Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-27

log with Ratchet instead OF splitting 1t az
once by the vigorous and well directed
blow OF an axe.
Begging your pardon for the haste with
which have necessarily written, belieye
me, VERY respscffuIlv ynurs.
GEo. II. BATES
On motion vote OF thanks was paid to
Mr.. Bates for his communication.
DISCUSSING THE ADDaEes.
Chairman Black then stated that the
business before the meeting was the dis
cussion OF topics embraced in Mr..
Finley'a address.
Mr.. Homewood hoped the discussion
would be profitable and practical He
wsnted talk that would bear fruit in
action. He wanted TO see something
done, rs we'll as said.
On motion of Mr.. Medill, the dis
putRnts were limited to fYe-minute
speeches.
Mr.. Walker said the farmers of Penn
sylyania pay about 1886 900, 600 taxes and
the rest az the people $4,000 900. He
didn't sec how il would help ths farmer
TO exempt personal property; IL would
make the tax heavier on the land, and
some OF the land, II you take away the
improvements, would be dear OF gift
without putting more tax on it.
Mr.. Finley Explained that he was not
Henry George man. He proposed to
relieve the farmer by exemptiug his
house, bis wagons and his personal prop
arty and taxirg his land alone, while
transferring 70 direct and collateral in
heritances the taxation now imposed on
personal prnperty. As TO such farming
land Rs Mr.. Waller Ind spoken OF. IL it
were wofthles4 il won'd pay no taxes.
William Cooch--"What is your opinion
on the taxation OF money investments 2"
Mr.. Finley-"I wouldn'ttax mortgages,
for instance, because to do SO would raise
The rate OF interest. am not in favor of
taxing anything you con drive out u q
community"
Chairman Black--''I understand Ny.
Finley to hold that the taxation Of mort
cages would drive capital out Of tbs
State.n
David j. Murphy wanted 10 see every
body made TO psy his Just share of tho
public expengns. II own farm worth
Sl0,000, the law projects my life and
property to the amount Of $4,000 If
Mr.. Jones owna $4,000 in bonds and
mortgages he is protected as muuh as l
am, Why should he not, therefore, pay
his proportion OF the expenses OF the
government? Why should not every in
stitution, banking and otherwise, pay its
proportion? OF course it ahould; you
all admit this. Now, how are we to get
At it That 10 another question. Mr..
Finley has suggested an idea had not
thought OF and which strikes me as O
very good ons; a tax on incomes. Dur
ipg tae war the government levied an in
come tax and sent assessors around
And many men lied out OF it," inter-
rupted some one.
MIR. Murphy went on tospeak favornbly
OF the Inheritance tax suggestions also,
and to commend q suggestion mada by
Mr.. HcmeWood for the appointment Of a
Bpacial committee on taxation, to con.
slider and report TO future me Getting.
Thomas Di,worth thought tho meeting
was getting into pre- ty deep water. He
feared they mad tackled problem they
could not solve. To his mind there ia
nothing fairer than an income tax. It
makes man pay according to what he is
worth. The taxing Of mortgages has been
tried in this state and what was the re-
suit !? The borrower paid the tux on his
farm and the tax on his mortgage. Be-
sides, it taxes the same property twice
over. II q farm worth 100000 il mort
gagged for S10,DO0, both are assessed for
taxation and tax for $40 900 is laid on
$4,000 worth OF property. We are deal
ing with conditions, not theories, The
isolation of the farmer makes lin pecu.
liarly unfortunate in absping lie islation.
Ho does not get together enough to for
m late n lVatpDl pf rTpvar mani
George g. Lpbdell wished to soy a
word on the taxation Of incomes. III his
opinion an income tax was the most uu-
fair that could be levied. It tavors the
dishonest man Mt the cost of the honest
man. The latter scrupulously assumes
his burden as nearly ss he can approx
mate II, while the former either lies cut
Of Viz share or sometimes retnrus a
fictitious income with frau1ule intent.
lie knew, during the time the Federal gov
ernment levied such ts4, of one concern
ilat returned IN incams OF 500 900, when
was in reality bankrupt. The speaker
was always willing 10 pay his share, when
he could get at that share, but II was ire.
luently impossible for men conducting
large Embellishments to tell mlcE ahout
their incomes. In the very nature OF
things such incomes would vary with the
yici5situdss Of trade. But it is important
to farmers 10 consider not oAly how the
money should be raised, but how II
should be sperS. lie know OF one piece
t work which cost the county SiD0 that
he would havs done for $50, and OF
another job OF road mendipg for which
$72 was paid that could have been done
for IS.
j. Alexander Fulton, Esq, said that he
had heen regI stBa BY the Earmers' Ia.
atituts Of Kaut county 10 attend this
meeting, and TO tell the farmers OF New
Castle what the farmers OF Kent arc
doing and Ha7ing, about the manner d
I Wach the t.SsS are collected and ez,
4 EsndeG in thair county. We zee that this
tArmerB OF Kent county are paying 80 per
4 cant Of the coEntg taxes and We say thai
4 is unjust and unfair; that thaFe are men
I who own much r9nre than tho farmers dc
\ who pay not 'eAes Whatever, and We
/ don't mean thGt they shall do that for.
ever. We shall fad out where theli
/ property is, and let tnem liz
Dut OF il, or BwsF out OF it, il
4 they can. We mean That the mOrtraqet
| stall pay for the tag on his mortgage.
When We do that you will be surprised
low ligat the taxes will be on every man.
We baVs appointed a oomnittee and ash
you TO appoint a similar eommittes tc
meet With as and look over the whols
Ground; to find ont what is right and
4 Just anl then 90 before the Legislature
ana ask for it. But the men you s4Gd tc
thu Legislature ghould Lave thras q1slifi
cAtions. Ghey should hs, tlrst, honest
mon; secondly, Intelligent men; and,
lastly, man with backbone, Who canno
be oaioled into doing what they do mo-
WISH to do.
VI. Lobdell, recnrrinp to the incom,