Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-04-01
INC Assessment Question.

fair assessment law but the idea
seems to be that to be "fair" it must
fall with crushing force upon the
shoulders of capitalists in general
and corporations in particular. 1t is
doubtless consoling to think that we
might shift the burden of taxation
on to the shoulders Of the corpora
tions, and, in contemplation of this
pleasing theme, we might perhaps
fail to remember that we are all more
or less dependent upon such institu-
tions for the advancement and gen.
eral prosperity of our State; to say,
nothingof such small matters as food
heat, light, transportation and cloth
ing.
Before the era of corporations bus
mess and manufactures on large
scale were at a standstill and indi-
yiduals had not the means or enter
prise necessary for properly develop
ing such resources as were IN our
midst and which were dormant for
want of capital. The aggregating
and bringing together of capital
made possible many commercial and
industrial enterprises which have
gone far towards raising Maryland to
the top notch of prosperity and a
new era has dawned which promises
to be of lasting continuance. What
does Maryland not owe to corpora
tons conducting their operations
within her confiens ? Woodbury.,
Hampden, Steelton and Curtis Bay
are living examples of their mater
ial benefits, to say nothing of the mil
lions which have been spent in pro-
yiding Baltimore with adequate fa-
cilities in the matter of internal
transportation What individual
would have had the nerve, even if he
had the money, to undertake works
of such magnitude and how much
are our people indebted to these fl
nancial institutions which are rapidly
bringing our State to position from
which the outside world can be made
to realize that our State is something
more than q nursery for the bringing
up of the canvas back and terrapin.
The proposed assessment law EN-
braces features which should not be
thought Of by any one interested in
the progress of our State The an
nual listing feature would bring
about political corruption and bril-
berry not agreeable to contemplate.
The taxation of money, the proceeds
of stocks and bonds sold to avoid
payment of taxes, would place the
entire community, body and soul, in
the hands Of corrupt administrators
Of the law, and corporations would
be compelled to pay a four-fold tax
upon their real property, stocks,
bonds and gross receipts. Our rising
generation will, if an enterprisiug
spirit be manifested 10y our law-mak
ers, live in an atmosphere of enter
prise unknown to their forefathers
and we trust that our legislature will
not so burden corporations as to drive
them away and make it . crime to be
rich; if the new assessment bill is
passed it looks as if we will be COM
PEELED to go back to the days when
tobacco and coon-skins passed as cash.
Our lawmakers should deal care
fully with corporations, to whom we
owe so much of our material pros
perity, and foster and encourage them
rather than impose penalties upon
their existence. We do dot mean
that the State should be given over
to them actually. but the material
benefits of their presence are before rs
and we sec them paying out mill
lions of dollars annually in wages
and other payments which circulate
through the hands of our tradesmen
and manufacturers, bringing activity
to.all sorts of business, and it would,
in our estimation, be unwise to dis
turb the course of stream upon which
our State is serenelv sailing into an
era of commerce and manufacture,
the like of which has never before
been known, and which causes the
old fogies to dodge into the shade
that their eyes may not be blinded
By the sun of prosperity.
Strength and Health.
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