Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-09
THE GRANGER TAX BILL.
JUDGE BLACKS DEFENSE OF Ir.

BLACKS DEFENSE OF IT.
he Bids the "lntelligencer Turn on Its
Electric Lieht-Wants the Farmer
Relieved From Excessive
Taxation.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE LANCASTER
Gentlemen.-Yourp pa
per has been sent me, with two articles
marked, in which your opposition to the
Changers tax bill is very strongly ex-
pressed. That bill does not meet nv
ideas at all. but it comes from a source
entitled to the highest respect, and is an
effort (Which you may call crude if you
wilD to distribute among all the people as
evenly as possible burdens which are now
imposed with frightful disregard of JUS
tice. Is sipot this movement of the
Changers committee a first step towards
equality Criticise it if you please, for it's
probable inefdciency, but do not pooh
pooh the great principle.
Where is your democracy, if you are
not in favor of equal taxation: Where is
your fidelity to the state administration,
which you did so much to elect, if you
meet the admirable doctrine of the COVER
nor's inaugural with ridicule of the
Grangers' bill:
You are very anxious for harmony
among our political friends at Harrisburg.
You wish they would settle their little
differences about offices. So do |. But,
if they neglect the weightier matters of
the law" do not care how much they
quarrel about tho 'tythlng of the mint
and the cummin;" for the sooner they
tear one another to pieces the better.
Perhaps l misunderstood your views on
this whole subject. If do, it is some
body's fault. Let us see if it is your
want of precision or my dullness.
l reckon you know Gor you know all
things of that kind a great deal better
than do) that the farmers pay nine
tenths of the taxes. OF course, l do not
speak with fractional accuracy, bat that
is generally supposed to be about the de-
gree of the inequality. Citizens engaged
in other pursuits, which are ten times as
profitable, arc taxed only one-tenth.
Judging this system by the rules of com.
mon sense apd common honesty, call it
robbery. What do you call it
Is it not possible to right this cruel
wrong Perhaps it is difficult. 1t is not
easy to devise the machinery which will
work out perfect justice in the collection
and disbursement of the revenues. Some
of your objections to the Grangers' bill
are well founded.
It may be, Cor aught know, that tax
upon property not in sight would be
evaded. You give the business men of
the state credit for an amount of smart
ness and dishonesty which would probably
make that kind of tax impracticable.
Domiciliary visits Of assessors, pryins
into the secrets of mems private business,
are od;ous and ought to be excluded as
much as possible from every system of
taxation.
l think provision which prevents re-
covery on bond or note unless the tax is
paid would be impairing the obligation Of
Contract, and therefore unconstitutional.
But what Is to prevent an equal and fair
Imposition Of taxes upon all classes ac-
cordins to their gisi1!e products which the
business Of each turns out Why can
you not fix it SO that il farmer will pay for
the legal privilege Of raising = bushel of
wheat nc more than other peoale pay for
the right they enjoy of making what they
sell for the same price and at a far higher
profit: II all will pay about one tenth as
much as the farmer pays now, fund will
DC created large enough to support the
schools, the courts, the jails, the poor
houses, pay the salaries of all officers and
meet all public expenses Of every kind,
general and local. Would not this be
just, righteous and proper: II you deny
that equality is equity in taxation as in all
other things, tell us, in the name of
heaven, the reason of your Judgment.
Yen may say that the way of doing it is
hard to see; the little lantern of the
GGangets: which you sneer at, does not
show clear path. But turn your own
electric light upon it, and the whole track
will be luminous. Do YOU not see how
easy ano simple will be the process OF as
cartaining by proper officers the quantity
OF grain produced upon the land, or the
rents of real property not used for agricul
tural purposes, the coal taken out of the
mines, the Gil from the wells, the fabrics
Of cvcry kind created by the manufac-
t,lrers, the tonnage Of railroads, the stock
of goods that passes through the ware
house OF tie merchant, and the money
lent by bankers? Then lay your taxes
with horizontal equality upon ali alike
not pile the whole weight, or nearly the
whole. upon one unfortunate class, as it
is now. Gov. Hoyt said he did not sec
how tbs revenue thus received could be
redstlibuted but that will not puzzle
Gov. Pattison aud y0u need not fret
aboutit. Redistribution is not the thing
proposed, but merely payment of it, at
such places, and TO such persons, as are
entitled to it, or authorized to use it for
local purposes. The United States have
model system for the collection, safe
keeping and disbursement of the public
moneys, which you cannot study five min
utes without seeing that the objections on
the score of this difficulty are merely i'm.
aginary. If tythe of the talents and
skill which our politicians exert in devils.