Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-07-09
TAXES.
sam Jones Tells Why They Should
Be Che erfully Paid.
What tie Taxpayer Gets for His MONEY
In Contrast with the Little He Sc
cures In His Home At
Greater Outlay.
roorrRIeGr. 1851

The supreme court OF the Uniteu
States los declared the income tax UNI
constitutional, ana the decision is
source Of rejoicing on one Side and has
raised howl upon the other. / fell IN
conversation with friend few days
ago on the subject of taxation in gen.
eral, and remarked to him that of all
the debts paid paid my taxes most
reisctantiy. He replied, there Is no
obligation that he met more cheerfolly
thai, the one he owed to the state and
city, for he felt that he received SO
much for the money he paid.
think our reluctance to pay taxes is
largely thoueht1cssuess. So few men
think broadly and with becoming
p.triotism in this question. We have
grown to DC nation of bargain-takers.
We are all hunting bargains. We give
as little as we can and will take all we
can get in return. One of the finest
traits of human character is patriotism.
That means love of country-not mere
ly the love that wboops and hollers as
the procession goes by with the stars
and stripes, not merely the love that
looks with admiration upon our hills
and valleys, our mountains and
streams, trees and flowers, but love of
our Institutions. our laws and our
people. A patriotism which is willing
to sacrifice for and support the govern.
ment.
This patriotism should be in every
| American bosom; then with such love
for our country, our laws and our in
stitutions, We would yield willing and
cheerful support. when we return
from the dry goods or clothing store,
examine our bundles, count up our ex-
| penditures, we often feel that we have
struck good bargains, and are delight
ed wirh our purchases and pleased with
the expenditure of our money. We
feel like we have received an eq,iva'
lent for the money we hats expended;
but when we walk up to the corrt-
house, Jay down our money and carry
off little slip of paper called tax
receipt, we often feel like we have put
our money In hole. We feel that the
tax collectors are simply the agents Of
government to take from US by law
something for nothing.
Now Jet us review calmly and
thought lily what we receive when we
put our money down and take our tax
receipt. Let US see il the American
people a, . taxed exorbitantly. A case
in hand. Here Is man living in a
town, owuing nice home, neatly fur
nished, horse and buggy, u Jersey
| cow, etc, the whole thing valued st
five thousand dollars, put down on the
| tan list at three thousand dollars. Now
sum up his state, county and municipal
taxes. Put at the highest rate it
would not exceed one hundred dollars.
Now for this one hundred dollars ex-
| pended annually this man is enabled to
| live in peace and quiet. His home un-
mo1ested by thieves or robbers, his life,
his liberty and his property guaranteed
to him; and without all this property
itself could not retain it's value.
In order that he may have all these
things guaranteed to him we must have
law, and in order to have law we must
have legislatures; men who give UP
semble and devote their time and such
talents as they have to the work OF
| making laws. This body of men are
the servants of every man who has q
| home, and lis state tax is his part con-
tributed to these necessary servants.
| It Is true some of us are ashamed OF
some Of our legislators and utterly re-
| pudiate some of their works as law
makers, yet every man who will take
up the code of his state and read it
carefully through will see just, equita-
BILE and necessary laws that protect
home, life, property and the happiness
| If the citizen.
Every reasonable citizen will agree
that these servants who meet to make
our laws ought to be properly re-
| munerated by the state, and no decent
lawyer or competent lawmaker can
give up his work and devote his time to
his state legislature for less sum OF
money than is paid them, and many OF
them, SO they tell me, actually lose
money by being member OF the legis-
laturc. Surely we ought not to ask for
q cheaper class of men in our legisla'
lures il we would have the right kind
of legislation.
Then we must have a place for the
men to meet and discuss and pass on
questions of law. This necessitates a
capitol, and capitol building properly
kept means servants and officers and
other necessary expenses, and surely
no man would decrease the cost OF
building or taking care OF the capitol
of the state, otherwise he would be
ashamed of his state capitol, for on in
yestigation find that every servant o1
the capitol from the janitors up are
working on very moderate salaries. II
is necessary that each state have su
premc officer or governor, and surely nc
reasonable citizen would ask man who
is at to be governor to give up his busi
ness, surrender his personal interests
and take an office for four years for q
less salary than we pay our governors
The truth is, our best men don't see
enough financially in the Office to make
them want it bad, and whenever we cut
the remuneration Of our Offices to
where our best talent does not seel
them we are cutting the grit from un
der our government.
Then it is necessary In order that oul
homes, our lives and our property b
protected from the Instructions of thu
violent and excited nobs that Otter
arise that we have provisions for stat'
soldiers as servants our governor ma,
command 1t any time. In order tina
our finances may be properly cared TO
l ,.,a vx.,,of hava hrolxkea ,erS secretaries