The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-09-11
TAXATION.
A Farmers Complaint.
MARsHY HoPE, Sept. ,,

MARsHY HOPE, Sept. ,, 1880.
MIR. EDIToR:-Will you permit an old
man, wrinkled and curved and white
with hoary hairs, to say few words
for the suffering and oppressed tax payers
of Cecil.
For tifty-six years l have paid taxes in
the county, and it would astound you to
tell the aggregate. But not until lately
have | felt serious cause of complaint
Now, however, under Il depressed and
ruinous reward for the labors of the hus-
bandman and continued high prices for
everything but the products of the soil
of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. l find
the high and increased taxes doubly OPP
pressive. Cecil only few years ago
paid i'll all $50, 900 to 500, 600 in taxes.
Think of this. And now. in 1880. with
out the addition of an acre of land the
people are called upon to pay or to be
sold out $500. 600 to S125. 200. | beg you
to think that it takes 300. 900 bushels of
corn to pay the tax for 1880. or about
l25, 600 bushels of wheat. and then the
question is fairly up: Is there wheat
enough or dorm enough sold in one year
to pay this enormous sum? Eight years
of such taxes amount to Il million Of dol
lars.
Now. | have known Cecil county long
time. 81 am native and to the manner
born, and | have witnessed the slow
growth in her population and resources:
whilst her taxes have been augmented
three, almost four fold. This ought not
to be.
Away down In this quiet retreat, where
rumors of oppression and deceit seldom
reach me, except as The Wig in its
weekly transit finds me, | pass my time,
trying to make 1.-TWO blades of grass
grow where but one grew before But
situated as | am my quiet home is an
nually invaded by the wanton, inevitable
tax collector. No place is sacred"
but with desperate earnestnesS in his
face, he pays his annual visit everywhere
Now, with fire in his eye, he finds out the
poor. the MANNED, the halt and the
blind. demanding taxes, and woe betide
the poor farmers whose crops have failed
and resources run dry. PAY what thou
owest' is the demand.
Now, to pay a fair and proper tax, to
support the State and county govern
mentS, no fair man will object. These
cannot and ought not to be dispensed
with. But the wanton and prodigal
squandering of money to award political
favoriteS, Ito grind an AK. or to p0ckd
a portion of the peoples hard-earned in
come, these are the things complain of,
these are the vices too common at the
present time. | am for removing and
correcting all this. ! am for declaring
Independence aner.
To walk up to the collectors Office and
settle your Tux has BECOME the chief pub
lie duty the masses have 10 perform, -
| There is one more. That is TO vote for
some "huRg1y erpectHHt,' and this duty
performed he can walk up and settle.
But is it to elect men to impose taxes
upon us that we are so politely invited
to attend the huStingSo Is is not rather.
and ought it not to be, to elect men to
hrdtch, to quart, and To quite the IMPOSE
ton of taxes and see that the blessings
of government, like the dews of heaven.
should fall upon all alike? Can this he
so now? When the annual tax imposed
upon the people is three times more than
| it was 4 few years ago and the cereal
productions Of the county yield about
half what they usau tG surely there is
something wrong, ami the sovereign peo-
pie should, and | verify believe will ere
long, clean out the set which has for
several years plundercd the tax paying
people of the county.
We want no fat offices, but we do
want practical, faithful men; men who,
like our foreratl,ers, aic willing TO devote
a few days. having their expenses paid.
to the service of the county. Men who
have no AK to grind. and who regard the
interests of those who are devoted to
cultivatipg the soil and who pay the
taxes,
The enormous and grinding tax of onc
injured 0nd Twenty-Five thousand doNars
annually upon the farmers, the laborers,
and the artisans of Cecil calls loudly for
abatement. The taxes ought to be re-
duced. The agricultural products of the
county are down in price, and yet we see
an augmented levy. This Glght not to
be SO. am alike opposed to the eXcmp-
ton of "bloated bondholders - from Il
due share Of public burdens. and the
feeding fat = of all Office holders with
fat salaries. | am for cutting down all
fat salaries, and hope soon for c0-opcrd-
ton, retrenchment and reform in our
annual assessment: 4 TAXPAYER.
I'VE believe "Taa Payers. feelings
are shared by a large majority of the
property owners of the county. That he
complains with reason. we have amply
demonstrated over and over again in the
columns of TIE Wing. In the recent iinan-
cai mana ge,neit ii Affairs Of thG county,
more regard has been shown lnr the peck
cts of the tax eaters than for those of the
tax papers-ED.