The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-05-18

in State affairs. one in which all the peo-
pie of every pau of our State are most
deeply interested Is reaSseS>ment and re
form in our system of taxation The cry
for relief from unjust. unequal and exce>
sive taxation comes from every hamlet
village. town and city all over our State.
A. we'll a. from the farmers The people
of MARYLAND irrespective Of party. creed
OF calling. are demanding relief from the
unfair and unequal burdens Of taxation.
II i, not taxes of which they complain
These they are willing To pay if necessary
o. support their government economically
and honestly administered
1t i the robbery imposed an them be
cause Of defective system. by which their
hard earned money l. taken iir,m their
pockets to pay another man : tsxe> They
say give IT, equality in taxation let there
he M favored classes. who with their
wealth locked in >tWng boxes laugh at
eur calamity and mock our entrraty f"r
relief trnm the payment Of their taxe-
This they are determined Ia have To-day
more than one half the wealth of the State
paws no taxes To-day less than half the
wealth at this State pays it, own taxes and
the taxes of the part which escape Well
may the people II this State be r,~tiyc
ander such ronditi"ns Les, cauSe- have
brought on revolution. with it, hl",dy reign
Of terror Marylanders prupn~e 10 les a
revolution now although it i, to be- hy the
peaceful mctho,ls nf the ballot
If highwayman meets me "n one "t
your public roads and demand, If me nay
money or NV life, aud hy re.,s,n 1t hi.
superior ioFre surrender to him ny pur~,.
you visit upon him it caught, the seyereS,
penalty # ,he law IT. under -,-ealle,i
.y>tem ot law the tax c,llectnr demands
ni me NV m"ney 10 pas the taHe- of my
nelghbur and | Weld 10 the forrr # the
form ut Law which back. the demand t.
Jbere any Difference. in the r.sult3 In bath
sa>es wr'ngtuUy have had my property
taken ay "Be ~ f.r the benefit II une who
has M right Ju IT, Thi~ /. the raa-e oi
,he people cumplainS This = the peo-
pie : ET1eyance
Thi> sail of We ir,,m the ,iur,i, nis.uu
taiRrcy IN hrs mountain home raingle~ pith
the lassrnr oC the heavily burlen,,d dwcllcr>
ia the ,er,isnt plains l,.l,w. and !, rrleat
II q, u l. hs.Fne down the -lol-- which
lead ,n the -ca where it /, caught az bN
the thrifty fisherman aud the p,,,Is, Il
,idrwaieT aud their same cr1 for r-lief i
aslicyi back 10 the cre-i e thc n,e,niaiu,
ir'm whence It came
M sasatisaas, eallipgs da....~ and ,,,s,tli
'rn- 4 the vs-aplc sf this State arr suffer
ing fr.ni the eyil. resulting fran the in.
,.iaality af the dsstribaii.a ci governmental
'ssrlens Thew !. nne clas> Whp are rrs
snscr.r,, hu, eainer~ hy ihi- w,e of their
frlh,W men The owner Il srrtain form,
of prf~ry uhirh ,t.iay pay M ,axe- ar
oonteHtsd "a Ts.Fmi, the Vr,-~ut y,nslif,at
a. ciutiuus IL !. tht- gla,s frulu vheu
ihe upE.,nentS ts FraSs.@rmenl and u-frru
10 unT ,ystea ot TAXATION ,uus,,
TkHvEsS >gyFTH
W 4ass .afFcr. fr,.u ihi. system n,or,
than farmers
Everything the farmer ha- i. taxed
h.. land hi, horse. his cpws. hi, gIuv,.
and indrvj s,su can ~ "n a farm ans
6nd anyIhing ,ha, Is n,s ,axei Ths~s
iaxe- paid hy the farmer ,anass b. ,hilte,I
6" the pr,.lp,s a, Is done in either pursuits
wherc the Consumer pays the taNe-- The
prev Il the farmer Whea, and r1Tu !.
hxr-l Is she cpld standard in the market.
~ the w"rld Thi- pTiee !, not as,.te,
ty high ~ low hcaI Jaxc- again the
feet that Al take, are placed ou land RESULT
In dspriyiag land II ID, maFkei value
land :. to-day ir,s in the marke, Il
-, A. wa-, said by another. ike a nirkr,
o,in-ii waB ga-> I, has the esunark
o, the liea Of taxes, which lepTivrs !, o'
i's currency IN the markets IT the country
The rural distract, arg b,-,sniug dcpop'lsi
s,i rjlir- uyercrowde,i and farmers siuig
Gin. under high taxes and heavy dela> &,
fe,d ihen,ss-lyt- and the lnyed one- Al
A"ne Capital sham aud a, an invest
m~ut and seeks that form, ..f property
which wrongfully ,~caps- ii, share # taxes.
H1ut> ANp uot >Eaul-nS N EtLrtunRI
PAY FULL rkNE>
The srieyancr If the owuers II th,
huu-,-- aud visible property IN Rallimore l.
the ,sue exactly a. that "f the owners oI
the farms Their little hoine> and iurui
tue au,e uow taxed itE more than market
value Their taxable valuation i nol
pnls excessive. hat they pay ia that valu
atiun more than their proper share Of the
burden, of government Ii j. very hard
i"r the man with hi, little furnished home
who has To- work ten hours tnr plttauee IN
the way 81 wase>. To hnd that pau 81
his >cantv earnings are IN from him Ia
lay somebody else Gaxes The Feeling oi
resistance tr such system i greatly ia
creased when one remembers that relatively
the other person for whom be pays taxe'
has hi thousands, while be has unly hi>
home When he remembers that. If he
paws ten dollars for taxes. i've dollars oi
that amount l. paid for the man of wealth
who pays no taxes, It T. not a mlsnomer t.
call il rnbbery. The feeling Of rebellion
against such inequality and uniaines> Is
intense in the breast Of the masses of our
fellow citizens who live in Baltimore city
The onlg relief from such injustice i Ia
select a. your public servants such men a.
can be trusted to give you relief by the
prompt passage of relsSessment law. ~
that fair valuation of the visible prnperty
in this State may be had, and by proper
provisions and machinery there may be
brought into the basis of taxation. and kept
there a. much a. possible Of the three
quarters of billion of dollars of property
which now escape the payment Of any
taxes Then will relief come, and not
until then
DOUBLE TAXATION or MERCHANTS.
Under the existing law the merchants
are subjected To double taxation They
pay twice ON the same property The
average annual value of their stock in trade
which they carry in their stores Is annually
taxed at its market value; then ON this
same stock. or its representative, the same
merchant is again taxed by taxing the
bills receivable and open accounts which
have been received by him for this identi-
cal taxed stock of goods. No greater
hardship could be inflicted upon any class