The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-23

"When to this enormous and cSying evil
is added the corruption which it is alleged
has characterized the appraisements OF
real estate, we have a condition of things
with which we dale not palter. We must
inaugurate, and at once, system that
shall euualize tax burdens. The men OF
wealth in our great communities should
| lead the movement. This great club,
organized as rallying centre for loyalty
and patriotic citizenship, should near a
call as loud and imperative as that when
came came so it during the years OF the o1Vli
War.
| Mr.. Linooln's startling declaration
| that this country could not continue to
| exist half slave and half free may be
| paraphrased today by saying that iris
country cannot continue to exist hhii
| taxed and half free. This sense OF IN
equality breathes fierce and unmeasur-
ing anger-creates classes, intens11les
social differences, and makes men Wiling
to pay their debts in half dollars. Inc
just sacredness of these money obllga-
| tlons, the right of the. holders to be paid
In money of full value, will be clearer to
these angry men if they see that. these
securities are paying fully their lawful
| taxes.
where is the moral distinction be-
tween the act of putting one hand in his
ne1ghbor's pocket and clandestinely ab-
stracting his pocket book, and the frau
dulently shifting of debt that owe to
another?
IT there is not enough public virtue left
I'D our communities to make tax frauds
d1scredttable; if = there is not yirility
enough left in our laws and in the ad-
m1n1stration of justice in our courts to
bring to punishment those who defraud
tho state and their neighbors; If crimes
OF fraud may stalk unrebuked and I'M
punished in our streets; how long will it
be until crimes of violence make insecure
the fortunes that have refused to con-
tribute ratably to the cost of maintaining
social order.
"The failures which have accom-
panied, in an increased ratio, the attempt
to collect the personal property tax, have
led many tax reformers to favor its total
abolition, and the substitution of other
forms of taxation. The failure Of the
wealthy holders of these Intangible secur-
tiles to pay their just proportion OF the
cost OF government has stimulated de-
mand for special forms.of taxation and
for progressive taxation, with view in
some measure to reconp to the community
the losses which are inflicted by evasive
or fraudulent tax returns These efforts
should serve as warning. The people
will not consent that this state Of things
shall be accepted as permanent condi-
such as in their nature necessarily ex-
clude concealmentsand bribery. what tax
will remain? If we admit the disgraceful
conclusio On that the state of public and
private morals has become such IN our
country that the wealthy may not be
brought under the law and compelled to
yield 1t reverence and obedience, have we
not confessed the failure of republican
institutions?
Before the adoption Of the constitu-
ton, when each state made it's own tariff
laws, the power to levy imposts was prac-
tically nullified by the competitions be-
tween the states. They underbid each
other in the competition between their
ports. The solution was found in confid-
Ing the tax upon imports wholly to the
national government. In measure the
same embarrassment is now being felt in
the framing and administration of the
tax Jaws of the several states. Real or
simulated changes of residence are made
from one state to another. with a view of
finding the most favorable tax condition,
or the most pliable assessors.
sit is not easy, however, to see how a
federal control of these questions can be
The states are fnot likely to
such important powers to the
national government. 1t Is more than
questionable whether New Jersey and
Connections, for instance, could be in
their tax laws, or the administration of
them, may offer to wealthy New Workers.
''Yet think it would be quite we'll to
assemble convention of tax commits
sioners from ell the states to discuss his
intricate and exigent problem. Possibly
some general principles might be agreed
upon that would remedy the just COM
plants of double taxation, especially in
the case Of corporate properties and Sc
curities.
~ do not believe that it is impossible
so to stir the consciences of our people, so
to stimulate the independence and cour-
age of our assessors and of our courts and
as to secure a fairly general
of the personal property tax.
know that men hesitate to call neigh
Dor to judgment in this matter. We have
too re UGH treated the matter of mans
tax return as a personal matter. We have
put his transactions with the state on
much the came level with his transactions
wlths ibis. bank, but that Is not the true
basis. Each citizen has a personal inter-
est. pecuniary. interest. in the tax return
of Eisssneighbor. We are members of a
great partnership, and 1t is the right of
each to know what every other member
is contributing to the partnership and
what he is taking from it. 1t is not II
private affair; it is public concern OF
the first importance.