New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-30

But, though our taxed COW roared like the bull
Aforesaid, she gave the milk and the moro she gave
/ under the gosd and whip the harder her hide
became, until she ceased all noise, Like the man
who was very comfortable on the rack. 1t would
seem 10 be reduced TO fact now that, the pecun.
airy nerves of the patient being all gone, perennial
one screw more TO the instrument Of torture mat
ters not. SO would it appear from glance at the
growth Of the rate of taxation since about the time
when that promising gentleman, Fernando Wood
esq.,. came into Office. The taxes increased from
1853 to the epoch when the last Financial Report
was made, two million nine hundred and sixty flour
thousand dollars, or in round numbers three million
dollars making the actual taxation Of the city the
frightfu sum of over eight millions, and besides the
tax levy for the year 1883 just passed by the Coun
cilmen, is three hundred and 6fty.three thousand
more than that asked from the Legislature BY the
same Common Council this year. As there are
between eighty and ninety thousand voters, this
tax of between eight and nine millions makes it one
hundred dollars the head for every voter. After
such exhaustion as this it is difficult to cry out.
Human nature seems ready to surrender, and the
spirit to be broken with the burdens laid on the
body.
1t is sadly suggestive of the abuse Of terms-of
what might seem to be the fate of the people,
that "tbey are deceived because they love to be
SOTO find all this perpetrated under the name of
Democracy. Baptized with that swindle, which
is rotten before it is ripe, they submit to an mpO
siton of taxes the like of which has made all the
revolutions of Europe. "The Revolution" said
Robespierre, els taxation" SO considered John
Hampden, and so every man who has opposed or
overthrown a government BY exciting civil war.
All property coming of labor, whether of brain or
hands, it follows that the labOring men Of this city,
in whatever vocation, pay the taxes, and hence We
have the spectacle of Work paying large proper
ton of its gains to the City Government, before it
provides cent for the State and National Govern
ments. The hideous excess Of taxation and the
coincdent waste in this city may be eucidsted per-
haps yet more forciby by rough parallel with tax.
alton as it used to be, and taxation as it is in coun.
tries whose citizens we have been taught from
childhood TO pity as the victims of the Tax In.
spector-the "Mr Winter
Who though his names Winter
His proceedings summary"
When this country began its national career with
some four millions of inhabitants, the national taxes
were between two and three millions, and the State
and local taxes cOrrespOndngly small. As late as
1923 the taxes of the general Government were but
thirteen millions, though John Quincy Adams
being born on the wrong side of the Potomac was
fercely excluded from Office for second term on
the ground that "Retrenchment and Reform"
were necessary to succeed 10 extravsgant and dlap
idated an Administration. At that time, too City
Az State taxes were in the same modest ratio.
NJ. chel Cheyalier, the French Political Economist,
writing from observations made In the United States
in the years 1s33-34, estimated the taxes then at
one dollar aud fOrty-fve cents head for each MEN,
Der Of the entire population. De TOcqueville,
shortly sfterward considering this state of things,
wrote that he did not know which to do-whether
to envy the condition of people so happily placed,
or be amused at the triviality of our party differ
ences But Democracy of the more modern sort
being let loose, ali that was changed. NJ. Chcvalier
would have TO multiply his dollar and forty
cents by several times, if not more to reach the
sum merely for the local thieves, without counting
the general ones; for it is fact that the people of
world, are now become the most so, their national
and commercial advantages considered.
Next, let US compare our situation with the taxes
of Francesnd England. The French budget isa
centralized one and includes large local as well as
all the national expenditures. Under Louis Philippe
~; fay IN ivta drad mill fran
distributed o7er thirty-fve million people. Under
the necessary Reorganization of the Revolution of
184s it rose toupward of eighteen hundred millions,
and the taxes lave not been materially altered In
France since then. Calculating the taxes OF France
at this highest revolutionary figure We have
national tax there of fifty francs or ten dollars
head. The Parsians have to pay something more
than this for Their special eDjoyments and the psls
tal improvements which render their city the
Mecca of civilizations and enhance their profits in
proportion. The taxes in Great Britain, including
about twenty millions sterling for the public
debt, are over fit millions sterling, about four
hundred million dollars or eighteen dollars u head
for every one of he population. The local taxes
of the people of this city alone are thirteen dol
lars a head, tie State tax about one dollar
q head, and the national tax collected through
the revenue about three dollars head; so
that We are tsxedseyenteen dollars head or about
the same as England, having however but skele-
ton army and nav to pay for, no colonies or ma
iestc splendors t. support and getting plethora
of civic crime anG filth in return. After this ex-
pose, the less Tanmany Hall Tugs up the carcass of
pr;tah faxstion for the admirng leYnOcracy