, 1874-03-16
What Would Follow Tho Ropeat Of Atl Tux.
alton, by Valuation, for State
Purposes.
The Present Cost of Collecting
State Taxes 20 Per Cent.
undor tfe Constitution, Tax BY Lftensts, and Oh
Gross Receipts, Would Produte Abundant
Rcftnae, and Cost but | Per
. Cont for Collection.

nois Senate Ho has boon conspicuous tn tho
political history Of tho gtato for twenty-Avo
yoare, and, being man Of intelligence and pos-
nonal integrity, ought to havo some weight In
tho Legislature. Mr. starne has tho misfortune
not to DO Republican, and consequently tho
majority arc not III tho least influenced By what
ho may do or say. Mr. starne has, however,
specially notified the Republican minority Of the
Legislature TINT, whilo they arc tinkering away
at tho abortivc RoVonue law, thore ls party
organizing In tho 8tato to abolish al! taxos on
laud and property for State purposes. Ho might
haye hddcd to his warning that that party does
not intend to relax Its efforts until that tag u
abolished
There are
TWO QUESTIONS
only Involved In this matter !. As to tho pow~
or. q. As to tho Bulllcionoy Of tho means loft ia
provide tho necessary revenue for State purposes.
Tho frat OF theao questions is distinctly an
swcred by tho Constitution. The Revenue artt-
clio provides two modes Of providing State rcxo-
nue.. Thoao ara /: 1. BY nconaoa on various
enumerated tradoB and occupations, and by ape
oial taxes upon corporations and others enjoying
or using special franchises 2. Dya tax Oh prop.
orty, according to valuation. This olauae is,
however, limited 10 tho raising Of such royonua
AZ tho State may neod in addition to what 1t may
othorwfso receive. Tho c|atlse roads: "The
General Assembly Bhall provide such revenue aa
1uay be noodful, by 1ovying Lax by valuation
ato Tho opponouts Of all reform contend that
tue tax OH land cannot bo abolished, bocauso tho
Constitution says that tho Legislature g shalt
provide rovonuo by tax on property by valua-
tion. Tho Stato Of Illinois Is now in receipt Of
half million Of dollars Of reyouuo q year from
tho Illinois Central Railroad il in addition to
'',n.,. sa~s """ - .s.eps =. o'Ao1 sua0, ".A.,
4'ouou LUZ az Pu1po6e0' II IL pose'o'e LINZ sno
Le6lslature must COMMUNE to faiho revenue by
valuation from real and personal property?
The Constitution declnroa, in yarious wava that
+1,o ,r,o,,+ ~ ro,,,,o ), IN ~.;nna 4, .. ,1,.,
.,.s'I s, - '. ~ oaaIaso AZ ~ Jeas
sn"i. no1 oAeeo' tso apErop9A"t'onb 1naoe W sno
Legislature; and tue Rovonuo article provides
TINT tue revenue to bo raiBed by tax on property
atull not oxceed what may bo necessary. with tho
ot,,o~ ~oran,,o -, H. o.. - 1,nat 49, ..,,-,.
-. W. '" ,n1o' . 'no uouns
@usuot1zeo ~ oo e1penaea' IL too ota1o naso
sufficient rovonie, without tho valuation tax,
then the Legislature has TO authority to direct
such tux. To argue otherwise would be to ill.,
noS sA"* W. paop'o "o'e ~ ~ sn~ou "aon sloso
was no Necessity Tor IT. fcr fear TINT they might
forget tho pleasant process. To insist that tile
tax canuot 10 abolished or omitted when tno
nfA In {g nhuar t@r
s.,,s:,,, .ss.,tsa ;,as,s :. !. ~, ,~..1' ~ -
wn'en ieiusee '.aeA1: It ID vi pas "ssn Ma's
Uarpensers logic, that member OF Congreaa
could not refuse tho back pay, because tho Con-
t;nn [ t f,4ad nv hv law s '''>''' '>'''O '''' ''@
''H n.,.. nou Cs.,o!,ts..,. =! tam.
1no cons9'soeon rroV'aeS soat tne STATE may
tax " peddlefs' anctoheera' blokors. nawkold'
merchants, commission merchants, showmcii,
innkeeperB, .kcepers, nquor-dealors, toll
hrdcce rcrrios insurnnca teicrranh mi ~.
D.as '."'.s ",sa;.a.o ,,t,s' eI ~, ens'.s ~.
press 'ntofs7tS OF puslneae' 'o1luess OF pa'on'a'
md persons or corporations owning or uslty
fianchiseB ana privileges, n stca manner as ls
shall, from time to time, direct by general law,
UNIFORM as TO the class upon WHICH 1t oparatea''
Ibis
POWER IS ANfLE
Iis Clause, horetofors % shetcled i IL these sl IT.
umna. Iho question Of power being t9,H dis
posod OF, the noxt question ts that OF the snf-
hclenoy q tue revenue Il tho tax by valuation
be abotshed. Wo have heretofore published al
expeotad 1rom inc aystena OF Aeoases on ouh-
ness aVocatlona IN tbia State. :rl'aE estimate
was moderato, not1 IN respect 10 tho NUMBER OF
pefsohe TO be ta1eu anu tue rate. increasing
ally sl,25o.ooo lion liceuses alone. THO
onsCo re revehno anthorl2oa 70 DC falseo ~ 1814 ls
S26ooou1' Of wnloh " o9o ooo ID tor school Pslt-
poses. That ostimaso old not Include any tx On
VII u %oa6 4eSo'Pth oA AA41""1 NoAAtAh'eo AoAE"-
railway companies, oxpl osa companies. gas coHl-
panios t1eisis auu trahsporsallo0 coalpahles.
| telegraph ana insurance companies, nor upon
tue etoas saaoa OF maiiufaStufefB (pofsohs a:ia
compan'cs), nor Ut tho tax upon tag
| businass OF BANKS, savin&e nanKs, a7u
other similar institutions doing oust.
pes8 under Bpec,nl chnrtors. Tho trouble y
| not whethor these various sources would ycta
sufficient revenue out wnat WON'T oe uoh9 Mi'n
tho revenue, winch would exceed four.fold What
tue State would mood: T4at dliacal.y esi, oow, eSe
several countlos tha excoss to DO croditod On tho
as9os1msnt y. :. IT. for loonl tA1os.
WHO PAYS TIE TAXES NOW?
any man wsro to propose to tax tho eoaS assd 10 10
denounced as mndmau; yet, practically, tllat is
.he kind Of p1opeYyty Which, pes tong,fLs T. ,,1 ~
eplo between taxing tho corn Oh t,o ntalG, and
taxing the Bsmo corn in tho crib cannot bo do"
+! fined; both are property, both hnro IN asccr-
| tainable Valuo. Both Aro tho product OF !aboT'
Tue tax on Tho land, Oh tho plow on tho reaper sio
l!Ae TIC tax on tAe'gEoWang coT0 anu tus cplm ~ ~
%ftA IL tN tn&FA