Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-04-19
How Turks Correct Taxes

The burden of popular complaint in
this country is taxation. We imagine our
selves burdened to the earth with taxes:
we fight them: we hold tax -gatherers as
personal enemies; we make taxation an
issue in every elections we are constantly
devising ways and means to reduce tax
alton 1t may help the public to bear its
burden with more of patience and equa-
nimity to know how Turks collect taxes
in afflicted Bulgaria. Turkish tyranny
does not altogether expend itself in kill
ing, torturing and selling into hopeless
slavery men, women and children The
tax gatherer despoils property, ravages
farms, confiscates stock, and not only col
lects taxes, but lives upon the people.
The legal Turkish taxes are enormous,
| and consume largely of the substance Of
the people, and are so perniciOus in Drin-
ciple and operation that in this country
they would raise a revolution The legal
taxes, however are the lightest burdens
that the Bulgarians suffer. The special
taxes and the arbitrary manner in which
they are enforced are the weight that is
crushing these wretched people. A cor
respondent of the London Times, writing
from Philippopolis, calls attention to these
arbitrary exactions which are periodically
enforced, and which treble the sum of
legitimate taxation. During the past
year the Bulgarians were reduced to pow
erty by plunder, lost their crops, and
their industry was paralyzed by war, and
yet when the war with Servia broke
out, war contribution was levied
upon them, ostensibly of a voluntary
nature. 1t was voluntary to this ex-
tent, that the rich were allowed to
name such sums as they pleased, but the
poor were compelled to pay down one
fourth of the sum they annually contrib
ute for direct taxes. In addition to this,
every peasant was forced to furnish his
bullock carts, without remuneration, for
the transportation of military stores, and
rarely, if ever, saw his cart or draught-
animal again. When the armistice closed
the war between Turkey and Servia, ade-
cree for a second war contribution was
issued, which ordered that every male
subject Of the Empire above the age of
fifteen should contribute ten or twenty
piastres, according to his circumstances.
Even the villages which suffered during
the insurrection last May were not ex-
empted, and places that had been subject
ed TO complete sack, by regulars and ir-
regulars, were called upon to pay their
part of their contribution In addition to
all this, there is form of Indirect taxa
ton which is producing equally disastrous
effects. The paper currency which was
issued six months ago has been steadily
depreciating ia value, and now stands at
from thirty to thirty-f1ve per cent. dis
count. All the officials are paid in this
paper at its nominal value. Many shop
keepers have had to close their places, as
they cannot accept the paper for the price
at which it is offered, and in many places
business is suspended on this account.
Some shopkeepers who refused to take
the money from Turkish officials at its
face value were killed on the spot, but no
punishment was inflicted upon the mur-
derers. To kill Bulgarian involves no
more penalty than the killing of a fly. These
officials, who are paid in this currency,
fall with rudoubled rapacity upon the
villagers, and make up its full value by
compulsory contributions. One of the
principal burdens of The Bulgarian peas
ant and the chief cause of his discomfort
is the practice of the "zaplichs'' Or the
officials, when they visit the villages on
business or pleasure, of billeting them
selves on private houses, eating, drinking
and lodging without payment. They
and their horses are sheltered and fed, and
the expenses thus incurred are paid by
tax levied upon the whole village. The
Times correspondent, in illustration of this
exaction, mentions the case of a poor
widow, whose husband had been muir
dered and her property despoiled by the
Turkish butchers, whose share of the
common village expenses amounted to
eighty five piastreS, while her total an
nual contribution for direct taxes was but
six. .f.sf .. ..
This is the manner in which the consti-
tutional regime had been inaugurated in
the Turkish Empire. If such tyrannical
and arbitrary exactions can be made by
the Porte, in the face of European protest,
what must be the nature of Turkish tyr
amy when the wretched Sclaves are left
a,one with their oppressors and there Is
no one to criticise or condemn? If any
thing were needed to confirm the fiendish
reputation of these Turkish butchers, it is
this continuance of oppression in the face
of their repeated assurances of reform
Chicago Tribune.