New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-09-24
TAXING UNPRODUCTIVE LANDS IN
TEXAS.

TAXING UNPRoDucr1vE LANDS I,
TEXAS.
Texas is moving up to the discussion O
a very grave political question concerning
the policy of taxing her unproductiv,
lands at more than merely nominal valu
alton. What we mean is this-that thou
sands of acres of the best soil in the State
which is now and has been for years held
| by spectators, has never been assessed al
anything appro1imating to its actual
value, but was and is unfairly dealt by,
to the general detriment, in being simply
taxed at an inconsiderable rate, on The
score that as it was unproductive, it was
improper to burden it with its legitimate
share Of the general expenses. This pol
icy originated more than thirty years ago.
when the republic was in existence, and
when the collection of any sort of revenue
was rather delicate job in Texas. At
that time half of the people of the then
struggling republic refused to pay any
customhouse dues, frequently mobbing
the revenue officers out of their districts.
Even the hourishing town of Marshall
allowed the deputy collector, Colonel
Mabbi:t An old soldier, to be locked up
in smokehouse until he consented to
leave the country or quit his Office 1t
was not difficult in such state of society
for the smugglers and the spectators to
combine in Eastern Texas and as the
large landholders in one section of the
country evaded the payment OF their legal
dues, Western Texas soon fell into the
same practice, and the assessors ultimate
ly settled down to the rule that man who
owned thousands of acres was exempt
from paying the same taxes that were
considered to be due from the citizen who
merely held fifty acres. And as the spec
ulators were mostly prominent politicians,
or their intimates, the government of the
republic winked at the transaction be-
cause it was too weak to make headway
against it. The result has been that the
best portion of the State has been avoided
by the emigrants, because the lands were
held too high, considering other lands
could be obtained for almost nothing in
sections that were degree less favorably
located as regards markets and soil. We
may say, without subjecting our remark
to the charge of unfairness, that while
that portion Of Texas south of line run
ming from GAINESVILLE to Eagle Pass owes
its stunted growth to the fact that the
most of the land was taken up by specu-
lators, the thrift of that section north
Of the same line, although it was infested
by Indians, is due to the absence of this
evil. Emigrants preferred to settle upon
vacant lands, which they could buy from
the State at reasonable rate, to locating
upon soil which was better, but which
they were required to pay considerable
price for.
This proposition being understood that
The best portion of the State of Texas is
held by few landed proprietors who
have heretofore paid merely nominal
AVIATION upon their possessions, owing to
IN unjust combination which they were
enabled to make with smugglers years
'go, it will be understood that the ques-
ion is grave one which proposes to dis
Jose of policy which has been sanctioned
y the consent of generation. The old
ettlers are generally opposed to the sug-
'estion because it uproots kind of pet
heory which, not only obtained in Texas,
ut which, by some strange DETECTION of
opular opinion, has rooted itself in
and Mississippi. They are
1rther opposed to it, and in this thew
AIRY large and unrefecting mass of
eople with them, because the proposition
, tax their lands fairly emanates from the
epublican side in politics. Another
ement of opposition originates in the ,
ct that most of the large land specula- ,
RS are Democrats and they carry the
srty with them, as they always do, when
'er their private selfshness is at stake. q
The Republicans urge that taxation. in +
der to be just, should be equal. They ,
lege that the material interests of the
'ate are retarded bp the sequestration of +
rye bodies of land in the hands Of spec- =
ators, and that it is contrary to public :
'licy that the law should be framed in
e interest of this evil rather than against :,
II these landholders can hold their :,
res at five dollars, they can pay taxes :,
them at three dollars. That lands -
'rth five dollars ought not to be assessed =
ten cents per acre, because this is dis y
limitation in favor of the most alarming =
istocracy in the world-a landed ar;s, 8
cracy. That so long as this nominal r
stem Of taxation is continued, the Land a.
'lders are protected in holding the soil
It OF market, and this withdrawal Of Tho
st farming lands from sale interrnnts Il
movement Of the people and retards a,
e general prosperity That as the ulti- a,
ate owner Of the sQl-tbs State, which is