Middletown transcript., 1891-04-02

hundred makes one assessment. the
school boards another, and the muni-
cinal authorities third three officers
far one piece of work. There is sure
II no necessity for this. Our bill bro.
noses that the hundred assessor elect.
Cd BY the people and from among the
neople, shall make the one and only
assessment, subject, ot course. to al
appeal to and revision by the Levy
Court. And that when this assess
ment is once settled it shall be final ;
and that when the school boards and
municipal authorities come to lay the
taxes for these purposes they shall
accept and act upon the assessment
already made for county purposes.
By this method justice, uniformity
and economy will be promoted. As
it is now, the same property is always
liable to be, and often is, assessed at
one figure for county purposes, anoth-
er for school purposes and third for
municipal purposes and in doing this
the greatest injustice is often done.
There surely ought to be no objection
to this change.
These three principles are the main
and distinguishing features Of the bill.
All else is mere detail, or machinery
for carrying out, in the best manner,
the purposes intended. In regard to
the methods Of operation the friends
of the bill have not only encouraged,
but expressly invited suggestions and
amendments. They have done 80 be.
cause they sincerely desired to formu.
late law that would be as just,
equitable and satisfactory as is posi- !.
bic of attainment under present con-
ditions. If the opportunity has not
been improved, it is surely not the
fault of its friends, and ifit is not as
complete or perfect as it should be,
those who have declined or refused
the offer to amend it have no just
ground Of complaint.
Very few real objections have been
made to the bill, but for the want Of
valid ones, its opponents have resorted
to threats and denunciation, the com
mon refuge of vanquished foes or
those destitute of reason or argument.
But / will notice one or two that are
more speclous than real. It is alleg-
ed by some that to tax investments
will drive money out Of the State.
Why should it? Nearly all other
states already tax such property, and
those which do not are about doing SO.
SO that the investors would be no bet,
ter off if they went abroad. Besides,
the risk of losing all would increase
with the distance, and they are not
likely to run away with their money.
or send it away to be invested in
other states. know q few who did
SO under our present law ; but paying
dearly for their folly in the loss sof
both principal and interest they will
never do so again. A burnt child
breads the fire. But honest and in
telligent men know this would not be
the case. Hear what a business man,
banker and investor in the city OF
Wilmington says in regard to this,
and quote his own words, written
within the last few days and with this
bill before him. He says: "Some
claim that this would drive money out
of the State. I cannot think SO for
where can they do better? Not in
Pennsylvania I am sure. Money at
present, and generally is cheaper in
Philadelphia than in Delaware. This
objection, though oftenest met and
most relied on, is simply held up as a
scarecrow to frighten the weak and
deceive the ignorant. The only other
one I shall notice is that the bill is in
quisitorial in that it discloses mans
private affairs to the public view. But
even exposure is sometimes necessary
for the public good. The most deli
cats condition of the body must some
times be exposed to the inspection of
the physician who is to prescribe a
remedy for the disorder; and the dis
eases of the body polite must be ex-
posed If they cannot be otherwise cur
ed. In such cases the exposure be-
comes duty and necessity and if it be
found that men will hide their prosper
ty in order to avoid their just share of
the common burdens and thus add it
to that of their honest neighbor, who
is already staggering under his load, it
is neither reason nor humanity to per-
init them to do so, simply because they
allege it would expose their private
affairs to public view. Let them be
just and honest and there will be no
need or occasion for exposure. And it
should be remembered that the farmer
cannot hide his farm or his stock for
they are exposed all the year round !;
and different conditions require differ
ent treatment.
But it is not exposure the Objector
breads so much as disbursement.
But in fact no exposure is necessary
or intended. The taxable makes his
return to the assessor, public officer,
and there it remains unth0ught of and
except TO those legally en-
titled to know in order to do justice
between man and man in distributing
the taxes. And even this nominal ex-
posure is reduced to point so slight
that no reasonable man can reasonably
object to it, and those who still urge it
are either blind to the necessity or re-
gardless of duty.
J. ALEXANDER FULTON,
DOVER, March 9th, 1891.