Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-09-18
Eanal Taxation.

The national Democratic platform ex-
plicitly lays down a general rule for
taxation, to take place of the Compli-
Gated system now enforced, 1t "de-
mands,' with all emphasis
Equal taxation OF every species OF
property, according to lis real vaiRe.''
No exceptions made. The great
question which has EN- baFassed all gov
ernments and all political economists
for generations, and which has never
before been solved to the entire salts
fatiOn of anybody, Is now settled! The
democratic wisdom gathered in Tam
many Hall on the Fourth of July has.
made the subject simple and has dis
covered a principle which can be un-
VerSa1 Y applied. Every species of
on any fictitious appratsenent, but up
on its real value.
This beautiful law of democratic f.
nance has not yet been fully elucidated.
The orators of Fammany have not obey
ed the orders oftheir chief candidate, and
vigorously pressed this subject of taxa
ton. Il is quite time they were about 1t;
and if they continue to avoid 1T, the Re
publicans ought to accept Mr. Seymour's
advice, and make this great democratic
principle plain to everybody. 1t is not
often that the party gives us such an
explicit and intelligible declaration OF
The Sdemand,' of the democratic
party implies 3 thorough change in our
present system of taxation. The laws
passed by the Repu blican Congress are
far from taxing equally "every species
of property according to its real value. -
The Republican party strongly prefer
not to do so; and although there are
doubtless, still many mistakes in these
laws which Republicans wish to remove
yet the changes they propose to make
are not in the direction of ssequa1 taxa
tion of every species of property" On
the contrary, it is certain that
every RepublicanR of influence in
this matter would prefer to retain our
present tax laws unchanged, rather
than to carry out the democratic plat
form.
Here then is a distinct issue between
the two parties. The government must
raise large amounts of money. Under
General Grant the outlay of the nation
can hardly be much less than S240, ,000,-
600 a year. Under Mr.. Seymour,
should the democratic party succeed in
regainiDg power, those who remember
Mr.. BUchanan's administration will be
sure that the outlay will rapidly rise to
vastly more than this. The Republic
can party propose to obtain the money
by adjusting taxation so that it shall
burden the people as little as possible.
The democratic party propose to do
/ away with all such adjustments, and
levy f'equal taxation upon every species
| of propery, according to its real value"
| For example, the 'treal value" of a
/ fancy sulky driven in the Central Park,
and of a farmers hay wagon In the
country may be about the same. The
Republican prefers to lay a tax on the
| former and none on the latter; believ-
| ing that the vehicle kept for the rich
1 mans pleasure ought to pay rather
/ than that kept for the labOring mans
| necessity. The democratic party pro-
| poses to tax both equally.
| That beautiful chronometer repeater,
| with independents secondhand and stop
with which races are timed in jerome
! Park, costs lust about as much as an
average Kansas or Minnesota farm.
| But the Republican Congress have
| levied an enormous duty on the watch
! equal to at least a good years entire
profits from the farm, and an annual
payment besides; while they make the
farm free. The democratic party pro-
/ poses to tax the farm as much as the
/ watch.
| The Administer carpet in a luxurious
/ parlor is worth about as much as good
/ farmhouse inNew York or Illinois,
| The Republican party would maintain
| the law which taxes heavily the rich
! mans tapestry and leaves the work.
| ingman's dwelling free. The democrat
ic party proposes to tax both equal y.
/ A cigar of average quality costs The
| consumer about as much as common
/ lOdT OF DTeaOs A DOBbl0 OF cnOlC9 Oiu
! MRieira wine, such as some leading
democrats of this city give their guests
| is worth as much as a barrel of flour.
| The Republican party in Congress have
voted to tax the wine and cigars very
| heavily indeed but have refused totax
the -four and the bread. The demo-
cratic party proposes to tax equally
sie1 cry species of property, according
1 to its real value" If flour be taxed
| like old Madeira, and bread like cigars
the loaf that is now ten cents cannot be
sold for less than twenty-five.
There are rich men VINO have incomes
| of scores and hundreds of thousands o1
dollars. There are poor men who find
/ it difficult, above their house rent, to
| get one thousand dollars of ready mon
| ey for their families. The laws for
which the Repu ublican party is respon-
sible tax the large incomes five per
cent, but do not tax the small ones at
all. The democratic party demands
the abolition of this distinction; which
will take fifty dollars from the thousand
necessary to support many laburer's
| family.
Every man who has access to the laws
can supply scores of further illustra-
tions for himself. Which principle OF
taxation do the voters of the country
prefer? That of the Republican party
to tax those kinds of property which
will bear it best; or, that of the demo-
cratic party, to tax equally 'every
species of property according to its real
value?"-M. Y. Post.