Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-27
VAuAMAKER
ON TAXATION
Startling Figures Showing the In
equalities of Taxation Under
Quay Machine Rule.
The Farmer and Workingmen Compelled
to Pay ST. ga, While the Corpora
tions Pay But One Penny.

3
lowing to say upon the subject of tax
| alton:
| l have been waiting for an oppor-
tunity like this to say something more
to the farmers and laboring men of
Pennsylvania about taxation.
In my Williams Grove address on
| Sept. / | declared that the people, and
/ especially the farmers, were unjustly
taxed. l stated that through legisla-
don passed by the Quay machine there
was unjust discrimination in favor
of corporations, and that the masses
We're forced to bear an unequal bur-
den of state taxation, and 1 want to
reiterate those statements again to-
night, and to present to you specific
proof of their correctness.
The statements that the farmers paid
too much tax have been challenged in
public speeches by the Republican can
didate for governor and the Republican
state chairman.
Nominee w. A. Stone, in his Pitts
burg speech on Sept 7, in the course of
his reply to assertions made by me,
said: There Is not a corporation in
Pennsylvania that ever for one moment
realized that 1t was the favorite of the
I
machine). Speaking of our tax system
he declared: This is a great triumph
for the Republican party, and one of
| which all Republicans should feel justly
proud" and, continuing, he said: TT
| seems to me that it would be much
| easier to prove that farmers, laborers
| and mechanics are the favorites of the
| Republican party, who have been so
highly favored by It's legislation"
At Hollidaysburg on Sept. Is Cand-
date Stone is again quoted as saying
that The people are not taxed, and
not one foot of your land (meaning
the people, pays one cent of tax; we
have taken the tax off the lands and
put it on corporations"
ELKIN QUOTED.
Republican Chairman Elkn, at Car
Isle on Aug. 81, said: I'VE (meaning
the Quay machine) have taken taxes
off the lands, occupations, trades and
all personal property, except money at
interest" At Pittsburg on Sept. he
again declared that 1.-The purpose and
policy of the Republican party (mean-
ing the Quay machine) has been to re-
move the burden of taxation from the
people and place 1t upon those who
obtain some franchise from the state
and we (meaning the Quay machine)
have reason to feel proud of our rec
ord"
I am facing an audience composed
largely of farmers. Before me are men
who gain their livelihood by the tilllne
and handling of land. If there Is one
among you all who does not know that
the statements Of Candidate Stone and
Chairman Elkin are false let him stand
up and say so. There may be some
farmers here who on next election day
intend to vote to perpetuate the Quay
machine. To them l want to ask II
1t is fact as Candidate Stone assert
ed in his Hollidaysburg speech, that
you are not taxed and that not one
foot of your land pays one cent of
taxes" and whether 1t is true, as Chair
man Elkin states, that the Quay ma
chine has taken the taxes off land?
If one single farmer in this audience
will come upon the platform and show
that his land is not taxed 1 will agree
to make six speeches a week for the
Quay machine from now until election
time and IL there is one farmer here
who owns or works a farm that can
not show by his tax receipts that all
these statements are untrue l will
stand by the same offer. And IL there
is one farmer who does not know that
he Is unJustly taxed and is paying part
of the corporations share | want him
to send me his name and he will be
given proof of his happy ignorance.
The subject of taxation is a vast and
complex question, but there are phases
of it and facts concerning 1t that can
be reduced to simple, practical and con-
vincing propositions And specifically
and with varied figures l want to pre-
sent some of them to you.
In this argument when ] make use OF
the word Corporations" 1 mean those
of that class that have the right to con-
denim and take private property for
their own use, such as steam railroads
which pay no local taxes for county
township, school or road purposes upon
their roadbed and other property used
in the operation of their franchise. And
also other great combinations of cor
porate wealth, such as pools and trusts
and companies capitalized at millions
all of which maintain armies of agents
and lobbyists to invade and surround
legislative bodies, whether national
, state or municipal.
Candidate Stone tells the farmers OF
the state that the corporations pay the
entire cost of running the state gov
ernment, and also the appropriations
to public schools. This statement is
grossly untrue. as is shown in the last
official record of the state treasurer.
The total receipts of the state treas.
r ury for 1897 were $12, AIS, ,070.17. OF this
sum the entire amount received from
) all sources, from all corporations, in.
l Guiding the thousands of smaller cor.
1 porations which we are not considering
1 together with the tax on bank stock
l was only $6,044, ,13167, or about so pei
= cent of the cost of running the state
and paying the school appropriations
Y This demonstrates Candidate Stones
Misrepresentation No. /.
. Candidate Stone says that corpora.
( tions are taxed higher in Pennsylvania
n than they are in other states. This
0 statement is untrue. For the purpose
: Of proving the falsity of Mr.. Stones
assertion l will compare the tax law
= of our state with that of New York.