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Title: A Seed Planted Author: Benjamin Tucker Date: 26 May 1888 Language: en Topics: taxes, dialogue Source: Retrieved on 30th August 2021 from http://www.panarchy.org/tucker/taxcollector.html Notes: A dialogue that succinctly illustrates the legal robbery known as taxes.
Time: Thursday, May 17, 7:30 P.M.
Place: Residence of the editor of Liberty, 10 Garfield Ave., Crescent
Beach, Revere (a town in the suburbs of Boston).
Dramatis Personae: Charles F. Fenno, so-called tax-collector of Revere,
and the editor of Liberty.
In answer to a knock the editor of Liberty opens his front door; and is
accosted by a man whom he never met before, but who proves to be Fenno.
Fenno — “Does Mr. Tucker live here?”
Editor of Liberty — “That’s my name, sir.”
Fenno. — “I came about a poll-tax.”
Editor of Liberty. — “Well?”
Fenno — “Well, I came to collect it.”
Editor of Liberty — “Do I owe you anything?”
Fenno — “Why, yes.”
Editor of Liberty — “Did I ever agree to pay you anything?”
Fenno — “Well, no; but you were living here on the first of May last
year, and the town taxed you one dollar.”
Editor of Liberty — “Oh! it isn’t a matter of agreement, then?”
Fenno — “No, it’s a matter of compulsion. “
Editor of Liberty — “But isn’t that rather a mild word for it? I call it
robbery.”
Fenno “Oh, well, you know the law; it says that all persons twenty years
of age and upwards who are living in a town on the first day of May-“
Editor of Liberty — “I know what the law says, but the law is the
greatest of all robbers.”
Fenno — “That may be. Anyhow, I want the money.”
Editor of Liberty. — (taking a dollar from his pocket and handing it to
Fenno).
Very well. I know you are stronger than I am, because you have a lot of
other robbers at your back, and that you will be able to take this
dollar from me if I refuse to hand it to you. If I did not know that you
are stronger than I am, I should throw you down the steps. But because I
know that you are stronger, I hand you the dollar just as I would hand
it to any other highwayman. You have no more right to take it, however,
than to enter the house and take everything else you can lay your hands
on, and I don’t see why you don’t do so.”
Fenno — “Have you your your tax-bill with you?”
Editor of Liberty. — I never take a receipt for money that is stolen
from me.”
Fenno — “Oh, that’s it?”
Editor of Liberty — “Yes, That’s it.”
And the door closed in Fenno’s face.
He seemed an harmless and inoffensive individual, entirely ignorant of
the outrageous nature of his conduct, and he is wondering yet, I
presume, if not consulting with his fellow-citizens, upon what manner of
crank it is that lives at n°10 Garfield Ave., and whether it would not
be the part of wisdom to lodge him straight away in a lunatic asylum.