The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-11-06

taxation in any form does regulate
The first is that class method of doing
which consists in exacting high rates
of interest for money; in fixing mo-
nopoly charges for rent; in compelling
you to pay combination prices for what
you buy and to take such prices as the
spectators choose to allow you for what
you sell; in forcing you to accept lock-
out rates of wages-in short. which
consists of the extortions practiced by
the classes upon the masses. This is q
system of regulation, the whole ten
dency of which is unduly to depress
the common interests and elevate the
class interests, and which will regulate
the entire possessions of the masses
into the hands of the classes unless
something is soon done to prevent it
It is taxation, for though imposed BY
the classes instead of by law and slight
~ varying from the legal method, it
directly affects expenses and profits,
and is, therefore, a conspicuous illus
tration that taxation, no difference
how laid. does regulate.
The next instance is the present
common or state method of taxing the
people. What is it? 1t is the method
OF taxing the middle class at a much
higher rate per cent than the rich,
through allowing the rich to be ex-
empted from or to dodge large
part of their share. AS it must be ad-
mitted without argument that this
practice serves to unnaturally depress
the industries belonging to the COM
mon people and to unnaturally accele-
rate those belonging to the classes, and
to intensity the tendency of the class
method above described, it is another
most positive example of the theory
that taxation does regulate.
As this article is already becoming
too long, 1 will cut it short by stating
a few facts which will, in view of
what has been said in the foregoing,
undoubtedly be Immediately under
stood:
l. Taxation does act as a regulator of
the course and relative progress of in
dustries.
2. The classes are rapidly transferring
the business and wealth of the nation
into the possession of themselves by
a system of taxation peculiarly their
own.
8. The present state method of taxa
ton serves only to add to the advant-
age of the classes.
The conclusions to be derived from
the statements in the foregoing may be
summed up as follows:
1. Public or state taxation is unavoid-
able.
2. Such taxation does regulate. ire
spective of whether it is designed to or
not.
8. Class methods of taxation exist.
the tendencies of which are to regulate
or convert the industries of the people
from those of competitive and medium
sized establishments controlled by the
many to those of consolidated and
enormous sized establishments con-
trolled by the few.
4 The public method regulates in the
interest of the class methods.
From these conclusions we derive an
other set, which are as follows:
l. The class methods should be abol-
ished.
2. The public method should be re-
formed
This brings us to the immediate con-
sideration of the subject which forms
the caption of this article. What is the
tax solution? It is such a modific alton
of the present public taxing method as
will cause it, without being affected in
other respects except for the better, to
be not only non-facilitator of any of
the class methods, but positive pre-
ventive of large portion of such
class methods.
Before offering this system let me
state specifically what these class
methods are, then I can better point
out what we do and what we do not
expect to remedy by the system. They
are as follows:
1. The contraction of the currencv
and the exaction of exhorbitant rates
of interest.
2. The monopolization of the land
and the charging of exhorbitant rates
of rent.
8. The consolidation of business and
manufacturing enterprises and the fix
ing of prices in their, the classes,
interests
4. The public tax favoritism of them
selves through getting legal exemptions
and practicing assessment undervalua-
tions.
Here are four class methods, three of
which we expect to remedy by the pro-
posed reform in our system of taxation.
Those which we expect to remedy are
the last three, the first being remedied
only by taking the power to issue the
circulation away from the banks and
resting it singly and purely in the gov
ernment We will remedy the fourth
abuse by adopting the proposed public
system in lieu of the present public
system and properly enforcing it, while
we will make use of it as regulator
to remedy the second and third abuses.
Herewith is plan of the proposed
taxation which shall follow with an
explanation of how it is to be applied
in order to be a remedy for the abuses
subject to its operations:
TABLE OF CUMULATIVE TAXATION.
COPIED from an article by Charles NJ
Howell. in the Chicago Daily News
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