The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-10-16
WRIGHT ON TAXATION.
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE OPENS
THE CAMPAIGN.

The Democratic campaign was
opened at Greensburg, with a rousing
mass meeting which was largely at
tended by the farmers of Westmore-
land county. Robert f. Wright, the
party candidate for Auditor General,
made an eloquent speech, in which he
defined the basis upon which the
equalization of taxes can be effected
SO as to relieve those interested in
agricultural pursuits from the burdens
they are obliged to bear at present.
Mr.. Wright sAid
There is no branch Of legislation in
which the power Of an influence other
than the will of the people to shape its
course has been more forcibly illustrat-
ed than in the matter OF the tax laws
of your State. One OF the worst re
suits Of the system of special legisla-
ton existing before the adoption of
the present Constitution was the con-
dition OF our tax laws. The whole
ssytem was but patchwork of special
acts enacted from time to time to
meet temporary emergencies.
There was an absolute want of uni
formity of objects and rate of taxation
and of machinery for their collection.
The system Of collecting a State tax
on real estate based on local assess
ments had fostered practice of under
valuations resulting in the grossest in
justice, and sometimes in absolute
fraud.
CAUSED A PUBLIC SCANDAL.
This inequality existed not only as
between counties, but between town
ships and towns in the same county,
and finally 6eCame so general as to
create public scandal. HIGH nomi-
nal rat. on low valuations in some
district' created the impression, by
comparison with other districts, of
oversaxltion. This feeling was in
tenslf-d by the palpable and indisput-
able fact that the personal property of
the State was escaping taxation entire
ly, and that while the burdens of State
government were borne by the corpo-
rations, yet the much heavier burdens
of local government were borne en-
tirely by the owners of real estate.
Naturally the feeling of unrest and
dissatisfa "tion became strongest
among the farmers of the State. They
were most heavily burden1ed while
they were least able to bear it. 1t is
true that the nominal rates of taxation
on real estate in cities may have been
higher than on farms, yet it was unde.
niable that the farmers were carrying
the heaviest burden. For when you
taxed the real estate Of a farmer you
taxed him upon all he was worth. His
farm, as rule, constituted his entire
possessions. When you taxed that,
none of his means escaped, for he had
none other. Aye, the probability was
that the farm was mortgaged, but he
got no credit on that score.
In cities and towns this was not the
c'se. Wnen you taxed a city mer-
chant, manufacturer, lawyer or banker
on his real estate you reached but a
small proportion of his wealth the bulk
escaped. These facts stared people in
the face when the constitution of 1873
was adopted providing that thereafter
taxes should be uniform and levied
under general laws
THE FARMERS RIGHTS IGNORED.
Ever since then for fifteen years,
the people having been insisting that
the spirit of this provision of the
Constitution should be enforced, but
year after year has the Legislature re-
fused their petition. Stronger and
stronger has become the demand as
year by year the Legislature refused to
heed the farmers demands.
Governor Pattison in the first term
of his administration pressed the Leg
islature to meet this demand, but they
refused. Bill after bill vas defeated
or buried, until finally a bill actually
PISSED the Legislature. but was lost or
mislaid in some mysterious way. Fl
nally, at the last session Of the Legis-
lature, and as a result Of the farmers
revolt last year, bill was passed that
may afford some temporary measure
of relief. But it comes far from meet
ing the demands Of the constitution
1t fails utterly to meet the just position
of the farmers, that taxation should be
equal and upon all classes of property.
Thus, for all this time has the Legs-
ature failed to respond to and reflect
he will of the masses in government
,hich, theoretically, is government by
he people.
Last winter appeared before the
House and Senate Committee on be