The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-04-17

Total State Total share Of $780, |
Sections. and local 10000 ed on |
taxation. population.
New England States sf2OlO2I7 Si6O0OOOO
Middle StHles.-....... lOl 1891 46,SsOOOO
Southern Stntes....-.. JI,3Ol,4I 6J,I5OGgO
Western Staies......,.. llS.J6T,952 $4,000
lerrltOrie5,'...''......... Z,bi5,Ibl 2,0iOuD
The New England States, with their i'm
mense wealth and ability to bear taxation
under this system of direct taxation, would
have to pay $16,OOO,OOO of it only, while
their total State and local taxation aggre-
gates $420O0,OOO. The Middle States, with
with the large cities of New York, Philadel-
phia, and Baltimore which now consumes
such an immense proportion of the high
priced imported goods, will have to pay but
S4G000,0OO of this direct taxation under the
ideal free trade system which is to be in
augurated, while their present State and
local taxation amounts to far more than
double this sum, exceeding $780, 100000.
The farmers of the great Northwest pay
liberal share of the State and local taxation,
and they pay it, as a rule, cheeFfully. The
most of it goes for purposes which benefit
them. First, for the education Of their
children; second, for the making and i'm
proving of the public highways -always Of
great Importance to the farmers. How would
they feel were they suddenly compelled to
pay, in addition to the $l18,OOO,O0O which is
now their annual quota of State and local
taxation, $74, 00O,O 600 to support the Govern
ment. Would they pay this S74,0O0000
cheerfully when they saw that the wealthy
New England States paid but $16OOO,OOO,
and the Middle States, with relatively
much larger per capita of wealth, paid but
$i6,000,000 for this purpose? And, then, this
tax would be most unequal one. In some
Counties it would amount to double, and
even in some cases five times the amount of
the total local taxation.
If any farmer who has doubts about this
wants to know how much his particular
County will have to pay of this direct taxa
ton and viii write to me, l will give him
the exact Ggures-that is the way 10 bring
the question home to the people. Not long
since | showed by way of example that the
State and County taxation of Wayne County,
Michigan, was $4,000 in 1880, and the
United States taxation by direct taxation
would be over 100000, about threefold
the State and County tax combined. 1t is,
farmers, q fact that in some agricultural
Counties in Michigan such tax would ex-
cced the State and County tax fiyefold. The
farmer assessed at $4,000 would have to pay
SIS year, and one assessed at S20, 600, $40
year, an amount about equal to the total
store expenditures of many welI-to-do farm
ers. As a rule, the farmers property is
more fairly assessed than the bonds and
stocks and other personal property of the
dweller in large cities. An increase such as
proposed by Free Traders, therefore, would
Dear heaviest III a8ElCuIiuIal ulStElCiS. 1ulS
should be very serious question for farming
communities, and one that every farmer
should ponder over before he commits HIM
self 10 such a proposition. He should re-
member that the total State, County, Town
and School District taxation of the United
States aggregate annually about $500 900 900.
The aggregate annual amount collected by
import duties averages abOut S2000OO,OOO,
or two-thirds of the amount of State and
local taxation. have indicated by the fore
going table how this increase of 66 per cent.
| of direct taxation would affect the farmer.
Let him decide Tor himself as to whether or
not it is q system which he cares to adopt.
merely present the facts. 1t is for him to
pass Judgment.