Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1909-09-21

does it. This is the way he
has always done it. He owns
two stores and three dwell>
ings. The increase in the
tax rate, on account of the
bond issue, may amount to
1926 on his stores and IS
cents on his dwellings. Now
watch him shoulder this ex~
ira tax and be glad. Yes.
He will just simply go to his
renters and inform them,
that, owing to the increase of
taxes occasioned by the re-
cent bond issue, he finds it
necessary to increase the
rent on his buildings. Yes,
good man, who bears his
country's burdens, he adds
about $500 per month to the
rent of his stores and $500
on the dwellings, about four
times the tax. Yes, he pays
the tax, after taking advan~
tage of the poor renter, the
merchant and his customers,
among whom is that poor
man paying some more ofthat
same tax. In short a bond
issue gives the rich a chance,
not only to gouge the poor,
but to escape, indirectly, the
payment Of any tax, and he
has never yet failed to take
advantage Of such an oppor~
tunity. We believe the con-
sumner, the renter and pros
Queer pays Is to 80 per cent.
Of all taxes, if not more. He
always pays more than his
part. He is the under~dog
in the fight and he is too Oft
Ell willingly so. Such argus
ment as the above is rotten
tony rot that has decayed, if
not worse. 1t is a little means
er and more assured than the
oft repeated buncombe about
enhancing the value Of a
farm to have good roads,
which is always coupled with
the statement that a man can
get more for his farm, just as
if there was going to be a
wholesale breaking up Of
homes and auctioning Of
farms along the new road. If
a man stays on the farm and
it increases in value, because
Of the road, it may mean the
loss of his.home. It will not
produce an extra bushel Of
wheat and yet his taxes will
be higher. Yes, poor man,
hit the bonds hard whenever
there be an opportunity.
It is just as we'll for us to
learn now how to build roads
and other things, and pay for
them as we go, as at some fu~
ture time. This will have to
be learned as there is certain
ly a limit to bond issues. We
cannot go on issuing indefi-
nitely nor do roads last in~
definitely. The best roads
built today will not last over
ten years, and with bond is
sues running 80, 10 and so
years, it does not take a very
colossal brain to see the fool
hardinessof issuing bonds for
such a purpose. This is no
argument, however,, against
good roads. We should have
them, but let's pay for them
as we 60.
We not not want to array
class against class, nor is it
our desire to be a calamity
bowler, but the shortsighted~
ness and injustice that exists
all. over our land toward the
poor, as evidenced by such
out>croppings as above cited,
if not discontinued or mates
rally modified, will, sooner
or later, plunge this country
into a revolution, bloodier,
more cruel and more sweeps
ing than any the world has
ever yet known. Talk about
the poor not paying taxes,
why he does little else. Be-
ing the last factor in our sys>
tenn Of economics every
mouthful Of bread, every bite
of meat, every dollar of rent,
every basket Of coal, every
tool, every piece of wearing
apparel, in short everything
that he gets, and having
nothing he must buy all, and
it must be paid for with the
taxes and profits always add~
ed. And more, he pays for
it by the sweat of his brow,
by days, nights and years Of
manual labor that means