The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-07-20

sure ana gradual cOnnScatlOn OF the real estate
of this city. The old motto is this, ':death and
taxes are sure" and just so sure as the present
rulers of the city and county government
are continued, and the present rate OF taxation,
just so sure is the confscation of the real estate
of st. Paul:-it is only question Of time. II
must of necessity pass from the hands Of the
present owners to the hands of those who have
ready money to pay the high and extravagant
taxes, that are levied on the property, which
goes for plundering purposes, in all manner Of
worthless and unbenefcial contracts to the city.
know it Is the bummers' sentiment of the city
no matter who loses their property, no matter
who is reduced to penury and want, no matter
how many suffering families, and no matter if
the half clad. hunger bitten children, distressed
and poverty stricken mothers s'swarm like flies
of Egypt" and their walls of sorrow and dis
tress be heard, for the want of their former, and
comfortable homes, which they have been rob-
bed of by our plundering system Of taxation
and the tax title of the ''moneyed Shylock"
Such distress has no influence or effect upon
this destructive sentiment of our city. The in
solent reply is hurled back in our faces:-Let
the present property holders be wiped out, to-
gether with their large estates, and the humble
homes of the poor, if they cannot pay their
taxes, and let others come in with ready money
to support this high system of extravaganza,
and they in their turn, too, become the like
prey of plundering city government. But let
the present condition Of affairs go on, no mat
ter who may loose their property or who may
cry for bread. The ''bummer' element must be
protected The Office holders must be support
ed in their luxurious living, and in the accu-
mutation OF wealth; no matter If the tax payers.
the laboring property holders, sweat drops of
blood, to earn money to pay his taxes t., sup
port the idle and extravagant office holder in
his luxury and ease, it must be done by the
sweat, the toll labor and distress of tie toiling
and laboring owners OF real estate. Such is the
wicked cruelty Of the city government of
Ramsey county. 1t has come 10 this, that a
man cannot afford to have ahOme in st. Paul.
| did contemplate erecting q dwelling house,
a family home on the west half OF block eight,
LYMAN Dayton's addition, which has ever been
favorte site to me, for family residence; but
on ample reflection have given up the enter
prise and abandoned the idea, for the following
reasons: The lot which did propose to i1n-
prove, was taxed in 1874 two hundred and
twenty dollars and was paid ir 1875. To make
respectable Improvements, that white family
would be willing to live in, will cost thirty or
forty thousand dollars. If the Improvements
are assessed three fourths of their cost, thirty
Thousand dollars, two and half per cent. on
that sum will be $50; add to that the present
tax Of the lot $500, making the round sum Of
1910 per year which must De paid on my home
stead or more, through all coming time, for the
privilege Of living in this wonderful city.
desire to say to the honest and we'll meaning
citizens, do not think shall erect q home
stead and make the improvement, unless b.
| taken insane
where on the New York Central Railroad, OF
the Hudson river to the state of Rhode Island,
or Massachusetts, or Maine, and have bet
ter homestead, better grounds, larger lot Of
land, a more valuable and desirable home
worth more money, and property that will
sell for cash and bring fair price at any time
because there is capital in thosel old, wealthy
cities seeking such investments, and would moi
have to pay on such q property, more thar
thirty or forty dollars per year tax. do NO
think l shall remain in this city and be com
PEELED to pay $500 or 81 600 per year on |
similar homestead for the privilege Of living il
this poverty stricken, tax-ridden, plundered cit,
OF ST. Paul.
In writing this article. tits a. we'll to NEE
the question fairly and speak the painful word
Of truth and soberness. For the past four year
the people have been hiring money, mostgaa
ing property to pay their taxes, and make i'm
provements, until We find mortgages recorded
in the Register OF Deeds Office, made by indiv
iduals to the enormous amount Of about twelv
million dollars. know very well from ex
perience, having charge Of mortgages, for east
ern parties, to the amount Of about two hun
dred thousand dollars, that after the mort
gagee pays the taxes, assessments, and insur
ance, on the property, he is unable to pay an
Of the interest or principal on the mortgag.
for it takes . very prosperous, money maxim
man to pay his taxes. Therefore, It Is only
question OF time in which :he mortgages fore
closes his mortgage, and the property has :
ably one mortgage in ten will be paid, but min
> will have to BE- paid by the property that
covers. All attributable to the high and extrav
agant taxation in this city. Could the part
take the money be earns BY the sweat OF b
face, that he IL compelled to pay for take
tenths Of it to the payment OF the interest An
: principal of his mortgage. not one mortgage
twenty would be foreclosed, and probably NJ
one in hundred: for under . system OF OF
| tenth of our present taxation. We should hay
) universal Thrift and prosperity, and proper'
would always bring its value, that Is to to -.
fair price ;or lots, and all the improvement
l Then, inevery instance where propes'
!. had to Be sold TO pay the mortgage, the OWN
: of the property would have . respectable su
OF money left after paving the mortgage. 4
5 property is generally mortgaged for one THU
Of It's value.
a The great problem to be solved, IS this:-cs
!, the mortgages on private property ever Be pa
with the present rate Of taxations answ'
i, they cannot by the present property holder
q 1t is impossible, unless there Be decided n
determined movement with the people, for
, radical retrenchment and reform in our ci
and county government.
: The idea that the property holders Of th
y city can ever pay ten or twelve million Of do
lars, drawing an interest Of ten Per cent p
annum, appears perfectly absurd, many ~
say that oil the recorded mortgages are n
> 'sbona fde'' mortgages; many Of them ha'
: been paid and partly paid, bat not diseharg'
|. Of record Take il a granted that theEe Z
: ten million Of sound and genuine m0tsag
/ secured on the rel estate Of this city. unds
+ take to ay that the real esfate covered By m0l
! pges viii not bring TO- day, 1t pubic auceio
The amount Of the mortgages. think that q
+ assessed value Of the real eseafe i twenty mi
. lion EIGHT hundred and thirty nix thounl
r seven hundred and ten dollars, doubt II 4
3 ri esfz1s a this CITY would bring TN million
Mnxx ~R~v nne Il anwsnspa N kTpnuw Wh0 ~