The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-07
THAT OPPRESSED POOR MAN.
Eli Perkins Throws the X-Rays on Cleve-
lands Arguments to Make Anarchists
Out of Democrats in Good and Regular
Standing.

Today took George Hunt, my poor
plumber, whose revenue is about Il 200
a year, and Herr Most down to our New
York city tax office to prove to them that
Cleveland and Altgeld are right when
they say in their speeches and messages
that fthe poor man is ground down with
taxes, while the rich go Free %
Walking up to the clerk in the Cham
bers street tax office, I said:
elbow much are the taxes this year
against Mr. Hunt and Mr.. Most?''
"Where are their houses and lots situat-
ed?" asked the clerk.
"Houses and lots," I said "Why, a
man would have to be worth $4,000 to
own the cheapest house and lot in New
York. My plumber and Mr.. Most are not
rich men. They don't own any real estate
in New York. -
"Then they don't pay any taxes said
the clerk.
"What, no taxes at all?'' I said. ssNo
State tax, no road tax, no school tax, and
no city taxi"
"Not cent. 1t is the rich man who
pays all the taxes in New York, Chicago,
Boston, and ST. Louis, and all our big
cities. You can tell Hunt and most to
go home again."
"What proportion of the people in New
York pay taxes?" I asked.
"Why, only one man in twenty five, :"
said the clerk. "The twenty-four men
go scot free. Your "a day plumber and
Herr Most will never pay a tax here till
they get rich enough to own real estate. +"
"Well, what do these twenty-four men
get for nothing?" l asked.
"Get" exclaimed the clerk, "they get
the earth. They get free schools and free
books. They get lovely asphalt pave
ments, clean streets, electric lights, and
police protection. They get the benefits
of Bellevue and the city hospitals, and
the benefits given by the Board of Chart
ties and Correction. They even get free
medicine from the city dispensaries. %
"And what do the. Erich men who pay
lthe taxes get?'
why, they don't get much. The rich
taxpayer doesn It send his children to the
Tree schools. He doesn't want either
charity or correction. L ne ponce are not
looking after him. They are down on
Avenue A, Essex and Mott street, watch
ing the poor drunkard in the saloons.
Ali the rich man really gets is asphalt
pavement, clean streets, and electric
lights. / tell you, the taxes collected in
our big cities are spent for the health,
comfort, education, and projections of the
poor, and the poor don't pay cent for
it,.
"Do the poor people get the earth in
Europe where you came from?'' I asked
Herr Most.
mo said Herr Most. "The tariff is
on necessities in Europe and on luxrries
here. England has a 4 cent tariff on
coffee, an cent tariff on tea, an so cent
tariff on tobacco, and q s2.60 tariff on
American whiskey Meat and -four are
fairfield in Germany, and the poor man
gays it. Vegetables, meat, milk, eggs,
and butter pay big tariff at the gates Of
Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Munich. and
Berlin. The poor pay this tariff, and it
is used for lighting and paving the
treets.
The poor man is taxed in Er1rona as
Herr Most says, but the poor man don't
nav a cent in this country till he gets rich
enough to own real estate and wear
laces, silks, velvets, kid gloves, and walk