Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-12-15

Poverty.
Al taxes not paid last Monday.
through . considerate, just and right.
eous and magnsnimous law Of the
last session of the Idaho Legislature,
were augmented by = ten per cent
addition. Some may be SO cruel q
to assert that such addition is . pen.
Atty on poverty, but this is not so.
1t was done merely, in our opinion,
to make good the loss that would
result from exemption of interest.
gathering wealth in tile shape Of
throat-cutting and blood sucking
mortgages. OF course such wealth
must be protected, and in order to
give it protection by tax exemption
an addition must be put on some.
where, and what is more fitting than
to put it on the shoulders of the poor
strugglers who failed to como up to
the " captains Office" at the appointed
time, and failed because of inability
to got hold of the dollars demanded
right OF time. We know of instances
in Boise county where tax payers
have property valued At $1,000 and
are mortgaged for more than that
amount, and consequently are worth
actually less than nothing, who pay
taxes on $1,000, while an estate val.
ued at $65,O00, unencumbered, paws
on >1,200. How is that for justice
and equality before the law. This is
in accordance with an edict of law,
enacted by tho high and mighty Sec
ond State Legislature, and duly
signed by our great and good Cover
nor. When these poor tax payers
or rather good tax payers but poor
men-faiI to come up with taxes on
property, the profits on which is be.
ing sucked to the last drop by tha,
loech called = mortgage, 10 per cent
is added, termed "penalty." l,
ought to be termed tan extra tax on
poverty imposed so that the rich may
be exempt" If mortgages were
taxed, and all encumbrances on prop.
erty deducted from its value, and
taxes paid OIL the remainder, then 9
10 per cent. "penalty" would not bt
so earnestly objected to by the toll
ers who are struggling to build ur
the country and are the creators O.
wealth, for in that case it would no.
look so much like "penalty" put or
to make good the loss occasioned BY
exemption of interest-gatherine
wealth represented by mortgages. i
is not claimed that this extra 10 pc,
cent. is actually required, but il
stated to be in the nature of "pen
atty" 1t would have been Just a
we'll, and would have had just a
much of an appearance of right, /
it had been termed "a fine imposed
for inability to pay taxes on propert.
encountered by mortgage, so tina
sufficient revenue may be raisd with
out the necessity of re-enacting tn
law taxing mortgages" A mortgage
is a poor, cmaciated thing, represent
ing oppressive, grinding poverty o
the owner thereof, is no doubt tn
way members of the Legislature
looked at it. No doubt number o
these worthy Solons received suffi
cient hard chink for their votes T.
buy = few themselves just to Sc
what they looked like, and how nicel
they will work when their bills ar
inserted, undisturbed by the heat @
summer or biting cold of winter, @
by annoying visits of the never-fail
ing tax gatherer. An extra sessio
of the Legislature ought to have bee
called for the purpose OF passing ar
other law providing that this 10 pc
cent. be divided equally betwee
the poor oppressed mortgage holder
so as "to encourage capital?" Tha
would he a fitting aud appropriat
cap for the climax. Our Mo surel
never thought of this, or he woul
undoubtedly have called an extr
session for that express purpose.