New-York tribune., 1878-03-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
APUZZLED FARMER.
m tn, Editor OF The TrtOnne.

TO the Edtt0r OF INC iTt"""''
SIR: | have read THE TRIBUNE so long
and with 80 much profit to myself that there is little
danger c your receiving orders from me to stop sending
, raner for the next Ave years Now sir it is query
with me why my neighbOr across the way, VINO Is a
bondI'older and worth $4,000 does not do one days
work in n month, drives a good horse, wears eooo
clothes pays TAX, and is happy, while ], VINO o"p
100 acres of good land worth 0oO have to work hard
almost every working day Of the in order to keep
my farm in repair and pay my tax on the same
seeond-I can't understand why my neighbor down the
street who owes $1,000 his farm, pays mtereSt Oh
he same, is yet obliged TO pay 10 cents on every
and state tax, while his nelghbor (who Is q money
lender lends him his money on CONDITION that III ps ~
back in one year from date pay interest and taxes on
Third-I can't quite understand why the bondhoder
has The right after receiving his interest on his bonds to
cpos il in bank receive interest on the same. aud yet
little before the tax assessor comes around 20 10 ~
banker nave hs money counted To mn in giesnuehs,
parcd In box sep by the banker lel IN tle Dalher
possession that he may accommodate inc neAt Oil ne
'If Fou,ih-Has THE TRIBUNE Association sold out to
wal-si. and bondholders, they Cue bonda2inerS5 20
furnish THE TgIBUNE's splendid gift Il mean webster
uuahrdgcdj for which THE TRIBUNE ls TO furnish space
aud brains in behalf OF the bonanolafas
Hoping that In five years al "ill pe lD Sot'en' "n
WiadoH ohio, Jan. y, 1875 IL. D.
t4asrcr.-u) Obviously because your neighbor
has accumulated just eight times aS Inuch as you
havc-has consequently eight times as much income.
and spends it just as he peascs-iust rs you would
do il Won had il. But suppose You should happen
hv cconomv. hard work, and superior judgment OF
good luck in investments, to accumulate 5000 or
SO 900 more than yOu now have, and should con-
cudc on the whole that il was a good thing to IN
vest this in United States bonds, do you THINK tht
fact would give any of your other ncighbors nght
TO sccd at you a1out it, or to complain thaty0u lad
unfair advantages!
(2i These are questions OF taxation, IN wnlch
1 F,,;g ;g.,lf In "A moi
taxes are levied upon real estate because it is some
thing definite and tangible, while taxes on personal
property are always harder to fix. Every State,
however, makes its own rules as to this and none
Of them have ever been adopted with the least
reference to the present discussions about Govern
ment bonds or silver.
(3) Same answer.
an This gentleman good-na.urcdly put5 a ques-
ton IN which, although obviously only half in
earnest he nevertheless thinks there Is something
We propose. therefore, 10 answer him frankly. Ihe
talk about bondholders raising money to bay up
anybody is the talk Of profound Igno-
rance 1t j. used only by two classes
those VINO are themselves dishonest, aud wish
10 conceal their dishonesty by casting imputatons
on the motives Of honest people, and those who arc
honestly ignorant. II. b. has read iHE TRIBUNE TO
little purpose If he can bring hlmscI to believe that
what il prints is gwen in any other interest than
that Of It's readers, that it could depend forts sup
port upon any other class or interest. \ Journal
with its constituency of Intelligent wel-todo sup
porters would be worse than idotic to adopt any
Other business principle than that Of furnish
ing Just what il Processes 10 furnish, and
charging an honest price for it. There IS 40 as,ocla-
ton or combination of bondhO,dcrS. In the nature
of things, ii i impossible that there should be any,
The talk abont such an association IS the talk OF
childish ignorance; and our correspondent i3 TOO
intelligent a man 10 be writing sueh stuif.-Edl