St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-25
A STATE WITH NO TAXATION.

ilized people can exist without taxation
being imposed upon property looks like
crankish conceit. Money must be lad
from some source TO keep the machinery
of the political system of society in mo-
ton, and there is no known way of
obtaining this needful element except
to extract it directly or by circuitous
methods from the pockets of individ-
GalS. The most that can be done in the
way of relief or evasion is TO cOntine
the extracting processes TO the pockets
ot those best able TO bear it, or gather
the money in way not of the present
stand and deliver ORDER" but SO that
the victim will not know that he is be-
ing hurt. In view of the expected
early formation of state constitution
IN Dakota, new departure of
very radical character is being
urged 10y some of the progressive pub
lleistS and newspapers. The gist of the
scheme is TO exempt the producer from
TINS burden and place it upon traffic and
the non-prOducer. The Fargo Argus
proposes to tax all lands subject to tax
alton the uniform rate of 10 cents an
acre-Sl6 per quarter section-but remit
one-half of this when there are improve
mentS to the value of $1,000. This re-
verses the practice of all times past, in
diminishing taxation as the value OF the
property is increased by improvements.
1t IS estimated that this will yield reve-
nue. sufficient for the general or state
government, and to provide for school,
county and municipal needs. 1t is pro-
posed to tax railroads and impose Ii
censeS- The school lands. properly man.
aged, will contribute very largely to the
support of the educational interests, and
the rest is to be gathered from licenses
upon all kinds Of business, traffic
and professional pursuits. Others in
sist that there should be no tax whatever
upon land in cultivation-that this dis
elimination should be made as bounty
TO encourage production and improve
ment.. The bulk of the revenue would
of course be derived from the railroads.
The ease IS cited of the Illinois Central
railroad, the gross earnings tax of which
furnishes one-third of the means needed
for the expenses of the state, and the
similar tax in Dakota, which realizes a
robust sum to the public treasury. The
details of the new system are not all
formulated, but there seems no doubt
that it will be quite feasible for the
coming state of Dakota to devise
eXpedients to procure all the finan-
cial lubricant essential without tax
ing land OF realty, or loading
any lines Of commercial or bust
hos ixvit yxyit
What a magnificent advertisement it
will be for the new state if the an
nouncement can be sent over the coun-
try and foreign lands that the cOnstitu-
ton prohibits the taxation of property
that here the poor man can come and
secure good farm, build him a home
and make the waste places gardens of
delight. and no OdiOuS taX-gatherer can
ever cross his Threshold, and the CAPT.
talist can send his money to build towns
and develop the country, with no pen
altieS IN he way of taxation. No COM
munity on the continent can better
afford than Dakota to experiment in
this direction. 1t has the traffic. bust
ness. railroads, school lands and all the
other varied resources that can
be made to bear the burdens of
taxation. Its people are unsur-
passed in any land upon which the
sun shines for pluck and enterprise.
1t would be splendid stroke of policy
for it to launch out in this new direc-
ton and abandon the moss-grown
financial methods. CruditieS and in
equaliles would at first, of course, be
found mixed up with it, but these would
be eliminated by experience. The big
thing would be the advertisement it
would give the state. The Chicago
Tribune, in discussing this subject,
says:
Should a new state adopt a constitution
prohibiting the taxation of property. it
would soon become the richest portion of
the Union. The tax burdened citizens of every
state and territory would flock to it. Before
ten years had passed every state would see
me necessity OF abolishing taxes on property
Let some territory try the experiment