OCR Text |
Show A JUST DECISION. I Yor some time past it has been the practice of railroad corporations in various states to procure from the courts injunctions against the payment pay-ment of state taxes on the ground of illegality in the levy or exhorbitant valuation, the result being that these corporations have either declined to pay ta.tca altogether, orjhave dictated their own terms to the local authorities. authori-ties. The injunctions granted have had the effect to practically release the railroads from taxation. The state of Illinois carried some of these cases up to the supreme court of the United Stales, on the argument that an injunction would not lie until the complaining corporation had paid the portion of its taxes which had been legally assessed. It was contended that if this view be not sustained a corporation possessing millions of dollars worth of property can wholly escape taxation by proving that some : portion of its property has been as-1 sossed too high. The supreme court of the United States has now reversed the decision of the lower courts .in tho Illinois cases before it, holding that the remedy of the railroads against alleged illegal or excessive taxation is not by injunctions injunc-tions but only by Buits at law after the payment of tho taxes assessed. This is a very important decision, ectth'.ig at it docs a question which had becomo very troublesome to state a:.'.I local authorities. Jn Illinois no h bs than seventy-five suits are pending pend-ing to enjoin the collection of taxes assessed against lands and other prop- j erty of railroad companies, which represent perhaps one-third of the ont:rc Uxablo property of tho state, ttial a number of similar injunctions have been granted in tho circuit court (if California. The decision of tho supreme court iufonn.i the railroad rail-road K' "try lhat they must piy their Uxuj hfcfore they attempt to fihl tiici.i in the courts. The people will cry amen, and a,xm applaud the rtniii'.-iit ju-t'.co of the decree. |