Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-08-06
Our Enormous Taxes.

Walter Il. Pierce, taxpayer Of Utica,
N. Y, in an address at Rome, N. Y, July
81, said
During the ten years just past the
people Of this country have paid in taxes
81 900, 900, 900 that is, 800, 1000, 900 per
year-almost s2,00O,0 900 day! This sum
in round numbers is equal to the whole vol
ume Of our currency If the taxes were all
collected in one day there would not be left
in the vaults of the banks, ia the drawer Of
the merchant, in the pockets of the people,
a single dollar in all the land The tax
gather asks for all our money, and gets it once
a year DO we still fail to comprehend the
magnitude Of our taxation Then hear this
and be astonished: All the products of the
country shipped from New York City, from
Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, New Or.
leans, aud all the commercial ports---in short,
the exports Of the country-do not pay the
taxes Aud yet the scoundrels live who
laugh at our calamities aud would cruelty
the citizen who dare complain. Such to-da y
is taxation in North America, where but a
hundred years ago our fathers fought against
it.
Napoleon called the English people ma
ton Of shopkeepers, but we have become a
nation of tax. payers In 1871 Z. Lorillard,
of New York City, paid into the treasury
of the United States, as taxes upon his bust.
ness the sum of S2,060,000 An amount
equal to the average annual revenue Of the
English government during the reign oil
Queen Elizabeth And yet this enormous
sum, "tel it not in Gath, publish it not in
the streets Of Askelon," this enormous sum
the revenue Of a kingdom, was only a little
more than enough for the salarY-grab robbers
The revenue OF kingdom paid by one tax
payer, and that revenue stolen in an hour by
Congress!
Who or what is responsible for the causes
of the destruction of our property 1t is
replied: "The rebellion" Then we further
ask Did the rebellion make the creation Of
the monopoies necessary Did the rebellion
enable the railroad interest to carry the Leg
islature in its vest pocket, and use it as freely
as a toothpick ? Did the rebellion cause thu
Credit Mobilier swndle? The Sanborn con
tract ? The back-pay grab The Tweed rob
berry 2 The District Of Columbia infamy
Did the rebellion compel the secretary o
the treasury to buy paper at 10 cents pc
pound, when it was offered to him at 40 cents
Did the rebellion render necessary the Cana
Ring robberies, and all Of the peculations
great and small, in state, county, city an
town, through which the people were plum
dered at every point ? = If the rebellion
necesstates S155,00S,000, why shout
S247, 001 1882. &c additional and unnecessar
taxes be imposed upon us? Take the me
nopolies, and what is the amount which the
unjustly take from the people2 He make
: low estimate who puts the extortions of til
whole family of monopolies in the couutr
at $3.50 900, 600 annually.
Now let us add up the sums Of money III
Justly taken from us by needless taxation
as already ascertained, Here they are
By the national government, S7375O,3js.
By the states, including the counties and
towns, E32O,97,
. Total s2i7 ,OOl 1872.
D Add the monopolies, l50,OO,0O.
And we have grand total Of s3g7 ,OOI, 1872,
Did the rebellion render this enormo,
annual robbery of the people necessary
Is it not about time that we cease to !,
everything to the rebelhon-to make that
: apology for every crime against the people
S l turn my face from the dead to the ivil
A foes of my country, the banded robbers no
, despoiling the fair heritage of ourselves an
our children.