The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-04-15

/ DuliuS tLic last Wepk several hanu-liitS
or posters were sent me from different parts
Of my district, which learn are being cir
culated all over the State, calling on the
people to write to their Representatives at
Harrisburg ard instruct them TO oppose the
Revenue or Tax bill that is now before the
Legislature of the State. am eredibiy
/ informed that these posters have their origin
/ in Philadelphia, and have been reserted TO
as the last hope OF the corporations and
monied capitalists of the State for defeating
what to them is most offensive measure.
4 The bill was prepared by majority OF the
I Revenue Commission, appointed at the
close of the last session of the Legislature
and was opposed at every step taken by that
Commission by the corporations and other
large capitalists of the Commonwealth. Dur
( ing the time that it was under consideration
before the Ways and Means Committee of
the House, a number of arguments were
made against it by attorneys employed by
railroads and manufacturing corporations ;
but as the country districts had a good
working majority in that COMMITTEES. il was
favorably reported, and having reached the
House it was defended By the representa-
tives of the farmers, mechanics and labor
ing classes of the State, and opposed by the
city representatives and all whose interests |
were supposed to be in any way identified |
with the corporate and ronied powers Of
the Commonwealth.
since the introduction of the bill in the |
House have received petitions from many |
hsndreds of voters in my district, praying !
for the passage of the bill and asking me 70
give it my support Within the last week, |
however, have received one small petition /
snd two letters, asking me to oppose the /
measure. exceedingly regret that there
should be any difference of opinion among 4
the people whom / have the honor to rep
resent, upon this subject. 1t is not 10 be
supposed that even in a district as purely
agricultural as oars, there viii be no dis
agreement on subject in which all the
people are so much interested but if all try
to understand the subject as thoroughly as
possible before expressing their views, the
differences Of opinion ought not TO be so
great as TO leave a representative in any
doubt as to what the msio-ity Of the people
want.
l notice that the posters TO which I have
referred direct special attention TO the fact
that the bin proposes to tax every class Of
property owned by the person assessed, and
endeavors to convey the idea that to increase
the list of articles on which taxes are paid
will increase the amount of tax. This prop
osition needs but little thought TO enable
any one to discover that il is not correct.
With the increase of the amount Of taxable
property, there must be decrease of the
rate at which the tax is laid Every $1,000
worth of property upon which there is levied
5-mill rate will produce precisely the same
amount of revenue that is produced by $500
upon which the rate is 10 mills.
The object of the trainers of this bill in
making certain classes of property taxable,
which under our present system are ex-
empt, is to provide system which, it is
hoped, will result in more equal justice to
all the citizens of the Commonwealth. The
owners of real estate for example, in the
past, have been disposed to think that they
are bearing an unjust proportion of the
burden of taxation, owing to the fact that in
many instances, capital invested in personal
property for profit, if taxed at all, is taxed
at much lower rate than they pay for
their homes and farming lands. To meet
this difficulty the proposition is to tax all
personal property exempling only $500, so
that the poor man who does not possess that
amount may be relieved. To the farmer, at
first thought, it may seem like increasing
the burden, when he is told that the propo-
sition is to tax his farm implements. grain
in the barn, household furniture &c, but
when be remembers that the lumberman's
engines and mills, the specnlator's wares and
merchandise, and the manufacturers ma
chinery and stock in trade is included in The
same list with his personal property, and
that the same bill proposes to levy tax I'D.
on all railroad, telegraph and other trans
portation and transmission companies OF
mills upon the dollar for county purposes.
The laborer who has been accustomed to
pay tax levied upoa his horse and COW
may feel like obieoting when he learns that
taxes are to be levied upon all furniture and
household property; but when he learns
that $500 worth of property is to be exempt
ed, which will probably no. only include
his household furniture, but his horse and
COW also, he will not complain. Ny desire
IS 70 caution persons against making I'D
their minds too hastily upon this important
measure and signing petitions either for or
against the passage of the bill until they
have weighed the matter carefully, and
reached their conclusion without being
brought uader any influences that are de-
signed only to deceive, which am satisfied
is the parsose of the posters to which |
have referred.
In conclusion let me say. have nothing
to conceal with regard to my purposes con-
cerning the bill. At present believe that
the interests of a very large majority of the
people whom represent will be best sub
served by my giving the bill my support.
and usIess I should become satisfied that
the majority wish me to do otherwise. /
shall endeavor by every honorable means to
assist in securing its passage.
Very truly &c,