The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-28

mechanics house and lot, the merchants
goods, may be taxed all they will hear,
and we hear nothing about driving them
out; but propose to compel the hog with
money to bear his share of the public
burdens, and it will drive out capital.
A farmers land is taxed the same,
whether it is mortgaged or clear of in
cumbrance. The law requires that
money shall be taxed; but money can be
hidden, and land cannot. But let that
capitalist loan that farmer s., 900. at to
IL per cent interest, his money is in shape
where it is in sight. The land is still
there, and is taxed; but when it is pro-
posed to tax the $1,000. then the howl
comes that it will drive capital out Of
the state: it will compel the borrower to
pay higher interest; it is taxing the same
amount double. How is it? The land is
still taxed, the same as it was
before. and the farmer has to
pay it. What becomes of the
money! 1t is invested in a mortgage on
the land. and the farmer, BESIDES his
taxes, is paying say 10 per cent interest
on the money. II the money is in the
land, then the farmer is paying more
than double tax on it-he is paying on
the land, and three times as much more
on the money, in the way of interest.
No fear of running him out, but you
must not run capital out. by taxing 1t.
You will run him over into Missouri.
where he can still loan his money in
Kansas. without taxation. and not give
it liz for taxation in Missouri. Suppose
however, mot altogether supposition, for
it is going to be done this year, that the
assessors in Missouri, and Illinois. and
other states, should be put onto this
thing, and informed of the amouts citi-
zens of those states have invested in Kan
sas mortgages, upon which they are pay
ing no taxes, and should be assessed on
the amount at home. In that case,
where would capital be driven TOT We
have known men who changed their
residence every year, just before the as
SCISSOR came around, in order to avoid
taxes. This is driving capital to travel
Let us see about this capital business
In the eastern states, money brings
from 4 to 8 per cent interest. 1t may or
may not be taxed. Let us suppose that
the capitalists follow the usual plan of
perjury to avoid taxation, and do not
pay on their money. They bring their
money to Kansas and invest it, because
they get much better rates of interest,
averaging about 10 per cent. Taxes are
high in Kansas. Taking the counties,
one with another, the taxes for all pur-
poses will reach about 3 per cent. Tax
the money of these men in Kansas. and
it leaves them per cent clear, or from
1 to per cent more than they could
make on it in the east. But we must
not drive out capital. Wemust make all
our laws protect it, and not compel it to
pay single cent for that protection.
We guess capital could stand it, at that
rate. But if it is to have erything and
give nothing, the sooner it is driven out
the better.
If we do not want Alliances and an
archists, and all that sort of thing,
wouldn't it be advisable to give some
thing chance besides capital: When
the people get their heads set, they are
sometimes mighty stubborn: and in this
taxing business they are in the right.