Evening journal., 1893-01-20
TO EQUALIzE TAXATION
State Senators Talk on What
the Farmers Want.
MR. PYLBsAYsTwOULD RU1NTHEM


gage Would Say to the Farmer. "Either
Pay This Tax or the Mortgage Itself"
other Legislators and Farmers Discuss
Equalization.
stan Correspondence Evening Journal.
DOVER, Jan. 20.-Yesteriay morning
an EVENING JOURNAL correspondent
asked some Of the Senators TO express
themselves upon the question Of equal
izatiOn Of taxation. 10 was before the
session called and the request led up to
a general discussion among the mem.
bers.
81 think equity demands that judg-
ments and mortgages should bear their
proportion of the burden of govern
ment, said Senator Pyle, "but / think
10 would be a very dangerous precedent
TO establish In the city of Wilmington
think II would almost paralyze bust
ness. | don't suppose that there is
solitary large business that doesn't have
to work ON borrowed capital-these
large places, which are supposed TO be
worth their Millions have rot 60 20 IN
and borrow money and work ON paper.
81 see what the farmers mean. They
want the man who holds the mortgage
against them to pay bis proportion of the
tax. believe Il would rum them. The
first thing that man would do would be
to 90 TO that fellow and say, Here. You
must pay that tax. He will say, No, IL
is not my business We'll, l will tell
you, will be the reply, If YOU don't like
to pay that tax you can just pay the
mortgage. ] will put this money W here
it cant be found That the farmer can.
not do; and IL he doesn't the sheriff will
collect, especially these times when land
has deprecated In value. a few days
ago man named Poore brought me over
here from kenton Coming along. some
where in the neighborho0d of Mr. viii
liams farm, / noticed a fine farm with
{ be grounds sloping down to the road,
and surrounded by held Of wheat
asked Mr. Poore What is land like that
worth here 2 Ten years ago that farm
would have been worth $50 per acre --
to. day it is only worth about
one half Of that Do YOU
see where that poor fellow is The low
price of products or some other circum
stances had run that farm down When
the farmer bought that farm he probably
paid one half on 10 and the other fellow
took a mortgage for the balance due aud
both felt safe The fellow that left the
one half there thought he was good for
10 aud so he ought TO be- The man who
bought the farm will be expected to pay
the tax and, as ! said before, If he won't {
be Is requested to pay the mortgage.
5 He can't do it, and the holder of IL Is in a
position to dictate terms 10 would burst
him up Still holding on he will continue
to work with the hope for some relief
that grain will 60 up or business start
iup again ] believe the passage Of sucl
e measure as that proposed would ruin
hundreds and thousands of farmers and
e ruin the business interests in the city.
There is nothing ON earth so sensitive as
3 money. / repeat that there is nothing
r so sensitive
"a don't know but that just a word or
two from this Legislature would 60 a
long way, the expression Of little sen
timent 10 show that this Legislature is
not going TO scare capital away would
settle doubt which now exists. There
is one thing the people want to know in
this country, and that Is just whatithey
; have TO depend on
Senator Lacey-"Give us an income
! tax
Senator Pyle-"Yes, 1 think an income
bill would come near meeting the emer.
gency.
Lacey-"An income bill would meet
, my approval A man knows what his
p income is, but he may have paper out aud
e may not know whether it Is worth any.
o thing or not
@ Senator Watson-"A well.known Nil
ford man told me that he ought TO have
an income Of $4,000, but he can't collect
on some Of his paper
e Lacey-'If you tax bonds or mortgages
{ he will have to pay ON them whether hl
I HaIuIN loo NfIHH HNaI.HHl On HaIaN
Watson-'1t doesn't look right that
he should pay tax on them when he
o does not get them. / hold two or three
Y notes for large amounts and upon whicl
s / do not realize / would destroy thesl
e worthless notes before would pay
! tax upon them
! Speaker Houston-'I think mortgages
q and bonds should pay a tax. / am op
u posed TO an income tax-you can't get al
l. 10 10 seems TO me that a man holding 9
g mortgage on another mans farm shoul'
certainly pay some Of the taxes.
Pyle-'l say so, too; but not in the
manner proposed
Watson am willing TO vote for an!
II bin which will help the poor and mol
# frghten capital"
Houston-"I don't apprehend any
o. thing of that kind. In Pennsylvani,
n and New Jersey bonds and mortgages
/. are taxed The borrower gets money al
~ 8 per cent and is glad TO pay the nomi
"a nal tax for the accommodation he re
ceives."
II Pyle-"Money is worth just what it i
worth, and no more.
Houston-"Thev will lend the none.
D. az per cent aud exact from the Dor
"A rover a promise Co pay the tax
Pyle-"Vhat makes him worse of thai
u he Is here now / believe It would para
p lyzo business In Wilmington; and whel
In you paralyze this you paralyze the busi
" ness in the country because, upon th
W growth and prosp rity Of the city depend
e. the growth and prosperity of the country
f. Close the market in either for product
at and the city and country suffer alike
sr Lacey-"We have got TO do something
Nine tenths of the people demand IL"
Pyle-"No they don't. Take John {
Higgins, who is the head and front q
@, the movement, and John Higgins won
ors,n aud vote f,~ TTo ,u,rff foua Il