The Labor enquirer., 1884-03-22

owner, and destroy his peace OF mind.
The taxes are payable yearly 80 that
a man is compelled every year to pro
vide the money to pay them, or forfeit
his land. subject, however, to redemp-
ton within specified time, on payment
of large penalties. This is simple, plain
unadnlterated tyranny. No man ever
pays tax. under such circumstances,
without a feeling of resentment.
The fact that home may be lost so
easily, and can only be held subject to
such rigid terms, makes it less desirable
to be home owner. 1t takes away half
the sanctity of home and freslde, to
know that they are only rented from the
state, and from thu county and the city
and the township, as well. Such an ar
ray of rapacious, Unsuitable, pitiless land
lords is quite sufficient to appall any one.
The manner of collection is both of
fensipe and expensive. There is a tax
assessor and tax collector in each town
ship. The assessor is a spy and sneak;
he prizes into mans smoke house, peeps
into his dwelling, opens his barn door,
and counts his live stock, to see how
much property he has. This is simple
outrage upon individual rights and COM
mon decency, and is tyranny.
The collector is a vandal and robber
He comes with the awful alternative of
fork over or get out" Then there is
that vulture, the tax BUYER who subsists
upon the misfortunes of his neighbors,
and gloats exultingly when he can turn
a poor widow from her homestead. He
is enough to damn any law which brings
him into existence.
The taxes and all the expenses of their
collection come upon the producers, and
never upon the taxpayer, unless he be
the cultivator. If he be landlord, he
charges them in as rents, and the tenant
pays them And they are onerous
There is an army of men in each state,
engaged in the business more or less of
their time and they are paid by the pro-
ducers.
Hence, these taxes are collected by
force they are grudgingly paid they are
burdensome; they are direct imposi-
ton upon the producers; they are ex-
pensve to collect they involve an OBJ
jectionable system of prying into private
affairs, which is incompatible with the
dignity of any government; they create
discomfort, and excite opposition. And
they should be abolished.
The money necessary to support the
different governments can be raised in
such manner that the people will not
feel that they are paying it. There need
De no tax or revenue assessors or col
lectors. and no bother about taxes no
tax-sales, and no tax-sharks. And the
method is not only simple, but adequate
and Just.
The expenses of the national govern
ment are paid by import duties and
taxes on tobacco, whisky, etc. SO that it
levies no tax upon land. These duties
ana taxes are burden upon the con
sumers: they are grudgingy paid :
and they should be supplanted by rev.
enues derived from the control and oper
alton, by the national government, of
the telegraph system and the through
lines of railway the revenues of which
are now paid by the people to the stock
holders and bondholders, and are lost to
society.
The expenses of the state governments
should be paid from moneys derived as
profits from the operation of the high
ways The roads and highways along
which must pass the produce of the
farmer to market along which must pass
his supplies in return along which must
pass the letters and newspapers and
books and telegraph messages, and all
exchanges of knowledge and goods be-
tween the people and along which must
pass all the travellers of the land-these
roads and highways are to-day controlled
by individuals and corporations, who
levy such tolls as they please let freely
pass such as they choose, and openly
rob the others, as did the old robber
barons of the Rhine in the dark ages
These highways should be constructed,
kept in repair, controlled and owned by
the state governments; except such as
the great thoroughfares through the
country, and those should be owned
and managed by the national govern
ment.
These highways pay an enormous
profit over their operating, expenses,
amounting to about $3.50, ,OOO,OOOa year /;
or nearly 100000 per day. 1t is made
up by outrageous and unjust tolls, upon
the highways of the people. 1t is paid
out as dividends to stockholders and in
terest to bondholders. And these people,
large share of whom live in Europe,
are thereby supported in idleness and
luxury, at the expense of the people of
this country 1t is unjust and ought to
be stopped and the people have right
to stop it. They have right to say that
tolls shall not be levied upont heir high
ways by private individuals and corpora
tions for their own benefit. They have
a right to give them back their money,