The Penn's Grove record., 1896-04-03

John Sacob Astor, a person whose
name ought to indicate his ability to
pay his honest debts, appears in the
public prints Of New York In the con.
temptible role of evading bis obliga-
tons to the public treasury. II Mr.
Aston were less eminent an individual
there would be general expression Of
the belief that he had perjured himself
to swindle the public treasury. As Nj.
Aston belongs tothe class which 10 mere.
ly exhilarated when other people are
drunk. which commits a breach of trust
in doing what II done by less fortunate
persons Is stealing, which violates the
social convenances when 1t INDUCES
in Irregularities classed among less re-
fined folk as adultery-Mr. Aston, In
short, being one of the class guarded
against the vulgarity Of plain speaking,
has doubtless done nothing more thar
to indulge In a little polite equiyoca.
ton through motives Of thrift. A yeal
ago Mr.. Astor admitted his possession
of personal property to the value, fol
taxing purposes, Of $2,500,000. Thii
year he takes his solemn oath that he
Is reduced to s250.O0o worth Of personal
property. Some curiosity IL expressed
In New York to know what he has done
with II. The Astor collection Of pic
lures, statues. Jewels and bric-a-brac
In the big house at Fifth avenue and
Sixty-ifth street has not been moved,
and people who know declare it worth
So, 500,0 600 itself. There Is no apparent
falling of In the quality Of the Aston
horsefesh, nor has any outcry arisen in
financial circles over s~candalous deple-
ton OF the Aston bank account For
this remarkable shrinkage In the Astor
assets no plausible explanation ear be
given-unless 1t be the answer to ths
ancient conundrum about the 12-year
old boy who never had a brother or sis
ter, ret begged aims for his baby niece
The hoy lied. but who dare say that
about an Aston? Doubtless most people
will Believe that Astor by direct per
Jury or by fraudulent temporary con-
veyance OF his property to other hands
swiniled tho revenue officials. But
what harm win come to Astor through
this c%onvictior7 VIII he suffer In social
standing as he might II detected cheat
Ing at a game of cardsf VIII his credit
suffer as 1t would II he made q fraud
nlent statement Of his assets In order
to set a iosn at a bank7 Everybody
knows that no such consequences will
attend Astor's evasion Of his taxes. II
Is matter Of common ~notoriety that he
did only what rich men all through the
nation DO ~habitually. Hi case only -
rapes being typical because Of his per.
sonal notoriety and the size Of the es-
tate involved. If he had escaped pay
ment Of a debt due an Individual by
committing perjury or even by Juggling
with the title to his property his course
would have been widely reprobated
and criminal prosecution might have
followed. To evade payment of a debt
to the people Is only regarded as clever.
Mr.. Astor Is the heaviest land owner In
New York City. II he lodges payment
of taxes 40 n profits 70 much by taxa
ton Of other people as he. II the streets
In which his houses stand were not
lighted, cleaned and policed his rents
would fail OF. 1t might be worth while
for tho people Of New York to consider
the wisdom Of shifting the burden Of
taxation from the things Astor can hide
away to his broad acres of city blocks
always open to tho view Of the assessor