The new era., 1860-02-09
Taxation.

What is the meaning of the enormous
taxes with which the people of Benton
County, are, this year, afflicted +? We
have neither Court House nor Jail, nor
Registers Office. nor any other pub
lie building in the county. No ar
rangements are being made for erecting
them. So far as can be seen from out
side of the curtain, there is no prospect
of any. Mr.. Day furnishes the Room
for the Courts. We, without charge to
the County, furnish the room for the
Registers Office. And yet no people
on the earth, we verify believe, not even
the subjects Of European despotisms,
are so miseratly and ungraciously tax
ridden as the people Of this county. 1t
is not only shameful-it is absolutely
outrageous What are these enormous
taxes raised for /? Where do they 90 |?
What becomes Of the money that the
people are paying year after year, by
hundreds and thousands of dollars !?
What becomes Of it Can ANYBODY
tell 1t is legitimate question that
every taxpayer has right to ask. We
make no complaint Of the assessment
last year, so far as the valuation of pro-
perty is concerned But the tax levied
on that valuation IS perfectly frightful to
any man who dreams of making this his
home. The taxes alone will beggar
him in spite of his best efforts.
The idea of having to pay yearly,
between two and three dollars on every
hundred. for the privilege of living in
what we call civilized community, is
absurd beyond endurance. We protest
against it, and every honest man should.
Years ago, when we were the solitary
occupant here, but with property as
valuable as we now possess, our taxes
were about fifteen dollars year. Now
we are called upon to pay between fifty
and sixty dollars on property in Sauk
Rapids, no more valuable than it was
then and this for the privilege ofIiving
with neighbors. We would rather live
all the days Of our life as Selkirk did,
with no companion but the 4" fowl and
the brute," without the hearing of human
voice, where we should "sterte at the
sound Of our own," than thus be COM
PEELED to pay yearly tithes according to
the whims and caprice of irresponsible
organizations. But this is but moietu
of the outrageous tax fixed upon us as
one of this impoverished, hard pressed,
taxridden community. To say it is un-
necessary and unjust, is saying little.
1t is curse to the county-cripping its
energies and discouraging its people.
Ifpersisted in, it aviH curse it, and ought
to. We. for one, however much we
should like to see emigrants coming in,
could never be so great an enemy to any
human being, as to ask or advise him to
come and settle among US with his sub
stance, if this reckless manner Of taxa
ton is to be continued A few years,
and he would be robbed of all he bro't
with him by warrants and levies for taxes
1t takes the hard earnings Of many of
our citizens the entire year, to meet
these unjust aid wanton demands.
Our county is good one. Nature
has been lavish of her gifts upon it.
People would do well enough if they
could be permitted to enjoy that which
they have honestly earned; and not each
year .beicalled to pay hundred dollars
or so, on little property for which they
receive no equivalent, simply because
somebody--nobody knows exactly who
says they must. A reasonable tax is
to be expected in every community
But when any organization, township, or
otherwise, comes, at the end Of every
twelve months, with a demand for one
fortieth of all you possess--it then be-
comes a despotism to be resisted, and
not power to be obeyed.
~edT There is grave responsibility resting
somewhere whether the fault IS in the
law, or in the administration of it, we
do not care to inquire. One thing we
do know !. the system Of town organiza-
tions, judging from its workings. is alike
a humbug and an oppression, To adj
vocate. in these times double set Of
Officers in community, is arrant den-
.agoguery.