American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-02-24

pc nue.
owe admit the general disposition and strong
desire on the part of tho great mass of our
population, to rescue the State at once from its
degraded position, and to pay an equitable pro-
portion of the required assessment, in whatev-
er shape it may be presented; but there are
few, and these the most clamorous known TO
the community, to whom it is almost impossi-
BILE to believe that any such fairness of mind
and purpose attaches.
"Their uniform language is, and it is spoken
trumpet-tongued through every daily newspa-
per-increase direct taxation, the only equta-
BILE mode of acquiring additional reveHue-as
the trading portion of the community are al
ready overburdened and trodden down beyond
all endurance and with other kindred argu-
ments, they would fortfy their position by de-
ciarng that the SIS 900 derived by the State
| from tobacco inspections, is paid by the city,
when in reality not dollar is thus contributed;
and that 900 more, the tax on auction
sales, is paid by our merchants and traders,
while the fact is notorious, that more than
| three-quarters Of all goods and produce dispos.
ed of by auction IRE derived from consignments
originating without the State
1--WE have neither sympathy or fellowship
with such views and actions, and would resist
with manly frmness all attempts to increase
the direct tax against either city or county pro-
perty, until an enactment can be framed and
executed, whichshall reach and tax by force of
| law, and upon an equitable scale with their
neighbors, those whose rule of action imposes
no law upon themselves those, in short,
| who would embroil the city in controversy
about pence can be equitably compelled to pay
by pounds"
| With regard to the assertion in the first pa
ragraph there is no proof, that the merchants
and traders "alledge the most unfair exemptions
in favor of the great mass of the holders of real
estate" | have seen no such language.
So with respect to that in the second, where
is the proof "that all suggestions for raising adj
ditional revenue except by an increase of direct
taxation are uniformly opposed" All these
suggestions, except one, have been matured
without the slightest opposition from any quar-
ter.
In the third, fourth and fifth paragraphs we
find these epithets and expressions: there are
few, and these the most clamorous known to
the community, to whom it is almost impossi-
Bile to believe that any such fairness of mind
and purpose attaches"-"those whose rule of
action imposes no law upon themselves"
u In the fourth paragraph, it is asserted that
''with other kindred arguments they would for
tfy their position by declaring that the S25 900
is paid by the city, and that S25 900 more, the
tax on auction sales, is paid by the merchants
and traders" when, in reality, not dollar is
thus contributed to the former, and it is noto-
rious, that more than three-fourths of all goods
and produce disposed of by auction are derived
from consignments originating without the
State.
If the merchants have made either of the
above assertions, it is new to me. have not
heard of their claiming that the tobacco inspec-
tons were paid either by the city or themselves,
though they might do so, with some rea-
SON, as the purchaser Of tobacco, frequently the
merchant, on his OWL account, has to pay the
outage on it,-or in other words, the storage,
which, in the case Of all other goods is paid by
the owner. Nor have heard of their assert
ing more, with respect to the auction duties,
than that they were paid principally by them.
| differ with your correspondent as to the noto-
riety of the fact, that more than three-tourths
of the sales by auction are on account of per-
sons out of the State. My impression is, that
the hurried sales are of sugar and coffee, and
it is believed that the greatest part of these,
particularly of the latter, are on the importers
account.
Your correspondent beside indulging in those
assertions and charges, makes some ilustra-
|
Stamp act, the only matter which meets oppo-
sition from the class he 50 roundly arraigns?-
By no means-but Of the unequal burdens
borne by certain property holders, as contrasted
with those of certain mercantile firms. If he
were a merchant, he would know that this very
thing has been freely talked of among mer
chants and that the great body Of them are as
ready to have whatever is wrong in this respect
corrected, as himself He would know too,
that some of these very firms are on the same
side with himself, and deneunce the opposition
to the Stamp act, pretty much after his own
fashion. IF it be a fact, that many merchants
and traders are not taxed to the extent of their
wealth, it is not generally known to the mer-
chants as body, although they are aware that
in many instances this is the case.
If, however, your correspondent would look
at the other side of this question, he would find
that great many merchants are taxed much
beyond their real WORTH 1t is within my
own knowledge, and doubt not, of many 9TH
ers, that such is the fact in many instances.
| Many merchants doing an active business are
taxed according to the value of their stock of
goods, Sc, when those very goods are not paid
| for, and when in fact, they are not worth one
dollar in money, all their capital consisting in
their integrity, industry and punctuality.
There is nothing more precarious than the
profits of merchants. What scene of activi-
ty and enterprise is presented by every mercan-
tile community? What large masses of capital
are moved by them, and what mutitudes of
busy hands are kept in operation by them-and
! yet in how few cases are fortunes realized by
them.
Their profits are paid away in interest to the
capitalists-in rents to the holders of real es-
tate-in salaries to clerks-in wages to labor
ers-and far oftener than otherwise, it results,
that after life Of toll and anxiety, after max
ing others rich, of the classes above mentioned
the merchant himself dies poor.
How many estates ofmerchants when wound
| up pay all the claims on them? Was it ever
| known that merchant left behind him, at his