The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-01-16
THE WAY OF THE wORID.

The New York Graphic of the 9th has a
cartoon, representing VIM. H. Vanderbilt
in the costume Of beggar, making a re-
turn OF his personal property to the asses
sor. He holds in one hand an affidavit
setting forth that he has no personal prop
er'y Liable to taxation, while in the other
be holds a number of lines by which he
controls dozen great railroads and other
mammoth corporations. In commenting
upon Its picture the GTophic says:
The cartoon on our front page to-ady tells
its own story The picture and the scroll
suggest much more than could be crowded
into an editorial article, however long. The
who history of our monopoly system Is
crowded into IL. Mr.. William H. TdnderGM
has no personal property! SO he swesrs.
The master and virtual owner of the Har
lem, Hudson River, New York Central, Lake
Shore and Michigan Central Railroads,
which connect 1.-The two great cities If the
United STATESMEN York and Chicago-and
run through the richest and most popuIous
part OF thisscountry: the owner of a control.
ling share IN the stock of the great telegraph
monopoly-the Western Union the heir O;
s956c0,OOO from his father; the holder of a
mortgage for $50, COCO on the Central Rail-
road the protector and probably the owner
q feet of ocean freight steamers; the owner
of stable of tro.ting horses which almost
rivals Bonner's in speed and cost;
the man who is collecting at
fabulous prices the choice or alleged choice
productions OF foreign artists, Meissoneir
among them J.; the householder who lives in
princely style and who, because he is Grip
Piled for room in his present quarters, pur-
chased Tor $4,000 property on Fifth Avenue
on which TO erect q residence grander than
any New York now contaIns-this person de-
clares under oath that afer his debts are all
paid he has no personal property.
Happy must the man be In Mr. Wander
bilt's situation who can find public officers
creduIous enough TO believe him. Who can
say that unquestioning loyalty has become
extinct" That the railroad king can do no
wrong and tell no lie must be a principa.
maxim in the tax Office in this city.
Taxpayers ponder on this fact. Mr.. Van.
derbiit has no personal property. He swears
70 that. His railroads earn sI2, coo 600 per an
mum, but he is peuniIess. If Mr.. Vanderbilt
could be Undue. d to bear his share OF the pub
lie burdens and il the officers whose duty il is
- see that he does SO would compel him to
pay up, how much lighter would tne burdens
OF the ordinary taxpayers be! The most
urgent reform is to compel our great monopo-
lies 10 pay UP. VIII the public awake!
Such is the condition Of affairs to-
day, not only in New York but throughout
the whole country. IL CTR own communi-
ty it is not different. The poor. who own
nothing but their little homes, have 10 bear
all the burdens of the government, while
the rich, and the great corporations, manage
to evade the taxes in one way or another,
and 60 comparatively free. That is what
makes the burden of government so enor
nous in this city and county. II every msn
could be n ade 10 pay according to the
value of what he owns, and every corpora
ton could be made to pay on its property
in the same proportion that the poor man
now pays, our per cent. Of taxation could
be reduced fully one half.