The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-09-30
THE LABORLNG NAN AS a TAX
PAYER.

4 A6 6ADOAAHO AdH 40 a 1dA
PAYER.
To the Editor of the Emporia News:
l notice in your editorial columns that
you make an especial appeal to the labor
ing classes to vote for the court house and
water works propositions, because they Will
make work for them and many others OF
their class who NAV need il, and who will
be benefited thereby. Now is il not fact
that Q great majority Of these laboring
men do not own foot OF land either in
our city or any where else, and Is 1t not q
fact that they will therefore not have to
pay the tax necessary to build these
WorksG If this 10 So, does It not seem to
DO taking an unfair advantage of the
right TO vote to use such right for the
purpose OF taxing those who do own
property and necessarily will have to pay
for these improvements.
While thoroughly agree with you that
both measures are much needed, and,
probably may be made just now at better
advantage that at any time hereafter
Especially the court house,, still are the
above lnterrogations not to she point, and
Is It not manitestly unjust to appeal to
such argument. A Tax PAYER.
In answer to the above, We have only
to state that our correspondent Is ex-
tremely illogical in his argument, and that
because man is not real estate owner
Is no good reason why he should not be
interested in the affairs OF the city or coun-
ty In which he may live. The suggestion
is unrepublIcan, and If carried out would
give the entire control and direction OF all
public and political affairs to the rich,
while the poor would be disfranchised. 1t
~
matter Of dollars and cents.
But, as matter of tact, our correspond
ent Is utterly at fault In his argument. as
the man who owns no land is actually the
one who has to pay the taxes in e larger
ratio than any one else. 1t is true that he
pays no direct tax on land that he owns,
but If the court house and wAterworks
propositions pass he will. nevertheless, pay
his full share toward their completion.
When letting or leasing his building or
buildings, the owner takes particular care
to charge the tenant a rental which will
not only pay all the taxes on the property,
the Insurance,rate and the costs Of repair,
bat which Will also yield a handsome
profit; and in fixing the prices of board
the hotel or boarding house landlord set
ties on a sum which, after he has met all
his public and private expenses, will yield
him good return.
Now, the ''landless" are all tenants or
boarders, and as they are, it is plain that
they cannot ape the payment OF taxes.
They do not pay the taxes directly. 1t is
true, but they pay them indirectly.
Indeed. 1t is they who pay the landlords
taxes, and he takes advantage of their
necessities to compel them to.
T tenant also makes purchases at dry
goods, boots and shoes, grocery, hardware,
clothing and other stores, and as the
matter of expense is always factor in
the prices of goods, he assists these retail
dealers in paying their taxes.
So, in the ultimste q aly5is the 81 and
less" citizen is the most heavily taxed per-
son In the community, and he is even
more profoun ly interested In an econo-
micsl administration of state, county,
township and city government than is the
lAnd-owning citizen.
If our correspondent had only thought
OF these things it Is unlikely that he
would have advanced hts unrepublIcan,
untenable aud uncalled for suggestion.
But, after all, 1t is not q question Of
who will have TO pay the larger part of
the taxes. but It is q question of whether
il Is not for the best interests of all and
every one in our city and county TO have
these necessary Improvements. Not only
the poor man will benefited in ways
10 numerous to mention, but the rich real
estate owners will be benefited ma
terialiy by the appreciation In prics OF
every inch OF land he owns.
Every farmer 10 the county who has
taxes to pay and who has TO tramp all over
town, and possibly be kept waiting be-
cause Of lack Of room TO transact business
In the present court house, will be bene-
fitted, and every citizen who has business
at the court house would be benefited.
Even the poor prisoners who violate the
law and are incarcerAted IN an under
ground cellar, called jail, would have
reason to be thankful.
And, probably more than any others,
our judges and lawyers would be es-
Decially benefited, and through them
their clients, as IN the present court house
it is 9 notorious fact that legal cases Of
the greatest importance are much re-
tarded aud hindered not only for lack of
room, but because the noise made by con-
stAntly passing trains interrupts business
to such an extent as to greatly interfere
with Its proper transaction, It being al
most impossible to hear a word spoken
while tram is passing.