Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-25

to buy the legislature OF such state and
still live as prince. How then shall we
prevent holding in mass IN vast tracts
and the accumulation of still greater
tracts in future, and secure homes for
the people is question of the greatest
magnitude.
A bold and radical measure IL pro-
posed by Henry George and his single tax
followers, but this is attended with the
obJectional quality of con1scation, of all
lands, leaving only the Improvements to
the owner. 1t oonfiscates the poor man g
rocky patch as well as the millionaire's
boundless domain, and exempts from
taxation all other property, including
banks, railroads, money-lenders, how
ever able to pay and however lily gotten.
North Dakota has made an attempt in
the right direction which does not value
any improvements on agricultural land,
which leaves wild land held for specula-
ton to be taxed as high as cultivated
lands. This, with the well-known in
clination to pile up taxes in all Western
states, will make IL uncomfortable for
the speoulator, but not entirely reach his
case.
Texas has just the opposite policy of
selling her lands with one fortieth only
paid, and then permitting the Western
assessor to value it at So and upwards,
thus assessing the holder at forty times
what he is worth, and permits the pluto
Gratis who own vast tracts in the unor-
ganized counties to render patented lands
at 81 per acre. while the actual settler
who owns only one fortieth of 1t Is
assessed at So and upwards. This is q
shameful step in favor of the plutocrats.
Where were our Western Representatives
when this was being done, and where are
they now that they don t repeal it?
To cause a speedy and permanent
dividing up of the immense tracts, it is
herein proposed TO levy graded tax in
creasing in rate as the size of the tract
ascends, reaching go high as to prevent
the holding of lands in great tracts.
Beginning with q small homestead ex-
empt and moderate one at a reasonable
tax and rising rapidly.
This is in the nature of an income tax
but accompanies two other objects, the
breaking up of the landed dukedoms and
encouraging the oquisition of a home
stead by the people. The vote to be ex-
empt and the vote of ascent are ques-
lions to be determined by the state &C.
cording to its peculiar situation.
Without insisting on this exact amount,
propose that homestead of $1,000 in a
city or county be exempt from taxes,
and one of $4,000 be moderately taxed.
and one with $4,000 fully taxed, and that
each additional $1,000 in value have 25
per cent. or more additional tax, until it
shall be SO high that it cannot be held for
speculation in larger tracts.
Around all the cities, all the suburbs
are held in great tracts by wealthy COM
no q a IN
obtain a lot than the house costs,
and that still outside of
the city. With such a law as
this these OWNERS would hunt out the
homeless people and sell lots on long
time and easy terms, and would cease to
hold lands on speculation. The big
tracts in the country would be sold on
long time and at low figures to actual
settlers and no one would hereafter seek
investment in wild lands as a specula-
ton. The exemption might be in acres
instead of value. This plan may be met
with the objection of being unequal.
Doubtless equality is the true theory for
taxation and should not be departed
from except from imperative public
necessity of which the subject under con-
Is one.
Taxes ara meyer equal only in theory.
Judge Cooley, quoting from Pennsyl-
vauia case, page 1853. says: 'Perfectly
equal taxation, it has been said, will
remain an unattainable good as long as
laws and government of men are imper-
feet. - The state in its sphere and
the Federal government in its sphere
are absolute sovereigns as to taxation.
They are not limited IN their spheres to
amount or money. except as they limit
themselves. Nor is any state bound to
assess its taxes upon equal valuation,
only so far as it has limited itself IN it's
Texas and q majority of |
the states require by constitution that |
taxes shall be equal. When this is-the |
case constitutional amendment |
is necessary; where there is no |
provision only a simple |
act of the legislature is all that is re- |
qured to put to work this effectual plan |
to compel sale of all the great tracLs in |
the country. There is no provision of |
the Federal constitution requiring a |
state to tax its property according to |
value. The Federal government and |
many of the states and our mother |
make DO effort or pretense to
equality of taxation. And we have seen
that taxation Is equal only in theory in
Texas.
A state is compelled by no law, no
precedent and no moral obligation to
make her taxes equal IN all cases. All
that is necessary is to elect members to
the legislature pledged to submit an
to the people of the constitu-
ton when restrictions, as in Texas, are
IN the instrument, and In other
states simply pass an act 30
evying the taxes and the great
work will be done, and almost any home
ess man will seek to obtain home and
and be able to obtain it. The grand
iukedoms will fade away and We again
Will become as in ante-bellum times a
nation of homestead landlords. And the
pertain doom that awaits US, IL we pro-
iced as we are, of becoming q nation of
erfs and tenants will be averted and the
lation set out again in the old time road
If more prosperity for the people and
ess dominion for the plutoorsts.
The need Of such law has not as yet
been seriously felt, because our onoe
public domain was still open to
'eceive the enormous increase in our pop
ilRtion and the great foods Of foreign
immigrants. But now, when that is
gone, what shall we
10 with people that have
Uniformly and unvaryingly doubled
A..