Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-09-18
HERE YOU ARE.

HERE YOU ARE.
The Bedford Lagu'rg dares US to print in
full It's article OF August s, on Equal Tax
alton. We accept the challenge and give
it below, Uefbatim. We have dared the IR
quirer. several times, 10 answer questions
which we pr0p0unded, but it has always
eyaded them. Let the public judge which
is the fairer journal, the GAZETTE or the
Inquirer The article which we are dared
TO publish, Is as follows
EQUAL TAXATION.
The Democratic platform was constructed
with an Equal Taxation plank intended as
q catch-penny tor the uuwary.
Let US see how Il would work. The Inter
nal Revenue Laws, framed by a Republican
Congress, appordoned the taxes, absolutely
required for the national support, in such a
manner as 10 bear heaviest upon those who
could best bear them, and lightly, or not at
all, on the poor. Under that law to-day no
man pays an income tax unless his income Is
over a thousand dollars. Under this law
scarcely fifty men in Bedford county pay an
income tax, and the grea. majority of the
people pay no government tax at all. This
Is JudiciOus and statesmaulike; eXempting the
poor and middle classes entirely from the
burthen Of taxation. Truly this is not equal
taxation, but it is the taxation that pays the
debt Of the nation without laying its burthen
upon the poor and the needy, the widow and
Tic orphan and the day laborer. Under it
the poor man and his children have all their
rights and liberties preserved, and are per-
mltted 70 occupy their homes IN peace unmo-
Tested by the tax -gatherer call. What would
the catcn-penny Equal Taxation" Of the
~
us see how Equal Taxation would work.
Equal Taxation would require that every man
who owns dollar worth Of property should
pay his exact proportion Of the amount OF
taxes regu -ite to pay the debts Of the nation.
1t would carry the tax gatherer into the poor
mans cabin to Glch the last dollar of his
hard earGed wages for taxes and leave his
children to iamIsh for bread. 1t would toll the
widows basket of meal and tax the poor man S
pig 1t would lay the heavy hand upon and
exact the last penny from high and low, rich
and poor, alike, never considering whether
there was left a shelter for the widow and her
orphans or clothing or bread for the starving
porr. Such would be the result of the
"Eqgat IGratiOR' concerning which Cop
perheadism makes such hue and cry. True
1t is that the Republican Congress has not
made an equal tax law, but it is a Just, fair,
righteous and liberal one. 1t screens the
poor in their poverty, and lays no additional
burthen upon the shoulders already bowed
with the cares of poverty and want. The
republican party is the poor mans friend
and eZempts him from taxes of every kind.
topperheadism vaunts itself upon Equal
4QEGtj0n, and would lay a tax upon the last
dollar Of the way-tariDg poor. Let the poor
man think upon tins, and consider whether
he prefers TO be taxed. If he does let him
vote the Copperhead ticket, and cry out fol
Equal Taxation, and he viii get it. But
# he wishes to continue free from taxes, and
let those who can afford it pay them, let him
vote the whole Republican ticket Let the
small farmer and mechanic, and every man
whose income is less than $1,000 consider
whether he prefers to be taxed OF not. If be
IS. ambitious of figuring in the Internal Reye-
nue. tax list, let him by all means vote for
Seymour and Blair. but if he prefers to re-
man tree from taxes. as he now is, let him
not only cast his own, but persuade his neigh
Dor 10 cast hls ballot fer Grant and Coliax
ana lhe pohey that eXempts the poor man
from taxation.
Doubtless, the Inquirer man imagine.
that his article has smashed into spinters
the eternal principle Of Equal Taxation. a
lew words Will undeceiYe him. 1t is true
thaL but few people pay an income tax Il
Is also true that the bondhOlders pay only
an income tax. But it is not true that those
VINO nave no incomes, pay no taxes. The
poorest man In the country pays taxes
not an income tax, but an outcome tax. On
every pound Of tea he buys, tax of %
cents "a g0td is laid by the government, and
as he has no gold, he pays it in greenbacks
and he IS charged the difference between
goia and greenbacks, which makes the tax
on MS pound OF tea just 81 cents On every
pound OF coffee the poor man buys, he Is
charged py the government a tax of 5 cents
at gctd, which he Is compelled to pay IN
green0acks, which makes the tax on hi.
po0h9 OF coHee, just : cents. On every
pound OF imported sugar the poor man
buys, the government charges him tax OF
4, 4 cents an 9otd, or cents in greenbarks.
Inc poor man. the consumer, pays these
taxes TO the retail merchant, the retailer
pays them to the wholesale dealer, the
wholesale dealer pays them to the importer.
and the importer pays them to the govern
ment. The poor man and the middle classes
are az also taxed, IN the same way, upon articles
~ clothing, meat (they must help pay their
DtuCeAer, -tr, llcense1 medicines they must pay
ep duties on many of them) articles OF
n1atcLee, ,,LI','e, legal payers (stamps again)
ta,,el'gs taxo stamps once more ETC., etc. These
navsnt ,-4g ~ great measure, are applied to the
bo15s NJ! ~ Ine gold interest on government
- 1880 mist the holders Of those bonds
tL3t D., ,-.-f -.rlff uut 40 income tax, and eyade
- iuaAlng false returns ard ta,ny y,ari,,,,
III. ~ tno assessors Of Internal Rave1no
iiuf Ilny every man who owns = mi, y -. IT,. IT,.
a--. . oOliaf Ia his pocket is taxed i,1 tbo 10 nas
.N'iiTit 20 pay tie Joad6oIIe.s I;;. -. 81
aS 9' tases @.s at al z's 59etoder q pays scarcely
munliy; let US see how ~ tb;s bi;almlng aIls., com.
y,a,,5 ,,..s3ass taxation operates. The farmor ~
~ ~ 5t seS5fe' County and Township taTes ,-eer
.''s oo''a,'osete' pays ROT one cent Of 49,
La6es. a farmer, Of ordinary famiIy SaGi, I1,;I,
use, say, one barrel Of sugar per wear ~cll oI
about 200 pounds; say about p6nndss ~ ~
tea, and 100 9pounds Of coffee The musl;ns
clothing and other articles of a similar charae,,
ter purchased BY him during the wear
,ake out Of his pocket. as government
inties at the lowest figure, 5000. Leaying
'ut ef tho, question, stamp duties, and other
a4ffcrs which p2ivht ha f4irlv tqkan iot6