Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1866-01-18

taxed three times, at least on every article
we wear. On the leather Of which your
boots arc made, there j. n tax before it
leaves the tanner who adds the tax TO
the value Of the leather. before he sells il
10 the boOtmakcr; and when the boots are
made they are taxed six per cent. on their
value, which tax is added by the bootmaker
TO the price Of the boots, which have alrca-
dy been taxed once; and when you buy the
boots, the seller is taxed on the profit he
makes on them, which tax il also added TO
the price Of the boots, and thus on the same
pair Of boots, you have been taxed three
times, " hich, in degree explains the rca-
son for the high price you paid for them.
But although in the price Of the boots you
paid the tax assessed on the tanner and
bootnakcr they also are sufferers for the
higher price of boots, or hats, or coats, or
dresses for your wives and daughters, the
fewer Of these articles will be sold; JH me
erd ,cjH nat beDre1tiy JcI, Until our curren-
cy Is reflttccd froBi seUest 10 three OF fo,ir mil
hOa dottars, when "A dollar greenback will
be redeemed by a dollar in slyer-that is,
when the people feel that paper dollar i.
really worth dollar, they will take care Of
1t accordingly.
1t seems 10 me, citizens, and ! would be
glad to learn your opinion relative to what
| am about to ,ay--it does seem to me that
taxation should BE- equitable; that j., that
each citizen should be taxed according to
his means; and If am in error, trust that
may be corrected. For example, were two
persons to have the same means, it appears
70 inc that they ought to be taxed equally.
But suppose one Of them is worth twice a.
much as the other, would it bcjust to make
the poorer man pay as high a tax a. the man
who is worth two dollars to his one? You
say that 1t would be unj ust TO do so: and
believe that your judgment is right Well
then, let Us suppose that Mr.. Jones, who
has no business or profession, and who lives
without labor, has a wife and family and is
possessed Of an income Of sixteen hundred
dollars, accruing from mortgage securities
and he has a neighbor, Mr.. Smith, who
owns no property, but has wife and family.
: and Is also possessed Of all income Of six
} teen hundred dollars, the product Of his in
t dustry. Now these two men have the same
income, and pay the same amount Of tax to
G support the Federal Government; but what
: is their relative situation? Jones is worth
over twenty-siX thousand dollars secured b,
mortgage, which yields him, without labor
>. sixteen hundred dellars year; while Smith
J. owns no property whatever, and his iac0nlc
~ which Is the product Of his toll, not only de
~ pends upon his health, but also on his beinl
In.t or dacreas sol LI, ac:;Jan.3 o,'ar -ri;oi h.
>. has no control. And while the family Q
r. Jones, in the case of his death. are still Sc
:, cure in the income Of sixteen hundred dol
> lars year, the family of Smith would b
i, left in u state Of destitution, should he die
Can it be Just, then, citizens, that Smith
:, who is only worth one dollar, should pay a
i. heavy tax as Jones who is worth twenty
t of Gonnrons O''-"'s' -'1 SUM i '--' 10
c Tbar11 ! anotbor r,o+ oon,oc,aJ rri+b n,
;,cd,Io ta, - ,,b;oi III ~ 80 49,, -,
,to,.ion Tbo ~ ;od,, ~, oa
a5 % +; C! I w tIViT ,i I - F e
o;nI I.no. f,r ,,,,;i .L ae ~ 80,
tbo am3nnt of The inco,n, i not tn"En me-
? Bnt sunnose that dnrinr the incHme ~ear
the family Of Smith was afflicted with III,
ness, which coused him n eyhaust his an
fire income. and thar Jur;ng nortion NJ
the following YEAR, the same in which the
tax has to be paid. he is unable to OBJ
tain employmcnt-can Won tell me citizens
where he is to get the money to nav his last
wear tax? His family must be fed and
housed. and clothed: and he is without en-
ployment. with only one dollar in his nock
ct: and vet the law requires him n nav os
bnovvo inv as Tones ubn ;s worth trnntv
tGosanJ @ inc, ,,,'o "U ,,o,, ~ mI''', r;t
nnss;hIo NV fr;nnIs tbot ITnb low non =, Lo
iH iHr.t9 =" 0''-- ~
Rr+ o,o;r l.. - .,,,,,,o-, H.. .1,,,.
f az, ~ pos S So L"G ~
ha,,a o,, ''T 60
~ e; I'm i
~ Ii -; e';1 luz :iionCu iHH'o ~
M'lton i n 1i.L dC MS 4uiiy tSsIag T3.tH one
t unouaitiu !"J - uoi'ulS, HHIe smith H,cs & III Z
Ieli'G'i TouSe' ;TL Tiu - CnE WTIlll one nun.
u'cu uo''ais; @ heSc tuiliiIigS tiNc uP 'otneIl
llCo.'o h "bN H., a Iol d" 'noii i,.eIies | lu
tqual' eHcIi, y! 'iie ieM' l. leqIffeu nf ~ pa!
1 ne sum "'I,'.i, iano y. t my uGIaIs
nc iiio.iIue ~ DL!ut9 w 'u3 S"s l,ail, opneS
Tas Nus WILin II 1cn nulireu anu olnltn one nun,
uieu uoiiatn ti'as ~ IoIcS was "oi'h te''
III - Gs III, 20 GaC!i m''
t PIT; " u.' ~! uo.ltis =. III l!opGLI "
= Fay MS 'aA, tnus ltIucilis @ .ne MJas!n ~
'oties 10 iile i hu1ltteu auq MY, aha clhiIl
~ ~ uo,i"l ma, of ~ Hot'Gs pau MS "a
Will i rnou;rnd smith ~ nav one. .boIf -
! all he owned. Before the tax was paid
Jones was worth ten times as much as sSmitl
p hut the moment after the tax WAS maid h,
! was worth nineteen times as much-th at i,
" after thc toy was naii .Jopcs was worth nine
= bundrcd and fiftv.' while Smith was reduced
- tn fi{fv dollars.
: / fear, citizens, that will weary your pa
ticnce; but as the subject is an important
one. indulge me in one further illustration
will again take my examples from those