The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1912-11-27

OF only h,OlVso<V, WnGeah, Lne DOhft
found their 1912 assessment should b.
t14.746,s57. The L. a N. r. r. In 1901
paid taxes on a franchise valuation o.
only s6,504,s79 and in 1911 on valua
ton of only s11,s99,200. whereas, tn,
board found their 1912 assessment
should be s45,42s.074.
Flight Must Be to q Finish.
~ want TO tell you gentlemen, that
that assessment ls fair and Just, anc
" we get Justice In the courts we will
win. But, no less man than the Hon
William J. Bryan, the great champion
Of the people, has stated that courts
do not always do Justice to the peo
Pile; and that other great champion Of
the people, Hon. Theodore Roosevelt
said the same thing, and recently
charged that some Of the Judges he
put on the bench proved dishonest
Gentlemen, want you to 90 into this
fight, with an ardent heart and with
loyal lawyers, and fight to a finish and
to death, II necessary. Now, ! want to
say to you I am no corporation hater.
'
to have corporations, and big ones,
but we don't have to have them to the
disadvantage Of the people. ! want
them to have dividends. But I do not
want them to reap them at the expense
Of the people and the other taxpayers.
Let them pay what the other taxpayers
pay. Equality Is all ! want.
without exception all these COM
pan.es and the two others now suing
wanted the same assessment for 1912
that they had in 1911. The Board Of
Valuation and Assessment based their
1912 assessments on convincing proof
of values placed before them, and the
assessments are uniformly Just and
fair, and of the more than four hun
dred corporations assessed by the
board this year, only eight have pro-
tested in the court, and these are
among those that have always pro-
portionately paid the least.
State Robbed Of Millions.
I'm the last twelve years, since the
death of William Goebel, the State,
counties and cities have been robbed
land the word robbed is the only word
that fits the case) of more than ten
million dollars in taxes.
~ am going to prove II.
'In the years from 1902 to 1911, In
elusive, a period of ten years, there
has been an average increase in the
franchise assessments Of the four
largest railroads in the State Of only
IL per cent yearly
Think of it! and this almost un-
believable record Of astonishingly
small increases was made in the ten
best years for earnings that the rail-
roads of this country ever saw.
Inadequate Taxation of Railroads.
"The picture here presented of the
previous inadequate franchise assess
ments is astounding, but when one
examines into the situation regarding
the tangible assessments made by rail-
road commissions Of the properties OF
four of the corporations now suing
the State, the word astounding is in
adequate and here must be supplanted
by the word 'dumbfounding' to state
more correctly what the tangible as
sessment picture actually presents.
Take the case of the c. & o. R. r.
and the records show that the tangible
property Of this company In 1892, 20
years ago, was assessed at $8,019,577.
Notwithstanding the much added mile
81 f.o - 81
system, acquiring much new real es-
tate, probably more than doubling the
equipment of engines and cars, and
meantime increasing by earnings the
value Of its stock $50 per cent, this
company's tangible property was as
sessed in 1911 at only $6.2T0,270. or
21% per cent less than in 1892, 20
years ago. Further comment TO show
that our State has been robbed Is un-
necessary.
THE other railroads have been sim
ilarly inadeQuately assessed on their
tangible property for many years.
Corporations Prevent HoSsst vaLua-
tions-
In fact, until this year the Board of
Valuation and Assessment has been
controlled in the interest of the
wealthy corporations by some hook or
crook, either friendship, political favor
rendered or to be rendered, bribery or
intimidation, but never before has the
State, counties or cities been given
what they were rightfully entitled to.
Another of the many examples of
fragrant abuse Of public trust.
~ wish could leave out Of my
remarks what am about to cay, but
that 10 Impossible under present cir
cumstances. Until now, have said
very little about tho L. q N. Railroad. |
Some may say that ! have an old anil.
mostly to the l. & N. Railroad Com
pany, because Of tho assassination Of
my brother. ! say, gentlemen, that Is |
a mistake. In my state OF health and |
at my age, ! have nothing but love
for my fellow mon, whether they agree |
with mo or not Next TO the last words |
that my dear brother spoke were
these: They do not understand.
forgive them.' There may be some who |