Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-06-03
CORRESPONDENCE.
THE TAX BILL.


VIM LEU OhDuIOtueus
MEssRs. EDITsRs THE courteous reply of
DIR. Brown to your correspondents lasl commu-
nicatlon deserves passing notice. He says
things in such good humored way that we do
not think any kind Of newspaper controversy
that he might engage in would do him any harm.
The Doctor states that he is working small
farm for which he pays each year one hundred
dollars for county taxes Now we candidly be-
lieve that his farm, like the wonderful farm at
Newark" possesses certain value In 1t much
beyond Its produetiveness in farming opera
tions." Every person knows that Dr. Brown is
progressive man, builder OF cities, the owner
Of the Sixth Avenue House, sells his lands from
five TO ten dollars foot, etc. The faci of the
case is this, that selling farm land by the footand
manufacturing shoddy, enter into the calculations
of our tax assessments much more than the value
of the farming operations.
| Would 1t not be much better for these honor
able members from New Castle 10 Lc candid
enough to acknowledge that the business carried
on upon these farms is taxed, as well as their I'M
profitable " farming operations" The writer is
| acquainted with some Of the manufacturers re-
| siding on the Brandywine. One of them is land
| owner and carries on factory. This individual
says that all his county taxes are paid by his
spindle operations and at no time docs his land
pay for the expense of its cultivation also, that
the four hundred dollars which he pays each
year for his county and school lakes Is hta on
his business.
| The Doctor seems to think that % Wilmington
MAN" intended to mislead the public by covert
| ly referring to National instead of State toxes
Your correspondent only used Mr.. Deans own
words, as reported by DR.. b. himself when II
was broadly asserted that she had never paid one
cent of taxes on his manufacturing capital"
| While the Democratic politicians ans newspaper
editors in our State simply for their political
| purposes are constantly raising the old buucomb
cry THAT the farmers have all the taxes to pay p"
they forget to remind their friends II is the bust
operations OF the people OF the United States
| that pay all the taxes needed for the payment of
the debts and for paying the current expenses
for the support of the National Government
| Though the State Of Delaware enjoys the protcc-
| tion Of our flag and government, yet in all the
| farming operations, her people do not give sin
gle cent to pay for that portion, while her manu-
featuring and mercantile interests are heavily tax
ed for that purpose. At the same time that our
business operations are bearing this terrible load
OF taxation Democratic Legislators like the Bar
barry Corsairs who collected tribute whenever
they had the power to do so,) have added anoth-
or load on the business men of New Castle coun-
ty, which they dignity by the name OF ''speca!
tax"
The Doctor says in his last letter that he can
stand in his door and look down upon one mil
lion of untaxed property" We really wonder
what kind OF property that is. We think that
Uncle Sam, or Uncle Eli, or the Levy Court have
found out everything visible, or invisible, in the
shape of taxable property in or about the tax
burdened city of Wilmington. But we know
what the Doctor might do ii he would allow him
self to he taken tlp phsprvatnry pf thp
Sixth Avenue Mansion. He could look down
upon nearly the whole Of the territory where this
Algerine tax-bl will operate. lie will see how
the rich will be made richer, and the poor be
made poorer. Owing to the uncertainties of
trade, he may look over our city and see scores
Of our business men in constant danger Of una
voidable bankruptcy. He can see manufacturing
establishments running at loss on their bust
ness, and about TO close up their works. He can
also see that there will be reduction OF nechnn-
les wages, and that the liboring miu must help
TO pay these taxes. He cannot help but see that
the parties who are nccessitated to borrow
money, will have to pay heavier shave. This
Vision may be refreshed by seeing beautiful
church that viii have added to lis present annual
expenses, nearly two hundred dollars In consc-
quence of this infdcl tax. Then We would ask
the Doctor TO turn about aud look toward the
South and West and see how many hundreds of
wealthy farmers in New Castle county, living in
ailluence, who pay no taxes except for their own
ton OF law, keeping up their own roads, their
schools, and their poor; all of which taxes they
| receive the immediate benefit themselves. As the
Doctor is man of reflection he might then
compare the condition OF these farmers, who are
| living at ease in their possessions growing
Weather every day, with the situation OF the
mercantile and manufacturing classes, who are
| constantly struggling with adverse fortune, in
the strife and turmoil of business competitions.
Persons who are well off to-day my probably be
bankrupt tomorrow now 1t is well ascertanud
fact that about nine persons out of every ten who
engage in business are unsuccessful. AT the same
time it MS well known that every industrious lar
| mcr who attends to his bus ness Is sure OF sue
| cess.
Allow the writer to say in conclusion that the
fact of the manipnlotors Of the wigwam at Dover,
permitting the shoddy tax bill To pass which only
taxes that class OF our commuNity who are al
ready oyerburdened, and then letting others 20
untaxcd will forever remain stigma on Demo-
cratic legislation in Delaware.