The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-08-30
Why TGS EquHIizatin LawI
Was Super71OuS Legislation

First, because any stakeholder of a Cd
poratfon holding even one share of stod
can by a petition in equity before supert
court have the affairs of the corporaHk
examined by an auditor appointed bv 4
court and its affairs equitably administers.
and the state and county corporations an
each taxpayer, shareholder so far as d
raising of revenue and the paying of the
penses of the state and county 90, Unite
only by the constitutional Drerogative
naming by vote the rulers (directors) Of
the electorate, irrespective of whether thS
are property owners or hold stock by bal
ment of head tax. Now, that being tru
and on that principle of corporate exsten
all bonds are issued, for if a state or a cOu
ty could not be compelled to pay its bond
indebtedness its bonds would not be sal
BILE. Now, this principle having been Is
tablished by the decisions of the highaM
courts, reaching back before the Unit
States had separate existence and cOnfn
ed since by the last decision in the Virgin
West Virginia decision as to the sharing h
the bonded Indebtedness of the state Of
ginia before the setting up Of Virginia
separate state, any taxpayer of any cOu
ty can by petition to the superior court
setting forth with proof that the property
the county has been inequitably entered
on the tax books, that is, WIS. place is CIV
at 1919 per acre while AS. of less val1
is given in at Sc and accepted by the
assessors when VS. is worth on an ayerss
of $40 and AS. on an average of So, or
cotton has not been returned by c. NJ
at any value whatever-have an audI
appointed and the property of the cOu
searched out and returned at its proper
ue as directed by the statute governing,
the cost of such suit will be levied by
court upon the county and If neceSS
mandamus issued against the county CO..
missioners compelling them to accept
pay the cost of this proceeding. FurnS
every dollar illegally paid out for any y
pose whatsoever can be sued for and reIul
ed to the county treasury, one mandam
covering both transactions.
Some years since Dougherty county NAY
commissioner named Watson, whe had ho
sense and a God-like perception OF w.
equity meant. He insisted that II prOps
was returned by Albany at one price
price held good as to county taxation
the supreme court upheld him. SO tnaH
ond, we see that county commissioners
nerve, fear of God, and love OF tairplay
of themselves, without the compelling l%
of court intervention, see to 1T that Vhe III
tvs affairs are properly administered
necessity is for men-not dressed-up niI
kins who are moved hither and yon a.
property owners, who control thehl,
And the comptroller of the state mas
had all the powers that this spurious ~,
of equalization conferred upon the tN
missioner. He can now and could tlish :.
all the property of the state equallZIeNd a.
tween the counties upon an equltaGOie. t T.
and if the counties like B1DD, ohai,I
Richmond, Fulton and Muscogee wouia
before the courts with mandamus piJTt
ings the comptroller could and wG Gaf
compelled to grant this equitable rene ann
to get fair taxable value from ea tho ID
ty, and thereby lessen taxation by uo
as we'll as properly pay the empiOtt oocbe
benefciaries of the state-llke t1e . "s
of her public schools-and the eieIV schoo
institutions-like the deaf and ollnu o 5Tn
and the sanitarium and the reIoIma
as well as her Confederate veterans 70
have the law; what we need is men men shou
force it. And never more than nu" rs nd
the cry go up to God: God, give ',y
whom the lust for office shall no' W.
the spoiIs shall not blind" H. WreN
Now, shall vote for Comptroller he
for re-election-not because l tnlh M ~ "a.
measured fully up to his duty IN 'n md u
but because I think the Legislature so GO
people are to blame for his remlsssIIle ne neon
legislature by enacting fool laws, VI, The
by not investigating and K Kno" tbeir So
rights and duties and competing III III thnS
wants to obey the laws by doing al ! have s
laid upon them, and also because iii ask
supreme contempt for a man who w"n WIN
to publish as news new hs sU,ft
that is solely for his personal I GthSdI But
pauper in the true sense is to be pls ance
public pauper is a public y sPPTTVES
should be abated ANDREW r. ~