The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-01-10

little more carefully, he might have
found that he should have given in
some twenty five hundred or three
thousand dollars, more than he did.
And this he said Was not the only
case, but that there were many more
Of 1.-THE same Sort" and the object in
shaping the law Is it is, was to reach
just such and similar csses. IF one
fails to give in a large amount Of prop
erty that should be taxed. other. tax
payers have to pay the more, each, in
proportion to what he has, in order to
raise the required amount.
That instead of the law bearing hard
upon the poor man, as it was repre-
sented to do. by those who talked
about the poor mans old cracked
stove, his old shoes, his old and much
worn carpet, his two pounds of sour
kraut, his two or three half starved
chickens running about in the yard,
and the little bit of corn dough that
he had to feed them with, and which
it sought to make him pay a tax on,
and all such stuff-thc real design Of
the law was to have just the opposite
effect from that represented by these
men.
Instead of making the poor man
pay tax on these, and such things,
as had no appreciable value outside Of
his own dwelling, the design of the
law was to reach the cases of those
who possessed SO much that they were
liable to forget to give in large por-
tons Of their property. The object
was not to Cypress the poor, but to
Tighten their taxes.
To be kind of reminder to the
rich of their comfortable, elegant,
tasteful and costly surroundings, their
rich and luxurious furnature, their
costly works of art and virtu, their
solid gold and silver ware, their gold
and silver plated ware, their rare dia-
monds and costly jewels and jewelry,
of their comfortable base burners"
and radiant home stoves, Of the
furnaces which diffuse genial warmth
all over their dwellings, (unless they
be classed as permanent fixtures and
come in as part of the real estate,
and perchance to remind some of their
choice wines, and casks of choice
liquors down cellar; in order that
these, and such things might be made
to bear their just proportion of tax
alton, which if it could be, done,
would, to large extent relieve the
burden resting upon che shoulders of
the poor man, who has to learn his
bread by the sweat of his brow" and
which relief would be all the greater
in times like this, when it is difficult
for him, who wants to work, to find
.. employment. The position of a coun-
Gilman is not an enviablc one. In
cities, big or little, however much and
honestly he may strive to work for
the best interests of his fellow citizens,
he is sure to displease some, perhaps
many, and is apt to receive much more
abuse than praise. 1t is as impos-
sible for him to please all, as it is for
an editor to do so.
i What will be the ultimate fate Of
the tax law, we cannot yet tell.
The equitable adjustment Of sys-
tenn of taxation, in municipal, coun-
ty, state and national government
has always been a difficult problem
, for legislators to solve, and no sys-
tenn has ever yet been devised that
, gave complete satisfaction to all-per-
, haps there never will be; for it is q
matter that touches the pockets of all,
matter about which people are apt
, to be sensitive; and the pocket is
where some people seem to carry their
, souls-we do not mean, that there
are any such here. 1t is matter
: that demands calm and deliberate in
, vestigation, in which passion and ex-
element should be laid aside-that
, we may not unadvisedly jump to hasty
, conclusions, and unnecessarily con-
| denim, and heap opprobrium upon
f honest, honorable and upright men
| who have been devoting their ener.
gies to what they conceive to be tn.
e Lest interests of the people.
LET equal and exact justice b.
done to all men, though the heavens
> fall" though the moon be rent asan
der, Gas late astronomer has recently
. asserted that she ISL and her frag
. ments be hurled upon us some darl
. and stormy night when we are al
, fast asleep.