The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-03-06
FoR THE MASSACHUSETTS SPY. Z
T,AKATION-NO II

The raght, then, of government to detern,;no
the proportion which it will require its ci,;gors
to advance in the shape Of taxes being e.tah-
hshed, 1t remains to shew by what poiicu thev
should be governed. And our opinion i tbat
IL should be IN progressive or ascenGing ratio
according to the increasing amount of prontrtv,
Our reasons Tor this are the following -
Government is established Tor the bana6t or
the whole, and to secure 10 each individual 40
much personal happiness as possible. Indiv;d-
ualS submit la the loss or qualification of GER
tam o. Their natural rights, and to the expenses
anu burdens OF government, in the expectation
OF reallzing more fult and secure endowment
OF the rights which remain to them and tbose
which are given to them by the social CON-
pact. Among these is the right of propertv.-
Property TO a certain amount is ahsolntsi,,
necessary to their happiness but beyond tb;s
amount, though it may serve to CRAFTY pride
and enlarge desire, it in fact procures nc no
aaallonai solid comfort. 1t is, therefore. the
rlSht OF individuals to require of government
u.At IL should impose as little burden as possi-
pie upon thelr property until it has accumulate
Gu 10 d sum adequate to their rational wants
nuA To make Their principal acquisitions OF
tnose whose means OF living are far beyond
necessities. 4 he weight with which tax
ials upon person, will always depend upon
tAe adequacy OF his income TO meet his neces-
say Expenses. 10 man who is lust setting,
our In HE with family dependent upon his
exertions, the fruits Of which are barely suff-
Gent TO their support, any deductions from
these MEANS operate as severe burden and
has tendency 10 damp his enterprise. Thew
DIMINISH the fund with which the absolute.
necessaries of lille are to be procured. But to
Ihe man OF wealth, who is annually in the
reception of his countless thousands. and who
hnds It impossible to appropriate but mere,
pittance OF them in objects of consumption or.
personal use, taxes are in fact not at all felt.
lhey merely prevent his heap from accumu-
latlng SO rapidly as it otherwise would, with
out depnVlng him of single comfort
We are well aware of the objections which
VIII be raised against these remarks and this
system, and believe we are prepared TO evade
the force of them. it will be said that tie
accumulation OF property is beneficial to the
State, In the multiplication of Gapital---that ID
has a tendency to elevate and improve tie
character, and foster habits which are the
stability and protection of society-.-that it
creates deeper interest in the government,
and a stronger attachment to its laws and in
situations. That such salutary effects do flow
from it,, we are far from denying but we
contend that, under the proposed system, so
far from their being checked, they would re-
ceive still greater encouragement and impulse.
Instead of diminishing capital, it would in
crease it, by lessening the burdens of much
the largest portion of the community, the
working classes, those in fact who are person.
ally instrumental in producing capital. As
much capital as would be taken from the
rich would be set free among the poor and in
dustrious and it is well known that the same
amount of property divided among number
is much more productive than when concen-
trated in one only. 1t would have little or no
effect in checking the enterprise of the rich
in the further acquisition of property, since
from the small amount of taxes raised in this
country, it would consume but very small
proportion of their income.
The effect it would have upon the charac-
ter and habits of the community, and upon
their respect for the government, instead of
being injurious, would be happy. There is
no danger that men who have attained 10
afluence, by the long exercise of correct and
useful habits, would be induced to desert
them, because small additional sum is taken
from the fruits of those habits. They will
have been confirmed by time, that nothing
of this kind can possibly shake them. But
with the young, and that class who have
their fortunes yet to make, the case is differ
ent. They have their characteristic form, and
their habits to adopt; and it will depend much
upon the encouragement which is given to
their industry and enterprise, what this char
acter and these habits shall be.
Another objection may possibly be urged
against US, that it would not be right to in
crease the ratio of taxation according to prop
erty, when the circumstances of individuals
of large property may sometimes require the
expenditure of all the ayails of this property.
To this we say, thai the objection has no more
force against the proposed system, than the
present one, where man pays in proportion
to his property. 1t is impossible for any
system to have regard to the particular Cir
cumstances of individuals. General pre-
SYMPTOMS only can be respected, and one of
these is that the more property man has, the
more u1laPpreciated income he has, and the
better he can afford to pay taxes. S.
Life Of Martin. We notice that the
third edition of the life Of Martin, who was
lately executed for highway robbery, has is
sued from the Press. The fact is to be re-
GREETED both as it is an indication Of the viii
ated taste Of the publick, and on account of
the injury it is likely to cause to the morals Of
youth. Although we never could submit to
the degradation of following him through more
than five or six pages, we have seen enough OF
the work to lead us to concur, heartily, in
the sentiments expressed in the following ex-