The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1894-02-02
TAXATION FROM THE FARMERS
STANDPOINT.

The following Essay was read by Col. Enoch
Noyes before the Cecil Farmers Club at the
January Meeting, at his place:
The farmers, owners of one-fourth of
the property of the country, paying rs
per cent of the taxes directly, and as large
percentage of the taxes indirectly, pro-
ducing 7S per cent of the exports to other
countries, subjected to an importation of
$500, ,ooo 600 values of farm products man.
ufactured 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 5000, 100000 of mort
cages This and much more has made
the calamity howler. 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 feasted, while the farmers and
co-laborers have toiled.
Equal taxation is a condition which all
should willingly and cheerfully subscribe
to. 1t is the fore runner, and object of
good government. 1t should rest equally
on all favored by its manifold and innuin-
cradle advantages. Our constitutions
State and National, imply that all shall
be taxed on the full amount of real and
personal property they own, and no more.
This condition of taxation applies to cor
porate, as we'll as 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 Republican
form of government if this condition is
allowed to exist. 1t is we'll for the club
to keep this in mind while it follows the
line of thought indicated in my essay.
None will deny that when the burden of
taxation bears more heavily on one indi-
vidual than another, dissatisfaction re-
suits, and our fabric of government is
endangered, and revolution possibility.
Could there be more forcible example
of unfair and unequal taxation than exists
in ou1 country to-day?
Let us view this great question of tax
alton in a local way, before we enter the
field of indirect taxation, by first locating
ourselves, our true position as tax payers,
and we find that we as farmers are bear
ing entirely too large share of our pro-
portion of taxation-that we can not be
tax dodgers" as our all is in sight. This
applies to all, real and personal, existing
on our premises. This being our condi-
ton, subjects which the most simple form
of assessment will reach, even if we are
not partners in the transaction. The
assessor visits us, counts our stock in
trade, both real and personal the work of
a few hours, perhaps, says "good bye, "
you will find your all represented in
hard dollars on the pay roll, pay i'll full
or suffer 1t is not uncharitable to say
that from this period the farmers are
subjects of political peculation. In this
State, all in the name of Jackson and
liberty, and the farmers get left every
time. Even these conditions would be
more acceptable, less Objectionable, if the
millions of cooperative and personal prop
critics 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 par
tally, can be found. The Hayes bill,
vetoed by Governor Brown, signifies that
$500 900, 900 of cooperative, real and per
sonal properties, are exempt or escape
taxation, fully as much as all the proper
ties assessed in the State. We know that
for three gubernatorial terms the farmers
and holders of real estate, have been
promised more equal form of taxation.
We know that there is much in our sys-
TEN of taxation unfair to the producing
classes, hard to bear and hard to correct,
under existing political combinative con-
ditions, always the case where one polit-
ical organization holds long the power,
State or National. We know this, and
furthermore, that Governor Brown has
in vindication of his course in vetoing on,
assessment bill, charged our last legisla-
ture with postponing their vote on the
bill until the day of adjournment. Thi:
is striking example of the pot calling
the kettle black.
Is it not the truth that the tax payers o.
Maryland are subjected to the worst form:
of cooperative favoritism. Take the cast
of the B. & o. R. R. as one instance. We
find railroad running entirely through
the State, making improvements of sew
eral hundred thousand dollars yearly
: with net earnings of $e, 40, ,667 ditto, fully
protected by the laws of the State, made
at the expense of its taxpayers, refusing
to share its proportion of the taxes on thu
ground of a perpetual charter which al
incoming legislature has the power t.
take away as much as an outgoing had t.
give, and which condition was not il
accord with the State constitution whei
given, as will show in referring to som'
valuable information on this subject
obtained while on a visit at the north
from councillor of one of our main line
of railroad. This gentleman takes thu
ground in referring to the B. & o. R. R
that there is no right or justice, in equit!