The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1917-09-28


In q Rich, Prosperous Community
Taxes Are No eurden-ln a Com
munity Where the Local Town 10
Dead Taxes Are High.
Copyrighted. 1914. by Thomas J. s~ulliyan.l
Taxing is an easy business. Any
new official can contriye new imposi-
lions, any bungler can add to the old,
but Is it altogether wise to have no
other bounds to your imposltions than
the patience Of those who are to bear
them?
What a benefit the government
would render the state, the city, the
village and hamlet If it would but tax
vices instead Of property. Bonaparte
said he found vices very profitable.
He got 100000 annually from the
lovers Of brandy, and he wanted to
know what virtue would pay him that
much.
Taxes Increasing Each Year.
Taxes are the sinews Of the state,
and they are indeed heavy, but II those
laid by the government were the only
ones we had to pay we might o
easily discharge them, but we have
others, and much more grieyOus to
some OF us.
We are taxed twice as much by u
ignorance, three times as much by our
~dlsloyalty and four times as much by
our folly. and from these taxes the
commissioners cannot ease or deliver
us by allowing an abatement
The state, county and town levy and
exact a certain tax from every piece of
property located within their bound
aries. the amount depending upon the
official requirements. In a rich, pros
porous community, where marketing
and manufacturing lend their sttmulat-
ing influences. taxes are low. A COM
munity where the local town is dead
taxes necessarily are high.
The explanation Is easy. The town
which is prosperous has successful
merchants with large and valuable
stocks of goods; 1t has manufacturing
plants and Industrial enterprises OF
great worth; 1t has newspapers, bank
ing houses and hotels, and, above all,
1t Is a marketing center. The large
amount and the high value placed upon
this property materially decrease the
tax demands made upon the farmer In
that vicinity.
Streets Paved With Jimson Weeds.
Then take the other town, the dead
town. What are the cause and effect?
The cause is lack Of patronage. lack Of
industrial pride, d~isloyalty and Igno-
rance Of ones own condition and best
interests. The effect? The town has
become a Jay" town. In the streets
have grown jimson weeds. the side
walks have gone to decay, the stores
are vacant. and an air of poverty and
dilapidati0n prevails.
In this latter town and the surround
ing community taxes are high. prop
erty values have decreased. and alto
gether 1t is an undesirable place to live
In, and the disposition Of such property
is an impossible feat.
AS we stand and survey the ruins Of
a once prosperous and promising city
we turn to the once successful retail
merchant, nov standing In the door Of
his empty store. and ask for the an.
swer.
Briefly he makes reply: THE retail
catalogue houses. Our residents In this
community became hypnotized by theiI
pictures and prices and misrepresenta.
tons. and this is the result"
On the Altar Of Greed.
They sacrificed their own Interests
and their own town ON the altar Oi
greed and misunderstanding.
The farmer should easily compre
bend that when a stock Of goods In
store is depleted one-half or more
cannot be taxed for more than IL
value, and In case the merchant 10
lack Of patronage is forced to retirl
altogether from business then Their
remains nothing to be taxed but to-
building. Aud what can 1t be take,
at provided a tenant who is willing Il
take a chance with his money canno
be found! Eventually the farmer will
have to pay the taxes. This merchan
formerly paid, and II the farmer con
tinues throwing his patronage to out
side concerns he will continue to re
duce local values and increase hi
taxes.
Reflect Too Little.
Some farmers read too much and rC
fleet too llttle-depend too much up0
others. too little upon themselves
They make OF their heads cold storag
, warehouses for other peoples Idea
instead OF standing up In their ow
independent gOdllke individuality
/, Reading and rereading Of mail orde
catalogues leave u man In about th
same condition as Mark Twain's tOa
! with It's stomach full OF shot.
What do the mail order houses d
for the farmerl DO they relieve hi
Of any Of his tai burdensl No; the
just relieve him Of his money Il Is
, case Of representation without taxi
ton; and we fear In time this name
and method OF doing business wi
cause a revolution among the pr