The Daily Evening Visitor.
PUBLISHED EVERY AKTKRBOOX,
Except Sunday,
Near the Drug Store of Williams &
Haywood, corner of Fayettrille and
Hargett streets.
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Address all orders and communica
tions to
UKOWS & FEKKELL,
Kaieigh, N C.
RALEIGH, APRIL 12. 1890.
Iiiceuse Tax;s.
Correspondent of the Visitor.
The question of license taxation
which the Board of Aldermen is now
undertaking to consider and pass
upon, is one that ought to receive the
closest consideration. As the ordi
nances now stand in regard to tin
matter they are manifestly UDjust.
To tax a few professions and callin,
and exempt otheis as is now the case
is a most flagrant usurpation of the
taxing power which cannot be justi
fied. Taxation is a bur 'en which
should fall equally upon all, and.this
end is most cerrainly met when the
tax is laid according to the ability of
the citizen to pay. Prof Ely, of Johns
Hopkins University in his work on
taxation says that license taxes are
against the plainest principles of jus
tice, medieval in their character, and
against tne spirit ot tne times in
which we live. They require that the
weak and struggling shall pay as
much as the rich and prosperous to
wards the common burden. He fur
ther says that this system of taxation
prevails mostly in the Southern
States, where it has proven rather a
detriment than a benefit to the com
m unities where it has prevailed.
mi .a .
j.ne present rate or taxation in
Raleigh township is $-.18 on the
$100 valuation and $6.54 on the poll,
That is quite a respectable rate of
taxation every one will admit. When
that amount is paid the average citi
zen who has a little property feels
that he has about paid as much as
ought to be expected of him, aud if
he pays more he wants others to do
the same thing. On the other hand,
if the citizen has no property, no one
ought to expect him to pay more than
the poll tax, $6.54. That is enough
for any man who has no property to
pay, and it is radically wrong to lay
a license tax upon such a man and
then make it a misdemeanor for him
not to pay it.
For the Board of Aldermen at this
time when no calling is very prosper
ous to increase the present high rate
of taxation among a f jw callin s by
this system of license taxes is inde -
fensible, because there is no r ason
or necessity for it. By a recent de
cision of the Supreme court of the
State solvent credits must hereafter
be put upon the city tax list. This
means that there w'li be for the pres
ent tax year about $1,0' 0,000 more
taxable values to go upon the
list than formerly, and instead of in
creasing taxation there should be a
reduction of the present rate from 15
to 20 cents on the $100 valuation, even
if the license taxes are left off, and
they should be, except such as come
under police regulation.
But certainly if this license system
of taxation is to be resorted, and that
fact is determined at the next meet
ing of the Board to which it has been
referred, then it should not stop-where
it is, and I don't .believe it will stop
there. Men will cot quietly submit
to be singled out for taxation while
others who should be as amenable as
they are go scot free. They will and
ought to insist that all be fed oat of
the same spoon.
Why should one calling be taxed
and another not. Why should a law
yer who pays his regular taxes be
taxed and a physician not? There is
no earthly reason .for it, although a
motion was boldly made and carried
at a recent meeting of the board
to pursue that course, it - being
alleged that physicians did a great
deal of charity practice, and thoulJ
be excused.
That the physicians do a great de.l
of such practice is true, and I honor
: them for it, but Is it true that the
! physicians need the charitable con
sideration of the Board of Aldermen
! aud its taxing power more than other
citizens? These gentlemen sem to be
getting along very well. They seem
to )e as sleek and prosperous as any
body else in I he community. They ride
through our city and over the streets
j in the very best turnouts notwitli
! i: ....,.:.. ...i I
Plttuuiu inn. I'ljuiiiy jiiauiicc, auu a
suppose I shall not betray any secret,
either public or private, when I sug
gest that the pay they grt from those
wh are not charity patient, make
up a very respectable general average
and fake them entirelv out of thechar
itable consideration of the Board of
Aldermen.
While 1 have no objeciion to the
course pursued towards the physi
cians, the course pursued was right;
yet if they are to be excused for their
charity practice, then so should the
lawyers and perhaps others. I sup
pose there is not one cise in ten
where a lawyer appears before the
mayor of the city in behalf of some
poor unfortunate who ever gets a tee
for Lis work or ever expects one. The
same is true of much of the practice
in other courts. Indeed there is no
clas iu the community who give so
much of their time for nothing to the
public to benefit all classes as the
lawyers', whether they be classed as
"bob tailed" or otherwise They
render their time and talent to the
community whenever they are called
for. So far as I have observed they
try to do their part though they are
for the most part poor men. I feel
that I may with propriety say this
much in their behalf because there is
often heard a cheap and vulgar abuse
of lawyers which is inconsiderate and
without cause.
Taking up the list, however, as it
appears in the ordinances of the city,
I do not believe any one can give a
substantial reason why a dentist
should be taxed and not an editor, or
why a bill poster should be taxed and
not a paper hanger, nor why a livery
stable should be taxed more than a
blacksmith shop, nor a bond broker
more than a real estate agent, nor a
dealer in musical instruments than
a hardware man. So we might con
tinue. There is no reason for such
incongruities, and the list as it now
stanas should be added to very
lirgely or wiped out. I can't think a
candid consideration would reach any
other conclusion. I have understood
this to be the opinion of the worthy
mayor, who, I am certain has given
considerable thought to the subject.
Indeed it seems to me that instead
of seeking out subjects for double
taxation it would be better for the
Board of Aldermen to give more
attention to the collection of those
taxes which are admitted to be just.
There is a large amount of taxes
levied year by year which are not
paid, and there h no attempt to com
pel their payment, There is much
property in the city that never pays
any tax at all, and there is a consid
erable amount of poll taxes each year
that there is no effort to collect even
from those able to pay it. If any of
the city aldermen want to try their
extraordinary power in new lines let
them exercise their gift in this direc
tion, and they will meet their duty
fully to the city government and the
people of the city.
The present plan j roposed for col
lecting the city revenue reminds me
very foicibly of the way the average
church subscription is raised. The
subscription for a particular object is
made out and every cent neccessary
is raised on i aper. It is then taken
around and those who have a just
idea of their duty do their part, while
others on the list do nothing. If
there is a deficiency those who have
paid must pay agin or it will go un
paid. Nothing is done with the fel
lows that pay iiOthing,although they
are able to pay. They go to churoh
on Sunday in good clothes, sit on a
cushioned bench in a comfortable
house and hear the preacher, and
when the preaching is over they walk
out with no conception of what their
duty is in regard to the preadhdr and
the church. That is all wrong and
ought not to be tolerated. Still very
often the wheajt and the tares con
tinue togemer, i
That is very much the policy that j
j has been pursued by the city in col
lecting the taxes. They make out j
the list, and if it' is not as much as
they wish they make another levy on I
J those who have already paid, and
; then to add to the iniquity of the
thing they put on a fee or two be-'
sides the license tax, and then make j
it a misdemeanor not to pay and he !
is given to understand that he will be j
arrested if he does not pay. j
The city ought not to pursue any
j honest effort made to collect the
regular property and poll tax from all
: instead of devising methods to make
some people pay twice who try to do
their duty. Let the taxes be decreas
ed instead of doubled on some of the
people.
Anti-License.
5tanclarcdFlavpiins
t HOUSEKEEPERS can prove by a single
trial that these Extracts are the ch?aj-est;
jtfiey are true to their names, full mea-u.-e.
Vnd highly concentrated
Groceries, &c.
FAXCY-t-GROCEIIIES
Beyers & Horton
14 E. Hargett St.
We call special attention to our brand
of flour, (Floating Pearl), which is
equal to any high grade of
flour now on the market.
Nice lot of bottle pickles, sweet and
mixed, in quart and pint bottles.
Extracts of Lemon and Vanilla by the
dozen or single bottle.
California Hams
Country Hams
California Hams
Country Hams
Sugar Cured Hams I
Sugar Cured Hams 1
Boneless Hams 1 Boneless Hams
Coffees, Coffees,
Sugars, Sugars, (
Lemons, Lemons,
Bananas 25c per doz Bananas,
Cakes, Cakes,
Crackers, Crackers,
Crockery, Crockery, Crockery,
Cheap Cheap Cheap,
"W T ROGERS.
I
J D CARROLL.
Rogers & Carroll,
Wholesale and Retail
Grocers 4 Commission Merchants
AND SEALERS IN
COUNTRY PRODUCE,
No 204 East Martin Street,
RALEIGH, N C,
Keep constantly on hand a fresh sup
ply of Meat.Flour.Suerar of all errades.
Coffee, green and roasted; Hominy
ana writs; a full line of Canned Woods,
Tobacco,Snuff,Cigars and Cigarettes;
Oil of all kinds; Corn, Hay, Oats and
Chops, Sugar Cured Hams and
Shoulders, Breakfast Strips; N C
Hams a specialty; Butter, Cheese and
best tierce Lard; Country Butter al
ways, on hand; N C Cut Herring,
Sweft anJ Irish Potatoes; Peas of all
kinds, Country Produce; our Ideal
brand of Flour is the best in the
world; Chickens and Eggs, and Dried
Fruit always on hand. Oall ou us for
ANYTHING usually kept in a first
class grocery store. Goods delivered
in any part of the city free of charge.
ap2
J. LFEMALL & GO,
FRESH AND RELIABLE
Groceries:
332 Fayetteville Street.
Evaporated California Apricots,
Peaches, Prunes, Raspberries, &c,
N C Dried Apples and Peaches,
New York Medium Beans,
California Dried Lima - Beans,
Imported Parmesian Cheese, grated
for Macaroni,
Edam and Pine Apple Cheese,
Tarbell Cheese,
Hazard's Strawberry Tomato
Ketchup, best in the world.
Smoked Salmon,
Yarmouth Bloaters,
Boneless Cream Codfish and Fine
Mackerel.
Sew Catch N C Roe and Out
i Herrings,
LIVERY, B0&RDIH& & SALE STABLES.
We have purchaeed the livery
owned by G W Wynne, and enlarge I the outfit
with some fine Horses, Buggies, &c, which are
for hire to responsible and careful people at rea
sonable rates.
BO
ARDSWC.
As we buy feed in large lots from first hands
at lowest cash prices, we are prepared to board
stock on the best the country affords at ROCK
BOTTOM prices, and guarantee good attention.
SALES.
Those wishing to purchase horses ere solicited
to call on Mr S W Coats, our Supeiinten lent, at
Wynne's Old Stan 1.
TELEPHONES- Stables, No 9 ttore, No 41
Wood, C( al and Lnmber Yard. No 71.
JJ sues & PwelB
IBmbs t IP ea
All ITarieties.
mIJh irk y
IF nil ILMelFii'eslii eed
AT-
When y. Mac Ouva.je
DRUG' STORE.
ft -j-
' i'
turner Wilmlngton,Hartln an4 arketStreeU ,