St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-04-01
The Tax Law and the Oath.


Messenger, after speaking of the solem-
mites of an oath, closes as fellows
And now, Mr.. Editor, let me say that
for one | cannot take the oath prescrib-
ed. | have tried several times to an
swer the interrogatories, so far as they
concern myself, proposed in the blank
inventories, and ! find it impossible to
give such answers that L can
swear to the truth of them. They may
be such that neither the state nor the
individual will be wronged by them,
but | cannot affirm their accuracy with
$50 help me God" Let me illustrate
by some examples:
Under question it is asked, Chow
many pleasure wagons have you W Now
| have one that is such. | have anoth-
Ell that was used as such till some years
ago, when l procured another, since
which time it has not been used as a
pleasure wagon. Shall | answer one or
two? d? do not know. Another question
under this heading is, chow many
sleighs ?" But what is sleigh7 The
dictionary tells me that it is "a vehicle
with runners for travelling on snow or
ice." Am l to give, therefore, the num-
Der of all vehicles having runners for
tavelling on snow or ice, including lum-
Der sleighs and sleds of various kinds,
or only pleasure sleighs for carrying
persons | do not know, but probably
everything that has runners. The ques-
ton next following this is show many
carriages ?" The dictionary says car
riage is ''any vehicle on wheels" Does
the question mean how many vehicles
of this sort have in all, carts, lumber
wagons, &c. or those only which are
not pleasure wagons am troubled to
answer the question in another respect,
for by shifting the wheels of my old
pleasure wagon upon a lumber body, |
have a lumber wagon. Do the old
pleasure wagon and the lumber wagon
thus formed make two carriages, or
one? Can | use either number and
swear it is correct? Again, in ques-
tiOning it is asked, "What amount of
other goods, chattels, effects and money
on hand, included in to 8 inclusive,
were owned by yOu on the first day OF
April, 1881 ?" The amount here asked
must be the amount not in bulk OF
number, but in value. But how can
tell The law does not require me to
set a value on my property, and espe-
cially on my goods, chattels and eff
fects," and the listers at that time have
not appraised them. But this is not
all, nor the worst, goods, chattels and
effects" are what are called "mOvables'
and the three terms are certainly inclu-
sive of all movables within doors anG
without. We know perfectly well what
! =, I,- EgnnAHcr vvhnn II iS
that man is moving his goods, OF by
his "effects" when we are told of one
that his effects were all sold at auction
The question then, if | have any un,
derstanding of it, requires me to name
and set a value on every article of any
worth in my house, stoves, tables
chairs, bureaus, trunks, bedsteads
pals, books, etc, etc., and all imple
ments outside, such as plOws, harrOws
wheel -barrOws, rakes, pitchfOrks and 81
on. Now who can do this and theI
swear calling upon God with an awfu
imprecatiOn, to witness the truth O
what he speaks) that his answer is cor
rect for one cannot. 1t may be sale
that many of the articles embraced il
the terms, goods, chattels and effects
are of little value, or are not taxable
| This may be true, but it has no bearin!
oil the answer | must make to the ques
ton. | am to give the amount of all
and so | am obliged TO specify all. Th,
question may be unfortunately pro
pounded, but its sense as it is, is Obvi
Gus. | cannot answer it in my case ant
take the oath prescribed; and becaus
l cannot l must be doubly taxed.
Tbara Othar UuaStinnS of mOrI
moment, presenting equal, or if posi-
BILE, greater difficulties. Every taxpay
er will end them for himself, but h
must swear to the correctness of the an
swers he gives, though he knows that i
is impossible for him to give them cor
rectly, or else subject himself to a dou
BILE taxation. | fear, Mr.. Editor, tha
the operation of the law will be to driv
money or capital out of the state to tn
great detriment of business. But thi
is not the worst apprehension have;
fear it will most decisively help to driv
a pure conscience out of the state; an
anything that weakens the moral re
straints of the people is the worst ev
that can happen to them. Nav Go
save the people of this commonwealth
from all falsehood and wrong, fTem pei
jury and violated conscience, whatev
er they may lose beside.
l add in conclusion, since | canno
make such answers to sundry of the il
terrOgatories as will allow me conscieI
tiously to swear to the absolute truth {
1 them, that, had | the ability, rathe
than disobey the law requiring the oat
r OF suffer the penalty for so doing,
I would remove from the state. An
! touching our own constituted legislat
ors, permit me to say further, it seen
to me they placed very low estimat
on the veracity, honesty and mOralit
Of the taxpayers of Vermont, when the
j could not suffer them to tell as be-
they could how many pleasure wagon
e sleighs, carriages, goods, chattels an
effects they had (all visible property
without exacting from and impOsir
= upon them the awful solemnities of a
e oath for the truthfulBess of their al
S swers.