Letters on Taxation

Letter 5

Edwin Burgess

[1859]

Another of the evils of taxing personal property, which destroys the uniformity of the tax, is, that much of the personal property is never taxed at all where debts are allowed as an offset to the personal property in possession; for example, merchants' goods being removed from where they were bought, frequently or generally escape taxing there, and when they are owed for here, or sworn to as such, according to sec. 4 are exempt here also. I am told that the taxed personal property of New York City was only fifty millions, while Broadway alone probably contains much more wealth; so that besides the evils of perjury and extra cost in valuing, and double taxation for property and credits, and taxing what has ceased to be property, preventing production and promoting pauperism, misery and crime, and exempting railroad companies, gas companies, banks, colleges, churches, parsonages, universities, academies, etc., I think it will be safe to estimate that one half of the personal property existing is never taxed at all; while the conscientious who pay, must pay more for the exemption of the cunning who escape; not that I have any point to make against merchants or any other class, for I firmly believe that no product of industry should ever be taxed in any form whatsoever, but the land alone, according to its relative value, ad the least injurious means of raising revenue, and to prevent the evil of land monopoly by making that monopoly unprofitable; and for the reasons named I take the affirmative of the land tax, and the negative of every other, and invite any one to take the negative of the land tax, and affirmative of any tax or tithe which he thinks better.

If all taxes were on the land, would railroad monopolists want to steal the land ( the birthright of all ) by millions of acres, while they deny to the landless and moneyless any land on which to get their "daily bread"; while they hire ministers to open their robbery meetings in Congress by prayer and ask the blessing of the Creator on the robbery of His creatures? Do they not know well that it is only by keeping workers landless that they can buy labour for the smallest portion of its produce; and if all had what land they needed, their plundered land would be almost valueless for sale; though its value for production and human sustenance would be undiminished?

If all the taxes were on the land, and all owned their share, the tax for all would be equal but not oppressive. But if one almighty monopolist should own the whole of the land, unless one person should suffer for the act or wrong of another, then all should live as well by the labour of the monopolist as they could by their own labour on their land; and if the land tax will not provide the best remedy, I shall be duly grateful to any one who will show me a tax that will, or any better legal remedy whatever.

If all the taxes were on the land, and none on improvements, then there would be the greatest encouragement for improvements and industry; then farmers and merchants would not turn land speculators, and run all over creation to buy land at ten shillings per acre with the produce of their toil, but make and enjoy the comforts of life with their families at home, instead of being a curse to the landless and their families elsewhere; they could then have no fear that their children would suffer for want of land whenever they might need it.

Were all the taxes on the land, and the people's land free, then the hitherto landless could soon build their own homes on their own land, and raise all they needed to consume or exchange, and no longer need the land, houses, or capital of others; then rent, interest, and even usury would cease with the cause. Thus would the happiness of mankind be immeasurably increased, and misery be proportionately diminished; then would earth be redeemed from the giant sin of land robbery, and the Paradise of the present or future be as far above that of the past, as the intelligence of the philosopher is beyond the ignorance of the child.


FREEDOM FOR MAN AND TRADE

Young Liberty is growing fast, he soon will be of age,
And with the tyrants of mankind the war of Freedom wage:
Then bravely raises his banner high, let all who would be free,
Enlist to aid the sacred cause of Truth and Liberty.


CHORUS

Our standard unto ever land should ever be unfurled,
With Freedom for all human kind, free commerce with the world.

Unbound to creed, to party, sect, to colour or to clime,
Our watchword, Freedom unto all, throughout all space and time;
Freedom to think, to write, to speak, free printing press and land,
Freedom for woman and for man, in justice we demand.

The shackles from the slave shall fall, the dungeon cease to be;
Tyrants of body and of mind, " make way for Liberty!"
The faggot fires no more shall blaze for martyrs good and brave,
Our language cease to bear the blot of master and of slave.

Inquisitors and ruling knaves too long have been combined,
To blot from out the face of earth the rights of all mankind;
'Tis time that Liberty should reign with Justice, Love and Truth.
To be the guardians of mankind, the friends of age and youth.

A free earth unto all mankind, an Eden then will bloom,
To bless with plenty every home, and beautify the tomb;
Then Peace and Wisdom, Truth and Love, and Liberty shall reign,
Instead of War and haggard Want, and Tyranny and Shame.

The Tongue and Pen are often far more mighty that the sword,
Lives are destroyed by swords and guns, but errors by a word;
Swords strike but single foes, while words "strike thousands at a blow,"
Which, by a free unshackled press, to all the world may flow.

INTRODUCTION
Letter 1 * Letter 2 * Letter 3
Letter 4 * Letter 5 * Letter 6
Letter 7 * Letter 8 * Letter 9
Letter 10 * Letter 11