The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-01-28
TAX REFORM DEPARTMENT.
Slraighten Crooked Taxation.

Nothing could be more absurd or
more burdcnsome to the farmer than
our present plan of collecting taxes. It
is only on account of habit and the
ingenious concealInent of its true char
acter that anybody stands it. Suppose
that law should be passed that every
man who cuts cord of wood should pay
one-half cent to the government; that
every man that put UP a stack of hay
should pay a penny Wouldn't that
create some little thought? But what
is the difference? At present we de-
cree that every man who has a cord of
wood, whether he cuts it himself or
not, shall pay a tax on it; that every
man who gets load of hay, whether
it was left to him by his fathers will or
got by his own labor, or bought with
his own money, shall pay a tax on it,
"Taxes are the price paid for protec-
tion," is the common and ordinary
opinion. This is utter stuff If taxes
were paid for protection, then those
who need the most protection, that is
infants, lunatics, and orphans, should
pay the most t1xes---in fact, the in
heritance taxes seems to go on that
basis, so far as orphans are concerned.
If they were paid for the protection of
property the richest man who could
hire plenty of Pinlxerton's men, John
L. Sullivan and other ''toughs'' who
could take care of themselves at their
hands or knives, should pay no taxes at
all. Even the owner OF brick yard, which
can't be stolen. and who can easily de-
fend it against all corners through his
laborers, should pay no tax at all.
Taxes are paid for the privileges of
society, for sewers, schools, roads, har-
Dor improvements, government bu-
reaus, the right of ballot, and (although
the price seems high) even for legisla-
ton, including judges decisions. Now,
who gets the most benefit from these
taxes? Is 1t the isolated farmer, who
makes his own roads of the most prim-
tive kind, who gets no benefit from
public water works, very little from
public transportation, next to none
from public light, who never goes to sea
and is fortunate enough to keep entirely
out of the courts? Not at all; yet he
pays the greater part of the taxes.
That is very unfair. The farmer ought
not to pay any taxes upon any personal
property. He ought to pay upon what
ever value his land has exclusive of all
those things. if indeed it has any value;
and the cities ought to pay whatever
value their land has, exclusive of per-
sonal property. Then the cities would
pay nearly all the taxes of which they
get nearly all the benefit
The expression ''sure as death and
taxes" refers to personal death, but it
certainly does not refer to personal
taxes. If there is anything that Is not
sure, it is personal taxes. The rich man
evades them, and, notwithstanding all
laws to the contrary, always can and
always will evade them; and as long as
any number of the rich men can evade
them, the rest will, because they feel
that it is hardship to pay more than
their fair share. So, that in order to
even up with their neighbors, competi-
ton obliges them to. be equally dishon-
est Not so the farmer. To him the
personal property taxes are just as sure
as the taxes on real estate are to the
citizen. They come around with the
assessor and with monotonous regular
ity every year.