Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-02-17

Monte, Los Angeles county, on the 9tl
instant, Judge John S. Thompson wa
invited to address an open meeting o
the Council on the evening of that day
upon the subject of "Taxation." Th,
invitation was accepted and the fol
lowing address delivered, which il
published at the request of the meet
ing. J. f. MARQUIS, Sec'y.
Patrons, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The people will probably soon call {
convention to revise the organic law
of the State, and it is important thai
they discuss in advance the leading
questions which will engage the at
tention of that body, and upon the
proper solution of which the prosper.
ity of the State largely depends.
One of the most prominent is the
question of taxation. While Govern
ments are indispensable to the security
of life and property. they should be SC
organized and so administered as to
encourage and promote the general
welfare. AS labor is the corner stone
the vital evolving force-of wealth,
it is obvious that no unequal or unnec-
essary burdens should be thrown upon
its shoulders. Ne people can be pros
porous who are over-taxed by the
commonwealth; nor can that be just
government which oppresses the
WEALTH PRODUCING CLASSES.
1t is a monstrous iniquity which ex-
empts from all taxation the man who
holds his wealth in United States
bonds, while his neighbors bear not
only their own burdens in the support
OF the Government, but his alsO-even
taxing themselves to educate his
children at the public schools. Does
it need argument to convince you that
our revenue system operates une-
qually? Are not the great laboring
interests greatly oppressed, while cap
ital goes comparatively free Who
pays the taxes? Does the merchant
bear his proportion? Does the manu-
facturer contribute his just proportion
toward the expense of carrying on the
State and local Governments True,
they are assessed like other people
not always, perhaps seldom, if ever, to
the full value - and they pay their
taxes like other people. But in esti-
mating cost, their taxes are always in
cluded with other expenses attending
the conduct of the business, and the
consumer must pay them. And so it
is through all the list of fnon-producers,
who live and prosper and accumulate
wealth on capital employed in busi-
hess.
CAPITAL DICTATES PRICES.
Capital combines, and by combina-
tions often successfully, and always
more or less, defies the law of supply
and demand. The producer stands
powerless to demand a just compensa-
tiOn for the fruits of his labor. He
must submit to the demands of capi-
tai. 1t is as much his right as it is the
right of the merchant and manufac-
turer to count the cost of his produc-
tlOns, including the taxes he pays on
| his land, his stock, his Improvements
and his products; but he must take
what is offered him, whether it re-
munerates him or not, and he must
pay taxes, whether the harvest be
good or not. The case fairly stated is,
that, directly or indirectly. the pro-
| ducer pays nearly all the taxes and
carries on the great and small public
enterprises which facilitate commerce
and develop the wealth of the State.
How is it with California? 1t must
be confessed that, if we except the
carpet-bag State, no State in the Union
is so tax-rldden. Everything tangible
is assessed, from broad acres to ducks
and chickens; and then tax of from
two to three per cent. imposed on q
full valuation. The State one poss-
essed magnificent patrimony- near
| ly a million acres of valuable lands,
which, if they had been held and dis
posed of as circumstances required,
and as a prudent business man would
have done, would have yielded the
State millions of money. There are
many politicians who think it no
robbery to steal from the people, and
finding a full treasury and splendid
heritage in real estate, applied their
arts and to-day California is almost
! LANDLESS AND MONEYLEsS.
The fact is, the State has had too
much wealth. Plethoric treasures,
high fees and salaries, furnish too
much temptation to politicians to cor
rupt the ballot-box, debauch the fran
chise and plunder the people. Salaries
and fees, both State and county, are
enormously high and out of all pro-
portion to the services required. In
stead of ten thousand dollars to the
Governor yearly, give him five thous-
and, and in that proportion reduce all
salaries and fees. BY paying public
servants fair compensation and re-
ducing expenses as far as consistent
with good government, and then levy
ing just taxes enough to meet cur
rent demands, the public burdens will
be materially lessened and the public
service purified.
1t would be Utopian to suppose that
any system of taxation will ever be
devised which will distribute impair
TALLY the just demands of the State
upon her citizens. There must ever
be, as there ever has been, more or
less of inequality. If system can be
devised which will relive labor, which
will lift from the shoulders of the pro-
ducer a considerable proportion of the
dead weight under which he staggers
and which is the most fruitful source
of his present prostration, a grand
consummation will have been reached.
/ think it possible to adjust a
method wholly different from our
present plan by which lands shall be
exempt from taxation, as well as all
personal property, including monies
and credits, and at the same time SO
simple and inexpensive as to commend
it to the judgment of the entire COM