The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-01-20
CECIL FARMERS CLUB,
Regular January Meeting at Col. Enoch
Noyes', near Port Deposit,
ION Wednesday,

Regular January Meeting at Col. Enocf
Noyesrs near Port Deposit
~ ION Wednesday.
The regularly monthly meeting of the
Cecil Farmers CLUB, took place at ''Mt
Ararat" farm, the beautiful homestead OF
Col Noyes near Port Deposit on Wednes
day the 18th inst. Promptly at 10. 80 a. m
Thomas G. Bond Esq. directed the cal
Of the roll of memb ers when the follow
ing responded to their names, Henry S.
Coudon, A. j. MIchiner, George w.
Sutton, Joseph Coudon, (of Jos. }, A. r.
Magraw, Col. E. Noyes, Col. John II.
Bond, John P. Wilson, Thomas c. Bono
Z. l.. Duykcinck, VIM. E. Gillespie and
II, r, Torbort. The visitors present by
invitation were Rev. d. E. Shaw and
Rev. J. T. NJ. Knox The minutes of
the last nesting having been read and
approved and there being no unfinished
business aud no reports of experiments
except the report OF Mr. E, L. Duyckinck' S
experience as stated by him, that three
CD quarts of Clover seed to the acre
were sufficient, the regular essay by the
host being 10 order, Col. Noyes present
ed the following paper on
| TAXATION FROM THE FARMERS STAND
POINT.
The farmers owners of one-fourth OF the prom
erty OF the country paying rs per cent OF the taxes
directly, and large a per centage of the taxes
indirectly. producing rs per cent OF the exports
to other countries subjected to an importation of
$3.50 1000 600 values Of farm products manufactured
and otherwise produced by the cheap labor of
Europe, which largely might be produced here if
| it could be protected paying interest and almost
wholly taxes on S90o,OO0,000 of mortgages This
and much more has made the calamity bowler
But the howl is not more suggestive, than that
going out from the homes OF the poor: nor even
that from the seats of the money changers that
have Toasted, while the farmers and co-aborers
have toled.
Equal taxation is condition which all should
willingly and cheeruly subscribe to- 1t the fore
runner, and object of good government. 1t should
rest equally on all favored by its manifold and
innumerable advantages. Our constitutions
State and National, imply that all shall be taxed
VII INC iOli Vi ledl ana personal property
they own, and no more. This condition of taxa
ton applies to corporate, as well real and
personal of individuals. There is neither equity
nor justice in exempting one class of property
holders, whereby another class owning property
is made to suffer. Nothing in our national and
State constitutions shows it. This will not long
be n Republican form OF government if this condi
ton is allowed to exist. 1t is well for the club to
keen this in mind foil tha
thought, indicated in my essay. None will deny
that when the burden of taxation bears more
heavily on one individual than another, dissatis-
faction results, and fabric of government is
endangered, and revolution 4 possibility. Could
there be more fo-cible example of unfair AMI
unequal taxation than exists in our country
to-day?
Let us view this great question of taxation in a
local way, before we enter the field of indirect
taxation by trst locating ourselves, our true
position as tax payers, and we find that we as
farmers are bearing entirely too large a share of
our proportion of taXaton-that we can not be
tax dodgers as our all is in sight. This applies
TO all, real ard personal, existing our premises
This being our condition, subjects which the most
simple form of assessment will reach, even if we
are not partners in the transaction. The assessor
and personal the work of few hours, perhaps
says good bye YOU will fini your all repre-
sented in hard dollars on the pay roll pay in full
or suffer. 1t is not unchartablc to say that from
this period the farmers are subjects OF political
speculation. In this State, all in the name Of
Jackson and liberty, and the farmers get lett
every time. Even these conditions would be
more acceptable, less Objectionable if tie millions
of cooperative and personal properties which
escape taxation, were assessed and taxed as the
farmers are taxed.
Now let us see where this vast amount which
escapes taxation, wholly or partially, can be
found. The Hayes bill, vetoed by Governor
Brown, signifies that S5OO.OOO,OO OF cooperative,
real and personal properties, exempt or
escape taxation, fully rs much as all the proper
ties assessed in the State. We know that for
three gubernatorial terms the farmers and hold
Of real estate, have been promised more
equal form OF taxation We know that there is
much in our system OF taxation unfair to the
producing classes, hard to bear and hard to
correct, under existing political combin alive
conditions, always the case where one political
organization holds long the power, State or
National. We know this, and furthermore, that
Governor Brown has, in vindication of his
course in vetOng assessment bill, charged
our last legislature with postponing their vote on
on the bill unit il the day of adjournment This is
striking example of the pot calling the kettle
black.
Is it not the truth that the taxpayers OF Mary
land subjected to the worst forms OF cOrpo
rative favoTitism. Take the case OF the b. y o.
X. K. one instance. We ind railroad run
ming entirely through the State, making improve
ments of several hundred thousand dollars
yearly, with net earnings of 50 no Cos ditto fully
protected by the laws OF the State, made at the
expense OF its taxpayers refusing to share its pro-
portion of the taxes on the ground OF perpetual
charter which incoming legislature has the
power to take away much as an outgoing had
to give, and which condition was not in accord
with the State constitution when given, as L will
show in referring TO some valuable information
on this subject, obtained (whiIe on visit at the
north), from counsellor OF one OF our main lines
| OF railroad. This gentleman takes the ground
In referring to the b. & o. r. Il. that there is no
right or justice, in equity otherwise, to impose
| upon the people of State any portion of taxes
which belong to corporations to pay.
In referring to the Bill before the Legis-
| lative session of 1892 he says: THAT the same
| Bill was to all intents and purposes, as intro
| duced in the Senate in 1890, and not then
| embarrassed with the constitutional question Of
| impairng the obligation of contracts Then in
| 1890, no contracts had been made, no mortgage
had been given, no bondholders were in existence
and therefore none could be deprived OF their
| securities. Why did not your senators vote for
this amendment if they wanted the b * o. r. X
tc share its proportion of the burden of taxation
tine State instead OF the owners of the farms,
the factories, and those who have struggled to
| ...l-..
dren to bear the burden. Why? Only to let
this trust and corporation with its millions o.
surplus go free. The Il. " o. had full power to
preserve the charter and pay the bondholders
under the mortgage by simply releasing the
unjust exemption which the State in an I'M
guarded moment had given them, They only
had to consent to pay their taxes on u fair
assessment made by the same assessors who
assess your farm, your property and the POOR
mans dwelling house, and they had full priyi-
| lege to 20 on and use the Belt X. and pay the
bondholders as they contracted to do. Ii your
State should pass a law that you should pay a
fine OF five dollars per day Tor every day you
titled your farm without paying your taxes, do
you suppose you would be allowed to say have
mortgaged my farm TO Mr.. b. and if l don't TIL
my farm l can't pay Mr.. b. his interest, and thai
you are impairing the obligations OF contracts?
And yet this is precisely the argument used by
MIR. Writ IN the brief you have shown me. IL
fact the law does now fine you for nonpayment o
taxes, io1 if not paid by certain time, you mus
pay interest from the time your taxes were dae
and if you don't pay by some future time your
| farm must be sold Tor taxes. Again, this whole
scheme of separate charter for the Belt X. X
is a fraud on your State. The Belt K. X. was TIL
, | b. 4 o. r. r. and it seems in the brief that tn
only reason for hiding under the garments OF tn
Belt X. K. to prevent the Legislature iron
! saying that You shall not have any more charte
privileges till you agree to give up your exempt
ions from taxation. But admit Mr.. Wirts argu