The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-06-22
The Egis & Intelligencer

EnE FAX QUEs ZION


NOW.
EpIroR Eos; 10 No. / / showed what the
rights of the people of Maryland are in regard to
taxation, and how they are wTQnged by lhhl
bcinR axed at its full value while no CC1ucton
is made OF debts from the assessment Oh tno ci'i'
zen ,.., -, ,,,,,, bot thos,, who
owe nothing are paying half as much more taxes
as they would pay under an honest system OF
taxation. In this 1 propose to zen ABOUT ne
means by which equal taxation can pc oIouk ~
about, and about the singular apalhy OF the
people on the subject. ,.,., ,
1;be exemptiOn Of mortgages ia clearly uncpn
stitutionai as well all exemptions except OF the
property that belongs to the people III tG%.r pc
iitical capacity-that is, except the proptIy q.
The State OF the counties and OF the cites, whlch
being The nropcrty OF tine body OF the people as
an associntCd body OF men, IL would be absurd 70
tax themselves to Pay inc and Trt reIigious imst
tons deserve the c0untcnance ana support OF
the public, and therefore they shouil pe a,uta
nj lsbst TO the extent of what they wnull DC
taxed. but IL is unconstitutional to exempt thelr
property from taxation, and therefore on thelr
showing what property iney t RSu the State
treasury to pay such taxes as were shown 70 pe
laid on property employed Wholly ioT char' ,'r
PURPOSES: for while that plan would DC iloIo
tronbIcsome than the present plan OF a sweeping
exemption of all property used IN sucn WdSs s ~
would have the advantage on ,o ~ aeItin0 taxes
with the Constitution, and also on ses',s taHiS
from some OF it now uGtaxed that Is prouapiy
used wholly. or in part, for private gam,
THE STRANGE APATHY OF TUE PEOPLE, +,
framed n hill to equalize taxation IN looi, ~
the Senate In the usual course OF ivs,siaalo ~
was referred TO the committee on ii nn,nber
and think chairman. II was rcpotlcu ny '', ~
committee back to tho Senate unIaVotaOy, or an
unfavorable report from committee Is Ec MI a.,
iy the death of a bill. | moved that the OIL lt-
self be substituted for the unfaVoraoie report,
The Senators said that the OH was whpie hndv
undertook to persuade them that u was JuIt
and practicable both; and after arsuiH m me
Them for three days, they voted to Sns
I'm FOR the unfayorable report mus IL was
brought before the Senate for actioh. aiii ~
slied that book as enE ~ me before could
induce them to vote for a blli that rs ,hn state
accordance with the Constitution oa ' Tho h@Sv
anI that was necessary in order mat lhe pouS
of tho people should be rescued from tne @ 4,
Of swindlcIs They did, however at Iast ,t paS , !,
by large majority II, i ,hn treo ~ of mem.
her Of the House OF Delegates. But inc p e9ptie
OF the state for whose 6epent nte Ss as thew sill
act, as ii they were wholly sunk IN lnuihere"''
!" tried in the Farmers Conventions, containing
r.nresentatiyes of the whole State. 70 get mem
70 pIedgS themselves TO promote equal taxat9n
but all they would do was to appont u
10 draft a tax bill to insure equal taNhtlon. ,,,
That committee drafted tax hii as nI
ing the wishes and the rights OF me i,ro
the state and 1t was presented 10 inc hes's'"'"''
Gov Hamilton, as President of the Farmers
Convention. appointed that commttee, amu mii'
free to say that the bill IL framed was NOR ,ho
rageous in the preparation OF wrong tn nir olo
taS law we now bave and that it was dlSYra ace
10 Its trainers The body GI saS vent before
the commissioners of Hartford county anu urRod
them to assess the railroads. That Is risnt a'a1
a duty OF theirs They should assess thein az
their "full cash value not looking 10 IorGvu
sale" exactly as the farms OF the county aIe az,
sessed They could in this way sn mat Nil the
money needed this year for state anu couuS
taxes would be raised by about 10 cents on ,he
hundred. which they will probably, levy. ! ear,
nesty urged them to do 1t. IL coula ue - mins
five minutes. They know the nuilOtHr Ui arc
they know what the assets of the rallroaus aIG
and II would only be necessary to instruct their
clerk to change the figures on tho books; o,o
voice was raised against It. found they would
De likely not TO do 1t, and tnen pI0poSeSs thst
they notify the counsel OF all INC y, innrnasinu
their assessment on a certain named uay, a ,si
slated that would appear before tnem on vna'
While these LAWYERS represented the interests OF
the railroads. The commissioners agreed an , tn's
should be done, and they graVeiy 10Y R Rv
from whom we spring, whose laws we adopted
<when we gained our independence, Wnosc lai-
use and OF ThGsf by King Charles
Iat. They took down their OLD sWorus; tthhoS
sHouldered their old Matchbox muses. Si ,ngS
shOok out their old flags and they met m,s noreps
AMID beat them on the field of battle. ihey cap
tured him, and after deliberate trlai 'hey coh-
demned him and they cut Oh NJ neaa ~ England
One hundred years ago the hlne OF hnsiIauuu
unIawfuiiy taxed the American people; ana ne
sent tea to Boston from which TINS unlawful lhA
was to be collected. The people OF lioston threw
the tea into the sea, and when the King sen, nus
soldiers to punish them they met these s9 sol
nm bunker Hill where now stands n smart that
will tell the men of ages to come OF the Valor ol
their fathers. -, ,,rio,., nm
lawful taxes from, to our own state Capital.
Yes, to Annapolis. But the men OF Maryland
set IRE to the ship and burnt the tea and the snip
NV fellow citizens it is my candid opinion that
the people of Maryland are approachins tnat
condition to which people descend before losing
their rights and their liberties altogether.
IF the men of 1910 could break the letters OF
the grave and behold the men OF to-day submit
ting TO he taxed more uniusty than any l re.
nepnle were ever taxed before; aud not Only un'
instIy but unlawfully-that is, having Cons so
i,iiinn that guarantees their rights, they are 700
supine TO require the enforcement OF thelr rignts
i say If the sturdy heroes VINO c iuUpeI With
Howard, and Gist, and Smallwood to the bloody
neids of the Revolution in order that we inlght
have freedom from illegal taxation; couiu soe
how like oxen we bow our necks to the YOKE Vi
wealth. they would C0HtemH dhd deSptSt 'helr ue-
scehuauS' C. NJ. ALLEN.
.JyUs lstb 1888.