Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-11-06

INDIRECT TARATION
TnE ROASTED TAXATION OF CORPORA.
rIoNs A DEAR PURCHASE.

Senator Wallace, in his remarks IN.
on Indirect taxation during his speech
ut Concert Hall on Wednesday even.
ing Oct 23), bit upon u topic which
has more than n passing interest for
the people of Pennsylvania. The pol.
icy OF indirect taxation has two things
To recommend it, First, such taxa.
tion Is cheaply collected secondly ii
IS patiently borne. 1t is cheaply col.
lected because it is obtained IN gross
sums by few officials stationed AT Gus.
tom Houses for general Government,
ana irom a few corporations by the
state Government. 1t is patiently
borne because it Is taken, as n vampire
takes blood, unconselousIy to the loser
The tax Is added TO the prices Of the
commodities which 20 through the
Custom Houses by the owners of those
commodities, aud its collection is i'm.
posed upon the merchants who distrib.
ute The eommpdities 10 buyers, The
corporations, in Ike manner, add their
taxes to tho charges for service col
0
lccted from their customers. As the
merchant does not 20 to the trouble of
informing himself or Of telling his Gus.
toner how much of the price of his
goods Is due TO tax and how much to
other causes or services, the distinction
between what is tax and what is not
is soon LOST The man who buys a
coat for himself or q gown fur his wife
Is, therefore, ignorant Of what part ul
his outlay arises from the burden of
Goyernment and what part goes 10 the
dealer 30, also, ii he purchases ton
OF coal he does not know how much Of
his money goes to the State, nor how
much is retained by the various other
agents whose united services bring ii
To bis door. 1t is evident that IA sys.
TEN Of this kind, where the connection
Is so completely broken bctweun the
layer Of Mges and the payer Of taxes,
is liable to the gravest abuse. Money
easily got is easily spent Pennsylva. |
nla has thrown the whole burden off
taxation upon corporations, and the
authors of the policy make the silly
boast that she has thus been enabled
TO relieve the property of individuals
from State levies. Where it is possible
to do SO, the corporations regathcr the
tax laid upon them in added charges,
freights and commissions. But there
are cases whore the tax cannot be so
easily regathered. Corporations which
are working IN sharp rivalry with un.
taxed competitors in other States must
either lose the amounts collected from
them or seek some dangerous means
of reimbursement. As Senator Wal.
lace says -
What Is the rssu't " man o, company can
go TO Delaware and he free from taxation 7 lie
viii quickly leave your borders. Is this not the
icason why grass Is growing before the buildings
oi some OF yonr richest corporations IL the
corporations cannot live here iney move outsidr
81 ,he state, or else take te ether track and nut
the burden on tho laboring man by reducing his
wages. Our policv ought to be to make thi.
great state OF ours the workshop OF the country
ou' WIN 'hc great tax lmposed on your manu-
faciurers, hiladelphia will not be able TO com
pete with email town outside Of the State. Look
At the tax on coal Three cents per ton is paid
to the state on the very article that sustains
your Industries. Look At Cumberland, Md We
cnnnot compele with them They can unicrsell
2, IN New York, although our hue IL rhortrr.
Thus ,ou sc that this nav material IL taxed un.
~ It becomes curse
May not the boast, d immuni y which
IS obtained by taxing corporations
solely lur The sunnnrt nt ~. Co., o.. |