Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-05-18
MILLIONS ARE STUDYING.
Great and General Interest Taken In the
Subject OF Taxation.

| Great ana General interest Inken IN tnt
Subject OF Taxation.
The increased interest during the last
few years in the subject Of taxation Il
simply marvellous. Previous to 1888 the
subject was supposed to interest only
theoretical men, professors, economist;
and editors, who to maintain their dig
nifty felt called upon to discuss the sub
ject occasionally. The occasional arti
cles by Wells, George, Sumner and
others appeared, at least TO the careless
observer, to have been seed sowed in
stony places. Cleveland's bold message
of 1887, compelling the two leading par.
ties to make the tariff the leading issue,
precipitated a discussion which has ex.
tended into other kinds of taxation, and
which is thickening and deepening dur
ing political campaigns and between
them, and which will not cease until
radical reforms have occurred.
Instead Of occasional campaign arti-
cles on the tariff question, prepared for
partisan papers, interest in the subject
is now so widespread that it pays nearly
all the leading dailies to employ tariff
editor and to devote much space to the
subject Numerous press bureaus sup
ply several columns week Of tariG
matter to thousands of country papers
which are trying to keep up with the
times by supplying what is most de-
manded by their readers. Many Of the
legislatures of different states have de-
voted more time than usual to the sub
ject of taxation and have appointed
committees that have spent days listen
ing to reformers of varying opinions and
intelligence. The New York Daily
World is now printing a series Of art:-
cles, each several columns in length, on
frauds in state and local taxation. Other
papers have done or are doing much the
same kind Of work.
Ten years ago not one voter out of q
thousand could distinguish direct from
indirect taxation or supposed he paid
taxes oftener than once or twice year.
Now at least one out of every ten knows
that he pays taxes every day, and he is
much concerned about the amount of
these unseen taxes and is anxious to
learn the best way Of paying or Of avoid
ing them. As an indication Of the great
and general interest taken in the subject
of general taxation, aside from political
considerations, taxation society,""
with headquarters at Buffalo P. o. box
Ss), is now supplying syndicate plate)
press matter to papers in the United
States or Canada.
Henry Georges paper, The Standard,
did much to arouse discussion, but it
was never self supporting and ceased to
exist more than year ago. Its function
is now performed by more than 100 self
supporting single tax papers. The truth
is that there has never. since man began
to cultivate fields, to build cities and to
carry on extensive trade, been any real
reform in taxation. Under monarchies,
where the masses had only to obey laws,
it was not strange that the unjust and
slipshod methods handed down from an
cient times should have remained prac-
tically unchanged, but in republic of
enlightened citizens it is astonishing that
the great evils of unjust and unneces-
sary taxation have not long ago attract
ed sufficient attention to lead to what
will now soon follow-the complete over
throw of all kinds of indirect taxation. -
Byron W. Holt.