The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-05-16

-.Direct!T Taxation 10 En'
Old, Honest Method.
Corrasnondence Of The Progressive Farmer
The matter of revenue derived from
taxation in the United States, is assum
ING vast proportions and is therefore
urging itself forward as a political
Question that must soon receive atten'
tion. There are still but few people
vho realize the fact that taxes in ouI
Governments, National, State, county
and municipal, amount to about $l5
per capita; that is, if distributed &c
cording to population, it would be
about s15 for every man, woman and
child, or SIS for every family.
This taxation has become oppressive,
not because it is too much, but because
it is 1nequitably adjusted.
Every one who has sense enough 20
investigate the subject for a day Will
see that. as it is now assessed the In
dustrial people, directly and indirectly
nav nine-tenths of the taxes from the
net earnings or surplus products OF
each wear before that surplus passes
out of their hands othe more wealthy.
IF il was so that all evenue would
most largely be drawn from the &C
cumuIeted wealth Of the nation which
has already passed from the workers.
into the hands of capitalists or wealthy
Deople. it could not constitute a bur
den as it is now, onIthe producing PEG,
pie.
The primal and equitable idea OF
taxation is to raise a revenue for the
support of government and public I'M
movements levied in such way that 1t
shall be paid from the surplus wealth
of the people, rather than from the In
dustrial labor Of the people that Is an
nually exerted; first for a livelihood,
and second, for the acquisition OF
wealth.
Justice in taxation requires equity,
that is, q citizen should pay out OF the
value of his property, an amount OF
revenue, exactly equal to that paid by
every other citizen who owns an equal
amount of property.
Every person who observes our Taxa
tion or looks into III revenue system
cannot help but see that it comes very
far short of carrying out he o
principles of justice in taxation. DE
will see that the vast revenue now col
Iected-which I am not az all claiming
is too much for our progressive gov
eminent and age-is very largely paid
nv classes out Of their annual earnings
who do not possess much wealth, rather
than by classes whose wealth Is earn,
ing their living and also rapidly n
creasing their possessions.
Thus il is an unjust burden borne oy
industry and the system as at present
adjusted must be wrong.
To correct this evil various schemes
have been proposed and tried, not one
Of which has been successful, and rea
son would seem to teach Us that no
plan can be successful which is not an
honest, upright and straightforward
direct assessment and tax on the value
found in all kinds of surplus wealth.
No clap trappery by which a tax is
paid by the people without their know
ing and feeling it"-as was asserted
by an eminent(O United States Sena-
tor lately-can be jnst and equitable
else, why must it be a hidden burdens
Seeing that taxation is assuming inn
portance from its increased proportions
our Henry George, single tax" friends
are urging their scheme to the front as
issue. their purpose is to have Popu
lists and reform orders adopt the
scheme as a plank in their platforms
The main spokes in the Union Reform
party recently organized at Cincin
natl are advocates Of the LAND tai" or
''single tex" theory. So alsoare mostly
the gentlemen whose names are signed
to q call for a reform political confer
ence at Buffalo, New York, in June. /
do not know whether Senator Butler
is in favor Of this taxing scheme or
not, but we do see that he keeps that
kind of company and the people are
coming to believe that ali meetings
and things Matched out and advocated
by political leadeTs-so called-sre
chips with very. peculiar bugs under
them; eve ~socialistic bugs have been
20 concealed.
The objectiont to the single tax scheme
that is fatal to its equity is, that it
proposes to tax value in one kind of
property, while an equal value in all
other kinds Of property shall remain
untaxed, or at least indirectly taxed,
which is a far worse system than the