The sun., 1901-08-12
WHO ARE:TAxPAYERS?

The consumer pays all the cost, is an
axiom that seems to have been forgotten
in the discussion of the finances OF pr"
lie administrations. In ordinary parlanc"
the term taxpayer is applicd 10 iht
property hcldcr. or directors OF business
enterprises. AS matter of fact thr
consumer Of his products pays all ne
manufacturer taxes, and the renter
pnys MI the taxes of the property noldcr
The interest in the eNtravaganee o'
public officials is not confined to any
class Of persons. and is certainly MOI
confined to that class whom circurn
stances enable to levy, and collect fram
a consumer or renter, all that the law
NAV demand of them by virtue of their
being the property holders, manufactur
erS or merchants. The amount of inter
nal revenue represented by the Stnmn>
upon proprietary articles, III many eases
represented twice the amount of the tan
levied. 1t will be found that the III
creased cost added to almost any article
because of an increase of taxation VIII
be largely in excess of the increase :"
taxes. This is the process by which th'
wonder of merchandise. the manufactures
or the renter Of property comprls th'
consumer and renter TO pay all the taxes
1t ought to be easy. therefore. to cor
rcctly locate the taxpayer. We locat'
him in the fonnlrirs. machine shops am
shipyar,ls- in shop. field Or yard-whcr
ever men work to pay for what they con
sumo. The producer earns all the wealth
Of the country. and the consumer pays
NIL the cost of its administration. Th'
producer ana the consumer i'll this coun.
try is one and the same person. he not
only earns all but pays I'LL 1t is Just
here that thu rNtravagant and dishonest
public official or administration commit
tho most hcinous OF crimes in that order
of criminal actionS-he is literally rohhins
the poor There is much being said just
now about the increase in local taxes
The taxpayers are being urged to pay
attention to the public administration ans
acquaint themselves with the condition
of public finances. These appeals appear
TO fall upon dull ears. Why: The an
swrr is, brcauSc the people who really
pay these taxes are not reached hy thcs"
warnings. ThcI read them in the news
papers. but somehow fail to understand
that thcy are the parties % whom th"S,
warnings are. or ought To he addressed
They are apparently not aware that thrl
arr The taxpayers alluded to. They final
the tax in increased cost nt the stores, IN
til" increase uf rents, and they blame the
merchant ana the property holder, hu'
forget that hchind them is the cNtrava-
giant aud dishonest public servant who's,
misuse Of authority and power causes lh'
trouble.
iii" public interest that is t. lc aroused
is not special hut general. II is not .
class interest that is mrnncrd hut the III
tcr,st of the whole people: Int If any
class is 70 be more interested than an
other il il the working people; thr pcopll
who mnst huy from somebody else. what
they mt and wear, and pay rent for III,
houses III which they live. It is thu,
people who will find every dollar n
the increased taxation in the iucrrasrD
price nf what they buy. and in the N
crrasr IL rents when thcy come 10 ~
new their lcaSeS. The taxpayers of TIL
city nnd c"unty arr the working lropc
That fact ought 10 u made plain il
every discussion or this subject 50 plai
that these taxpayers may N ia"ntii
themselves may know themselves u
tnNpuyrrS and thus b. aroused 20 ncN
an1 mur effective interest III public NJ
fairs