The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-07-16
Taxation.

Taxation.
MR. EpIroR.-Iu your leader Of the 18th,
ron argue in favor of illegal discrimination
against real estate, and in favor Of every
tang else. Not by lie, ying n tax of Is ofo, .
per cent on personal property, and ~ on
real-that would be too palpably illegal and |
uniust-but BY appraising personal property
at its cash value or less, and real estate at |
fifty or any other per cent more than its val |
ne, and levying the same per cent upon this
unequal and unjust valuation. You admit
that the law does not justify it, but insist
that ''thore are sound reasons for it in prac-
iee." The man who IL little needy and
proposes to steal my property may, with
equal propr.ety. justify larceny by the same
argument. 1t is the same argument by
which mobs, regulators, vigilance commit
tees, iynehing, murders, arson and all ether
violations of the rights of the citizens are, or
may bd justified. Perhaps it is because am
mot practical business man." but for the
life of me can SEQ no difference, in princi-
pie between mans stealing my money d.
rectly, by putting his own hand IN my peck
ct. and doing it indirectly by procuring the
common council TO order the collector to take
my money to pay his proportion of the
| taxes. ,..
You say "a large portion of public expen-
diture il for Improvements that add to tie
permanent value, and facilitate the use OF
real estate" but You say nothing Of another
i L. 81 -, sao
Of expenditure, W hich has for its chief. if not
its sole object, the protection of personal
property, life, liberty and trade. You say
expenditures for drainage, schools. and pub
lie edifces, do not increase the value OF mon
ey. rotes, bonds, stocks, steamboats,. calico
silks. &c. Neither do they increased the in
trinsic va!ue of real estate, but they are
alike advantageous to oil thee itizcns. They
| tend to create demand for real estate, rer-
sonal property and labor; and if the supply
is fully equal to the demand, the price will
not increase, but il not, the price will in
crease whether the deficiency be fin real or
personal estate or labor. Your argument is
tho same as that very generally made use of
by farmers in opposition to taxation for the
construction Of railroads. They say, IA
railroad vii. not make my land produce any
more com or wheat" You say it will not
add to the value Of specie dollar. reply.
the wheat viii sell for twice or three times
us much per bushel, and the dollar will yield
twice as much in the shape of interest, dis
count and exchange, and wneth her tue value
Of calico is increased or not the vendor is
equally benefited, because if, without the
railroad. he could sell but one yard and
thereby make profit of Eve cents. but with
profit of 10 cents, he is making twice as
much with as he would without the railroa
R.al estate would be of no value without
personal estate and labor, and neither labor
nor personal estate could exist without the
dirt, and to the three the specie dollar owes
It's value. You seem to think the owner of
real estate is ultimately. almost the only
person benefited by public expenditures
List Us see how this is. Let ME PROFOUND to
you as ga practical business man" few
questions. Why do We ditch and 6rainl 1t
Is simply to relieve the owner of the ground
|
the merchants, the mechanic, the laborer and
the professional man nothing to DO with it!
On the contrary is not the prime object to
secure good health which is more important
to the laborer and mechanic &C., than TO
the land ownera The latter is, like your per-
sonal property. portable, and can take him
self whore it is healthy, and leave the frogs,
t,dpoles and mussetoes to enjoy themselves.
Who is most benefited by schools, public
edifces. courts &cl Is is not more important
10 every other class than the mere land owner
that intelligence and morality should pre-
vail! The interests Of others depend infn-
itely more on the good morals and integrity
of the people at large. The merchant coulj
do nothing without them and SO of other
classes. Credit. honesty, good faith, moral
itty, enter into all his transactions and with
ont them las vocation would be gone.
The law suits involving questions relating
, to personal estate and personal rights are as
/ thousand to one relating to real estate
Yet you would compel the latter to pay the
greater portion of the expenses of litigation
. You cannot burn up the dirt, and you would
compel the owner of it to pay the greater
, portion Of tho expenses of the fire depart
, ment. Neither can mobs destroys it, but you
would compel the owner of it to pay an un.
due proportion of the cost of public edifices
such as lock-ups, jails, penitcntiaries, etc.
and Of the salaries of Mayors, Clerks, Mar
shals, &c.
But your own article re flutes itself most eff,
cctually. You say 1.-THE ability to renew
the supply of articles weekly, enable mer-
q chants to do four times the amount of bust
, ness on half the stock they formerly kept on
hand when they renewed their supplies but
twice a year" that is, the merchants who
formerly sold ten thousand dollars worth Of
& ,ods per annum, can, with half the capital
9 sell forty thousand dollars worth, or with
/, the same capital eighty thousand dollars
5 worth; and supposing the net profit PEI
cent, to be the same-say 10 per cent-he
who formerly raised upon capital of ten
, thousand dollars profit of one thousand. can
now, with The increased facilities Of trans
u portation and intercourse with the same
capital. realize eight thousand dollars profit
Do yon find any parallel in the advantage.
derived by owners of real estate in this city
from publ: improyementsl Can the mer-