The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-03-15
MIR. Allen wants Know,

To the Editor OF inc ERs.
As we pass through life, even in this "lani of
the free we constantly sec rights withheld and
wrongs perpetrated owing to the action or silent
influence OF riches.
Shakespeare, writing three hundred years ago,
said plate sin with gold. and the strong lance
Of justice breaks harmless clothe it in rags, and
.he pgmy's straw doth pierce it,
The world went on, aud more than hundred
years later the greatest mind of England wrote ::
FOR gold his sword the hireiing ruflian draws,
For gold the hireling judge distors the laws,
Wide wasting pest that RACES unconiined,
And crowds with crime the records of mankndH
More than hundred years have been added to
the past since johnson confirmed the experience
OF Shakespeare, and still freedom languishes in
the chains OF wealth. In the latter period liber-
ty has made, II ia true, wonderful progress but
that advance has not been commensurate with
what has been done in the arts and sciences to-
wards promoting the comfort OF tho every day
life of men.
The reason of this is that tho wealthy classes
are interested to repress the one and promote
the other. They find II profitable to obstruct tho
equal enjoyment by the poor OF equality OF
taxation tor instance the luxurious exist
ence that wealth enables them to enjoy is made
more Luxurious by promoting Improvement ana
discovery in those directions in which all other
sciences than that OF government have their
field OF action.
We have in our own country now what seems
to be nothing else but the influence Of wealth
ohstructinE the execution OF the law that pro-
Yides for every man paying taxes on his actual
worth in real and personal property. Last year
! Insisted that the commissioners proceed to
MAKE suCh rC-asSessments as the law fcQulrol
them to make, and that justice to the masses
made it their moral duty to make They first de
MED that they had such power under the law at
forwards when the law was shown to them, they
did nothing, and they will never do anything I'M
less the wrOnged masses make themselves heard
In way that these officers will feel that it is not
safe to disregard. In order to settle forever
what the law of taxation is in this State ] have
long ago notified the commissioners and the tax
collector that would not pay my taxes except
on such balance of the assessment as might re-
main after the deduction of mortgage debts
and 1t is their duty to put the law in force to col
lect these taxes yet they will not do IL. The
taxes refer to were due more than a year ago,
and want action taken In order to have the
question settled whether the people Of Maryland
are or are not worse OIL now than they were
while they were colonists of England, and
whether the constitution of tho State rules the
legislature or the legislature rules the cOnstitu-
ton. Now, If ii 10 not the influence OF the rich
that makes these public officers delay so long
refuse, indeed, praCtically-to put the law in
force to collect these taxes as their oath OF Office
require that they shall do. what is it? ] do not
charge that 1t IL the influence OF tho wealthy
that makes them so dilRtory but | want to
know, and tho public wants to know, what the
reason is.
Yours respectfully,
Il. NJ ALLEN,