Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-10
ray AeeorAlnr % Ablllly.


boris taxes to be little higher II that
will make his own little less. But
somebody must pay taxes. They cannot
be avoided. The old saw has it that
nothing is certain save death and
taxes. = The reason why taxes cannot
be avoided is because it costs money to
run a government and we must have
one.
While the strong are prone to prey
upon the weak, while thieves and
sharpers are on the lookout to rob their
neighbors, while violence impends over
the defenceless, while licentiousness is
careless how much it interfsres with
other peoples rights and privileges, so
long we must have government. 1t is
only by government that we can be
suliiciently protected in person and
property, in liberty and the undis-
turbed pursuit of happiness. 1t is only
by government that Justice can DO
administered, public order maintained.
and public works of general benefit 10
all the people prosecuted.
The cost Of government can be met
IN no way except by levying taxes on
the people who enjoy its benefits. In
our country every citizen gets equal
protection and has equal rights under
the government, and IL is no more than
lust that all should help to hear the
burden of taxation. The instincts OF
manhood also lead every manly man to
desire to pay his own way in every
thing supporting the government
as well as In other matters.
But while all citizens are equally in.
terested in having a government, and a
good one at that, they are not all able
to pay equal amounts to its support.
Government, moreover, il not some
thing that you buy as you do bread and
cheese-so much for so much. 1t is
rather something that you support and
maintain as you do your church or
family.
In supporting it, 1t is manifcstly lust
and proper for every citizen to nay in
proportion to his ability to pay. A
certain sum Of money is needed to pay
the expenses Of nation, State, and mu-
nicipality. Each citizens share Of
those expenses is taken from him in the
shape of taxes; and it is SO plain that
it should be beyond dispute that the
ideal system of taxation would assign
to each citizen tax in exact propor.
tlon to bis means and ability to pay it.
This ideal system can never be
realized in practice because il is i'm.
possible to determine with accuracy
the relative ability Of the thousands of
taxpayers. But the world has pretty
well agreed that for practical purposes
the accumulated wealth which citi-
zen owns is fair measure of his
ability to pay tax; and so taxes are
lald IN proportion to accumulated
wealth or property.
Quite in opposition to this view is
the one-sided and unfair proposition
OF the single-taxers to put all of the
taxes upon one class of citizens-the
land owners They would do away
with all taxes on personal property and
on buildings: wipe off every indirect
TAX which finds a man ability to pay
by ,measuring his consumption of the
good things of life; do away with Ii.
censes, and let liquors and cigars be
free; destroy all custom houses and
give absolute free trade: and finally
remove the poll or capitation tax. All
the taxes thus forgiven others would be
piled up mountain high on landowners
until it amounted to full rental for
the land they hold. There is nothing
Just nothing manly and nothing very
reasonable in such proposition. Cor
tainly every promise that such an unjust
and lniquitable division of the expenses
of government among the citizens would
be OF untold advantage to the peonle.
Is as idle as the wind. To believe such
promises is midsummer madness. How
can anybody hope to reform the world
and cure it Of Its curse, simply by put
ting all taxes on land owners? Althouob
taxes are not pleasant to pay, somebody |
must pay them, and the proper and lust |
way is to divide up the burden among |
all citizens in proportion to their
ability.
Tho Republican party still haa some
thing TO be proud Of. IT has two no.
htical bosses Of unmatched adroitnesg.
Quay and Platt have reached m emf.
nence in their line unequaled in
American history, Nobody in the
Democratic ranks to-day ian hold A
rush-light 10 them. They hold their
party in tho two greatest States in the
Union in complete subsection 10 their
will. They make no display Of states
they do not discuss public
questions either in speeches or letters:
in dead silence they marshal their
forces and move them with tho preci-
sion OF marching soldiers. They never
ind II necessary to appeal to mems
or patriotism. Probably
they would not know how to set about
such work. They appeal with perfect
Iirectness to tho greed for money and
the hunger FOR place so prevalent among
politicians. No one admires them, no
1ne loves them, few people respect
them; but in their States every politi-
elan of their party obeys them. To
whom they will, they give official places
from the highest TO tho lowest: and
when they choose, they deny all political
to any man who has dis
pleased them. ContnmntihIe9 Yns