now
suing the State have been able to pro-
cure (and 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 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. true
awakening of the people has come
and henceforth every man who would
hold Office must be progressive, and
no imitation viii satisfy them; they
will sweep aside and into oblivion as
old chaff any man who hesitates on
dares stand in the way of betterment
of conditions and improvement in ev'
cry way for 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 of the large cor
porations fighting in the courts and
by sinister methods, endeavoring "a
perpetuate unjust and unequal taxa
ton, TO throttle the action Of this
State Taxing Board, the first to act full
ly in the interest Of the people, they
would long ago have been paying into
the State. county and city treasures
their just proportion Of taxes.
II is very evident that In Ken
lucky. as in other States, big corpora
lions will never pay a cent more Of
taxes than they are made to pay.
Take the case OF the G. & o. r. r.
In 1911 this road. on its entire sys
tenn In Kentucky. paid taxes on a to
tai valuation of only $9.31S,27O. where
as the street railway company OF the
city OF Louisville was made to pay Oh
valuation OF s10.sO0.OOO. The G.
o. Il. r.. in 1901 paid taxes on fran
chise valuation Of only s2.171. lSs. and
N 1911 on valuation Of only s2.Tts.