Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-16
THE NEW THEORY OF TAXATION.

THE NEW THEORY OF TAXATION.
The system OF taxation now in general use
in this country has probably attained the ut
most perfection and thoroughncss of which
it is capable in the law now in force in this
State. This fact is generally recornizcd {;
and number of Governors have in their
messages referred to our law and have re-
commended the adoption or imitation of its
principles. But while the law has just reach
cd the highest point of efficiency, it is per-
haps an open question whether it will re-
main permanently satisfactory. At present
it is strongly backed as all successful
legislation must be, by the overwhclm-
ing power of public sentiment and
this public sentiment is kept alive and
stimulated by the power of the press as we
hope and trust will long be the case But that
eternal vigilance which is the price of equal
taxation as well rs of liberty may relax :
public sentiment, now so strongly in favor OF
the law, may flag and it is quite within the
possibilities that III the course of time the
condition of things may relax into what it
was under the Old lava possibility the
more likely, in that the new law made no
really radical change in the old system, but
owed its thorough and successful enforce
ment simply to an aroused aud determined
public sentiment. Then, again, the law is
unqucstionably nquisltonal, us all SUCCESSFUL
laws under the system must be; and how 1t
is regarded by some competent authorities is
seen by the report of the New York State
Assessors, in which it is arraigncd as
"abhorrcnt to the spirit of free people,
and "a heavy premium on every form OF
evasion, concealmcnt and falschood, and
crushing tax on integrity" 1t is hardly nee
essary for us to say that for our own part we
do not agree with this sweeping dcnuncia-
ton of the law, which was apparently writ
ten without u sufficient understanding of it
but it is fact beyond controversy that the
system in force all over the United States is
nquisitorial in its scope and tendency, and
tends to the abuses catalogued by the New
York assessors.
Such being the case-snd we believe that
it can not be successfully disputed attention
is naturally directed to the new theory OF
taxation, which is receiving earnest support
in able and influential quarters. BY this
taxation is limited to land and 10 Il few classes
OF direct business competitors. The argument
is, in brief, that all immediate competitors
and competing property should be uniformly
and primarily burdened; but that equality
and uniformity of taxation do not require
that all items of property and all classes of
business should be made subject TO primary
burden. Land is universal business stand
without competitor, and its taxation, there
fore, involves a burden on its use and on all
forms Of business and personal property
The taxation of lands, and moderate and
uniform taxation of all immediate Compel
tors in each class of Il few distinct and broad
classes Of business, will render these few
broad aud visible subjects Of primary taxa
ton convenient and economical tax advanc-
crs, and the subject of a final burden to any
person, except to consumers, on whom all
UNIFORM luAhtlOH Hhuiiy lcols' iHc peio'H
who advances to the State uniform tax on
II gwen class of property or business, distrb'
utes and cquates it secondarily in commodi
ties, by the natural laws of competition, and
sells or rents his advanced taxes in his pri-
ces, because his immediate competitors are
subject to the same and uniform tax The
tax advancer's relative condition is therefore
unchanged by reason of the tax which he has
advanced, and which becomes t. the final
consumer II part of the cost of production.
This is apparent IN the case of heavy Custom
House dues on importations; but it is not
less evident or true in the case OF other taxes
uniformly imposed on all persons, property
or business of the same and competing class.
There are no means and there should be no
means of preventing people from selling or
renlingin their prices taxes which they have
advanced, and it is safe to conclude that it
always will be done if the taxes are perma-
nent and uniformly imposed on all immediate
competitors and competing property.
This, put in the briefest form, is the sub
stance of the argument advanced in behalf of
the new theory of taxation. In stating the
argument we are by no means to be understood
as unqualiiiedly commenting the system, for
we are by no means prepared to do so. Bat
trial of the plan would be OF the greatest
interest and value, and it would be a great
Thing for the country if one of our Common
weaths would risk the experiment.