The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-08-24

bored long and arduouSly to induce the
Legislature to make some change in the
abominable tax-law of 1874 We tried
to procure an amendment to the effect
that whenever party owning real-es-
tate could prove that he had failed to
pay his taxes because of actual financial
inability to do 50, and the property had
been forfeited to the state, that he should
have the right to redeem, within the
time fixed by law. by paying the tax,
costs, and t,Uelve per ct interest, instead
Of twenty four per ct. But the Legisla-
ture seemed to hold that an owner Of
real estate is necessarily an enemy ofthe
commonwealth, to be discouraged
and oppressed; that the highest privil-
ege of . citizen is to pay taxes; that
poverty Il is . crime that merits the
severest penalties; and that if man
could not pay his taxes he ought to re-
joice if he is not sent to Jail or draft
ed into the chain gang. Ea
Well; time works wonders. The st.
Paul Dispatch, which had not q word Of
encouragement for US last winter, is be-
ginning to get those eyes, which it car
ries under its coat-tails, wide open and il
now says
It Is all bosh to say that the taxes must be
collected. Every body admits il, mo oneIdis-
putes it. Neither IS i profitable to 60 back and
say that the taxes are oppressive, exorbitant
and unjust. Il is all true, but it is too late to
prevent what has been done. 4he question is
are the people to be plundersd and robbed Of
their property which they have acquired by
hard labor, because they cannot pay costs and
penalties and two Per cent. month on an il
legal oppressive taxi Some do pay, and it il
unjust to extend mercy to those who do not
that is the argument. Some men have money,
others have none; therefore the latter should
Jose all they have. This 10 the argument in
another form.
It is not what one ought to do. No man can
pay two per cent month. The law requires
an impossibility. Apart from this, if these tax
laws constitutional, then it is constitutional
| for State to confiscate the property of every
man and woman within its borders. The Leg
islature has no power to prescribe two penal
ties for the same act. In the first place, the
tax law subjects tue land to sale, but allows "a
the owner the right Of redemption. At the
same time, the penalty Of two per cent a month
| is annexed in order to defeat the possibility ol
redemption. A set of human vnltures, who
never invested an honest dollar in the State
never owned a foot OF land, nor built house
nor broke an acre Of ground, swarm here t.
buy up the peoples property. at tax sales and
" OA0Ns SAA0 AS10S A1CcAA Ia wv C0AH
la month. This e what the law IS doing-con-
fscating the property Of citizens for the bened,
Of non-residents.
The theory Of tax sales is that the State be-
comes entitled to hold the property as security
for the tax. lot valued at q, 200, say, is ta-
ken for tax Of 500 and sold and forfeited to a
nonresident Spectator. Is that not taking
private property without compensation The
| property il not only subjected to forfeiture
| within q period Of two or three years, but the
penalty OF two per cent il annexed 80 a. to in
sure the forfeiture.
Such legislationis il an outrage on justice.
We hope to see the time when there will bt
brains and industry and honesty enough in thu
Legislature to overhaul the present iniquitous
and unjust system Of taxation, and to enact
law that will BE- effective to carry on the gov.
ernment without robbing and bankrupting til,
people.
Very well said.
| What we want is a new party, to take
control VI the Legislature add simplify
the processes of government and starv
ing out the tax eaters.