The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-02-21
HARmsBUno, Feb, 6, 1916.

Dear Sir;--Your favor of The Cd inst,
came 10 hand by due course Of mail.
regret that the principles contained in
the bill which had the honor TO pre-,
Sentto the Senste, some days sic ce
should be Objectionable to a gentlem 10
of your scknew wledged intelligence, Bu'
am not disappointed in finding the bill
robjsclio lab!e. have long since come
to the conclusion, thats system Of tax
alton, for the gradual payment OF the
State debt, Of for the punclusl pay menr
of The interest, that would be free from
reasonable objection and acceptable to
oil, can never be devised. The man
who undertakes this task will fail to &C.
'compllsh il. l Sm we'll aware that ID
present taxes are onerous, and i regret
as much as you the necessity for their
continuance, or that il should be the do
ty OF any one 10 inquire into The expe.
diency Of adding new ones. Certainly
II is no very agreeable task for public
servant 10 propose or advocate taxation
OF any kind. 1t makes up more than
q full proportion Of bi!teY for all the
SeOeet Of legislation.
You say you wculd Ike 10 see a 'sys,
tenn of taxation that would bear equally
upon all the wealth Of the country and
at the same time be efficient and satis-
.8aclory.' i should rejoice with you 10
see system OF this kind in operation.
These phrases sound harmonious, but
they ere mere words Of promise 10 the
ear, 10 be bfoken 10 the hope.--A sat.
fjact0ry tax will never be devised
TIE regulation Of the mere machinery
of tex laws is a most difficult task, and
such equity and nice regard for individ.
sual rights, asyou desire, is more than
human ingenuity can attain.
Butt hopeao convince you that al
leas, some OF the positions which you
have assumed against a tax on lneal de-
scents, are unsound. You say it is tax.
ing the dead and wronging the widow
and orphan The sams remark will
apply with equal force to oil the estate,
now taxable in the commonwealth. The
origin owners are now al! dead and
yet thess estates are taxed. The pres.
ent inherilors were at one time looked
upon as as'widows and orphans but yet
their property is not exempt from taxa
ton If your position be correct, every
estate passing from first hands ought tc
be free from taxation, because it had
boen ,oxod inths name Of The orisina
owner, and having passed into The hand,
OF his heirs ought not 10 be again taxed.
This principle would, in The space OF
thirty years, exempt all the wealth of
the State from taxation, and leave The
Government no means of paying the
expense Of protecting this properly, or
these defendants in it, enjoyment. This
tax 10 intended, and will apply 10 all
the wealth Of The State, without disturb.
ing the presen, tax laws; and the whole
product is TO be applied toward the pay.
ment Of the principle of the State debt,
and would not agree 10 assess it for
any other purpose.
Again, you say il is 'axing The es.
tales twice. This is very true. But
you might say, with the same proprieiy
that when the Legislature in 1874 rails
ed the lax upon real estate from two 10
three mills, that il was taxing The same
property twice. In both cases there is
merely an increase Of taxation. The
object in the one instance being to pay
the interest. and in the other the princi.
pal Of The State debt: this tax would
reach all estates, real and personal, The
same as our laws now in force. 1t may
be said The one estate will pass sooner
than another, and hence a time will be
when such estate will have paid more
,of the public deb, than another OF equal
value. But ii is estimated that 80 years
all the property OF the common wealth
would be taxed under The provisions Of
Of this acl, and i, will then have borne
an equalproporlion of The debt hold
the right of an individual TO property
which, he has acquired by his own la
Dor 10 be very sacred, and would not
gree to any entoaehment upon such
rights that was not demanded by peces
sity.
Asto The mere machinery Of The pro
posed law, | do not look upon The fes.
lures ofthe bill as being the best thai,
can be- adopted. Some more certain
efficient means Of securing its execu.
Z Jon will have no doubt be discovered
sYou cOr:pIain Of the gradual increase
of The rate Of taxation as the estates
become larger. x am nc, certain thai
on uniHottn rate OF two or hrea per cen
upon ell estates without reference ,o|
sLeir ualup would rot hear Rcrutinyl