Monroe Enquirer
Twenty years or more ago the average farmer of Union county, who owned his own land, paid in taxes approximately the value of a bale of cotton each year. Today, he is doing the same.
But the bale of cotton in 1904 was worth only about $10. Today a bale of cotton is worth $150. Twenty years ago, a dollar looked about the size of a cart wheel. Today it is about the size of a cake of soap after a large family’s weeks’ wash.
Along about the year 1000 [1900?] there was less than $10 per capita in circulation. Now there is more than $50 besides stocks, bonds, securities, also Peter robber stock and many others of like nature.
Along about the year 1800 we had no good roads. The schools were only a little better than the roads. Today, comparatively speaking, our roads are fine and accredited high schools are available to every one of our boys and girls.
We did not know 20 years ago the difference between a differential and a garage. Today we do not know whether or not we can dig up enough money for next month’s installment of the old boat or whether the sheriff will relieve us of our misery. But there is one consolation, we’re all riding.
But the amazing thing is that a few men throughout this country continue to mightily howl about their tax burden. These same men’s children or at least many of them have secured good educations in the public and high schools, and are now teacher or have positions and are making good money for themselves and are self-supporting. Even some of these men’s daughters are as teachers receiving as much in four week’s time as their fathers’ entire tax assessments for an entire year.
I was interested to hear one of the recent Chautauqua lecturers, who had spent much of the past 10 years in Europe make the statement that the average tax of a man in England, France or Germany was abut one-fourth of all he earned. he said when an American paid one or two percent; he put up a howl. Further, the speaker said it was worth while to live in a country like ours where one could lie down at night with he sweet assurance that his person as well as his property were in no danger, or that nothing was likely to befall his household.
Friends, let’s cut out this unmoral complaining about country going to the dogs. We know it isn’t. But it behooves us to select good men for office and make it still a better place in which to live.
Concord Daily Tribune, page 4, May 27, 1924
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