The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-02-09
where raxation Falls Heaviest,

where Taxation Falls Heaviest.
Recently Mr.. Thomas G. Shearman,
who was one of the eminent counsel
engaged in the celebrated Beecher tri- /
al, delivered lecture on the subject of !
=" Protection and Free Trade'' before |
the Revenue Reform Club of Brook |
lyn.
He alluded to the enormous growth
of fortunes since 1915, and remarked
earnings of the poor kept any reason
able pace with this development of
riches. But they did not, and the poor
were not unreasonably dissatisfied,
knowing that they earn twenty times
rs much as the rich, and yet that a few
rich men sove as much as the whole
mass below. The poor man blames
lisury laws, specie payments, or some
other feature of the organization OF
society for this state of affairs, hui me
does not stop to think that there is all
| the time working a system of indirect
| taxation which takes from eveiy hnu
carrier more than thirty times rs much
i'm proportion to the means OF payment
as il does from Vanderbilt, Gould or
! Astor All the Federal taxation was
indirect, and Il large amount OF state
taxation also. All indirect taxes being
levied on property, which men BUY
and consume, fell upon them in pro
portion TO their consumption ano not
to their income. A man whose income
was SlO0,000 n year, and who spent
only $4,000, paid not one cent more
than the man whose income was only
$40, 900 and who spent it all. II Mr..
Vanderbilt chose TO live in Il modest
way upon $l00,00O year, he paid no
more to the Federal Government than
five hundred errand boys earning 500
each. This was not all.
chant and retail dealer must be paid
his regular profit on the tax as we'll as
, OH the actual price of his goods. This
prOfit rolled over and over until, in
order to enable the government To re-
ceive $4O0, 100000 a year the people
have to pay at least $500, ,000, 900. AS
: the merchant could earn this profit in
other ways under direct taxation, this
$1OO, ,OOO, 900 per annum was wasted as
absolutely as if thrown into the sea.
Nor was this all. Not content with
this enormous waste we so arranged
taxes as to increase the price of articles
of daily use to the amount of at least
$3.50, ,OC0 600 every year. As the Fed
eral taxes were $500. .0C ], 200 every year,
the local taxes SIC, l,Ooo,OC), the mer-
+ chants commission on taxes $1G0,O2
: 600, and the extra cost of goods caused
! by the protective side of the sys
= tenn, $3.50, ,OCO,ot }, made total burden
of over 81 500, $50 600 annually, almost
= all of which was borne by the people
according to their expenses, and not
, according to their income. Men like
q Gould and Vanderbilt were taxed less
, than two per cent. on their annual
. savings, the wealthiest citizens O
Brooklyn were taxed eight per cent
n the average successful man of business
o twenty per cent, and the great mas:
of laboring men eighty per cent. LII II
!, We're not for this system of indirec
taxation, combined with protection
6 Mr.. Shearman argued that the IA ,O0),
o 600 persons who live by their daily la
: Dor in this country would sfve every
v year over 81 400 ,C)0, while all the more
:, | prosperous classes combined could on
!. ly save about $3.50, 100000; 50 that
O taxes did not interfere, the laborlnt
:. classes, as whole, would i'll twent!
= years be worth Sill 900, 600 more thai
: the upper classes. But taxation dit
:, interfere with such effect that If tn
q upper Gle sses used the slightest econo
my they would in the next twent.
years be worth 81 900 900, 600 more thai
; all the laboring classes omblned, hill
8 LOG, 600 men at the top would be rlche
than all the rest of the people in tn
United States combined.