The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-08-05

eminent! 1t is as well to admit that want IS
stronger than conscience, and that the cry Tor
bread is the patriots funeral knell. The IN
tellectual forces have no chance in the animal
sphere against the instincts, so that II the pop
ular mind is down on that level. goodbye
country. But what is going to become OF
this nation depends upon the patriotism OF
the great and powerful who are to WELD Its
wealth, now flowing into their golfers as a
tide at its flood. The patriotic fires glow
family in the man whose children surround
him haggard with want and misery.
But we are not disposed to consider the
Republic as irreclaimably lost under the pow
er Of money. What is money going to do with
it? To apply it to the mere uses of despo-
tism will not answer the purposes OF this age.
Its intelligence has dragged the crowns, EN-
blems, gauds and trumpery of royalty into
the light, and shown such baubles to be worth
less, or worse badges of fraud. There is no
available use 10 which despot of any kind
can put this government and people. With
the funds in his pocket to buy it he would
probably not invest. That kind OF property
has ceased to be eligible. In little while the
intelligence Of day will evolute into that
serene wisdom by which men shall learn that
only so much money as is required to supply
rational wants constitutes wealth. The rest is
| bauble as worthless to him as the crown
Jewels of Austria would be to famished mar
liner in shipwreck while, on the other hand,
the prevailing religions are beginning to &C
cept doubt as to the safety of possessing SO
much of what would constitute wealth to
others in this suffering world. There is hence
perhaps no fatal danger threatened to the Re-
public by the false legislation which permits
money to SO accumulate in the hands OF
class.
But we think it would be wholesome policy
to reform that legislation which may be in
some measure accomplished by abolshing al
power in governments, or any corporations.
state or national, to issue interest bearing OBJ
legations. There are thousand millions OF
dollars of federal bonds now held by men who
do nothing to pay for their living. not even
paying taxes. Then there is no doubt, as we
| think, that the management of our railroad
| system by the government is the proper course
for the people. 1t may be only as long as it
is broad, that is to say, it may make no es
sential difference whether nominally. the gov
| eminent yields the railroads or the railroads
the government, the 1000, 600 qualified voters
will hold the keys of he situation and the res,
is form. How the government is to acquire
The property of the railroads will become an
important question when that policy is settled
upon.
But the trouble is that there is too much
conservatism in the country among all classe>,
even those whose very existence depends up
on breaking up this money rule to which it
has led. 1t is time for people to consider
wherein an evil consists and apply remedy
hat will cure by the forms of law while they
Can. But the chances are that these very peo-
pie will cry oh, you are communist, you are
a nihilst, until the time comes when the COM
nunist and nihilist will have to be called in
We are simply the poor mans friend, not
revolutionist by coup de etats, or forced meas
ureS, but we would say to the people to-day
use the forms Of law while you can to engraIt
in all the constitutions of the country a meas
ure of the character Of the following.
Let taxation, national and state, be imposed
exclusively upon the wealth OF the country,
and ad justed as may be determined by con
gress and by the several states, every one for
itself. With this object the estate of every
person amenable to taxation shall be estimate
ed and the rate declared upon estates not ex-
ceedipg $4,000, and upon those in excess of
such sum higher rate upon such excess; the
ratio Of the rate increasing with the increase
in value. Provided, that upon estates of not
over $Ioo, 900 taxation shall not exceed -
per cent nor upon estate of not over $780,
900 - per cent, and that neither congre.
nor any state government shall impose tax
exceeding moety Of such rate. And pro-
vided that the adjustment Of taxation, as be-
tween the states and their incorporated towns
and cities, shall be regulated by the Legsla
lures thereof.
We have not space to pursue this subject
but it seems to that tnis is the spirit in which
present evils are to be met.
An interesting telephone experiment was