Evening journal., 1914-10-28
DR.. MORGAN States
CAMPAIGN attitude
Announces Stand as Pro-
greSSive and Asks 0ppo-
nent to do Likewise


open letter to James f. Caspersop,
the Democratic candidate in the same
district
Mr.. James r. Casperson,
Wilmington. Delaware
My Dear Sir have not the pleas
ure Of your acquaintance. think /
need not assure you. hOwcfe er. that | I
am writing you this open letter in I
the kindiest spirit. though in plain ,
speech regarding public affairs, be-
cause of the public's interest in the
matter
You and / are both candidates for
the Senatorship Of the same Sena-
toria District OF this city, the First.
We are candidates. to be sure, under
nomination Of different political party
organizations. you of the Democratic
party and Of the Progressive and
Prohibition parties.
II is true to say that the Demo
cratic party has given some evidence
of progressiyeness in the nation, and
did this slightly two years ago in the
legislative session in this State Your
party platform this year. however, Is
very sparing of promises in that di-
rection; and they refused outright az
the State convention to embody dec
larations in the platform favorable to
the Initiative, Referendum and Recall.
10 womans suffrage and TO the over
throw of the liquor traiiic. Further
more, none of these other reforms re-
garding which ! shall address you in
AZ Lott In
document
The people you will agree, have rot
ten too far along in intelligence 10 be
expected to go to the ballot box and
vote merely under party name. ask
ing no questions; and they have too
much interest at stake and too much
right in popular rule. TO allow their
candidates to be silent regarding Vi
tai issues and expect to be voted for
and elected by them to Office. The day
for voting i'm the dark, as to party at
titude on these issues. or. worse still,
when party hostility TO them Is we'll
known: or for voting for candidates
when they are mute as to these issues
for intelligent self-respecting men
Is in the past, never of reason TO be
again.
Asks Questions.
] am going TO state some of these
issues letter Of wise length will
not allow many-and ask you to state
frankly and thus publicly, as I will
do. what will be your action as TO
these issues, if elected to the State
/ Senate
I. The matter Of property assess
ment needs new legislation to make
II uniform and equitable It has to do
| with state. county and city taxes
The taxes collectible can thus be
made oven and fair to all our people.
Large property holdings ought to
have the same ratio 10 real value in
the matter OF assessment as small
property holdings million dollars
worth Of property as a thousand dol
| lars worth OF property: and the taxes
/ laid and colectible upon the great
property aggregation ought TO be in
the same ratio as upon the small
property modestly owned. All un-
improved land ought TO be made 20
bear its proportion of increased taxes
according TO its increased value be-
cause Of the Improvements made
nearby.
Moreover. all other property values
than realty, as securities of various
sorts, ought TO bear their proper
/ tionate burden OF taxation on ac.
count OF their proportionate protec-
tion of government, which they re-
quire and receive. know a man
j in this State rated at half a million
i dollars who pays taxes on less than
] half a hundred thousand; another
man rated at nearly as much who
j, pays almost nothing into the tax ac-
? count
Their possessions are in securi-
z ties that under our vicious tax laws
/ are untaXable. and the number Of
p. people in this State similarly situ-
. ated in varying degree may be pre-
4 sumed TO be many. submit that
+ this is grave wrong TO the realty
owners of the State. There ought
ii. 10 be prompt legislative relief from
!. all this. And IL it\ we're given II
!. would be just and fair. and would
nj greatly increase the total tax re-
coipts. in the State, county and city
o treasures. This would result, il
" can plainly be seen, in a general de-
? crease in the rate of taxes
s if ! should be elected 10 the State
r Senate ! would give my vigorous sup
d port TO such measures. What would
d you do as 10 that crying need?
&. Public Utilities.
. 2. There is plain and urgent need
for a sufficiently empowered aud eff.
: cient public utilities commission. Al
tho public service corporations OF th,
State and Of the city ought to be sup,
orvised by a fair and Just authoril,
placed over them by the State. refer
to the railroad that runs through th,
state. the street railways in this cit,
and the gas and electric light com
panies here. These all diner from III,
private business enterprises that en-
ter the field OF competition on then
: own account and conform to tho rule
of competitive business as TO thei
: prices. These public service corpora
tions have special grants Of fran
chises from the state or from the cit,
in view OF their public service feature
and while they should be allowed il
all government oversight ADEQUATE