Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-06-22
Farms and Taxation.

We are told that there are many
abandoned farms in the eastern states.
They are spoken of as abandoned"
leaving or creating the impression that
the owners could not make a living of
from them In some cases that may
have been the immediate cause, but in
most cases it was inability to pay mort
cages. The mortgages were capital
lists The mortgagors could not keep
up the interest and pay the principal
according to agreement The farms
came into possession of the mortgages
The capitalists now own the farms and
they are for sale or to let. The capt.
talist must have and demand at least
legal interest on the price they put up
on the farms No man can pay the rent
demanded, pay his taxes and live from
the produce of these farms, and so they
are idle.
Farmers throughout the whole coun-
try are verging on this condition. With
farms of fifty. one hundred or one hun
dred and fifty acres but a bare living
can be made. the smaller the farm the
more the occupier must restrict him
self. as. indeed, the smaller the capital
invested in any business. the less is the
return. but in the case of the small
farmer it is greatly aggravated: he has
to toll early and late. rain or shine,
to make but a bare living. he can en-
JOY but few of the comforts and none
of the pleasures of life. The only diff
ference between him and the mechanic
is. that he is sure of work every day,
while the mechanic is not: this IS in his
| favor. while on the other hand the me-
chanic will be sure 70 earn enough to
era BILE him TO live even better than the
farmer and can enjoy many OF the conf
forts of life and some of its pleasures,
! while having none OF tie wuryments
! and anXietieS-
Now the question is-why are so many
verging towards this condition? And
why are farms abandoned? The an
| swer rs taxation Bzzt we are told that
government must be supported. and
that we must levy taxes for its support.
| Every body is perfectly willing to con-
| tribute their fair share towards its econ
ouaical administration Well. if every
| body contributes only their fair share,
there would be TO tax levied A tax is
not fair. any tax is unfair. ANY tax
| being unfair. there can be no fair share
/ XIV ou 1iCAOAcAC- W
taxed nobody can pay fair share All
taxes can be shifted except direct tax
ON what the person may himself use.
/ The farmer can not shift his state or
county tax. but every thing he buys
carries the accumulated tax which 9TH
.ers have shifted. and which he finally
pays
By taxation. and ignoring the means
by which each would pay his fair share,
all. except 4 few manufacturers and
/ great land owners. are compelled to
pay three times more than their fair
! share. and those who are so stu
ated that they can shift none of their
| taxes, such as wage-earners and farm
ers, are compelled to pay even still
more. hence the small farmer is ever
on the verge of losing his farm. and the
| wage-earners ever suffering some de-
gree of poverty The just and natural
means by which all can be secured
from the extortion which taxation
makes inevita BILE. is to use for the sup
port of government that fund which,
in spite OF itself. is created by every
community. the annual value of the
bare land.-Herkimer county FREQ
|