Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-06-15

to hold In check and reduce TO a
minimum the saloon business. MANY
other instances might be cited, but
these will suffice for the purpose of this
article.
TEN of taxation, the taxing prerogative
will be utilized:
First-To force the sale of all lands
not actually occupied by their owners
to those who will SO occupy and utilize
them.
Second-To restrict and retard the
accumulation of vast fortunes by indi-
viduals, families and corporations
Third-To free productive, industrial
and distributive laborers from all taxa
ton except an equal per capita proper
tion in return for governmental protec-
ton of their personal, civil and religious
rights.
Fourth-To force the annual net &C.
cumulation of wealth or residual incre-
ment to pay the greater portion of gov
ernmen5al expenses
The first step would be to entirely
abolish the tariff and internal revenue
tax, relegating the levying and collec-
ton of taxes to the several states, to
whom the prerogative rightfully be-
longs The general government should
be supported by proportionate tribute
contributed by each state for that pur
pose.
Each state should levy per capita
or poll tax upon each and every indi-
vidual citizen, of the same uniform
amount per capita, to the end that each
individual citizen may pay an exactly
equal tax for the protection afforded to
the person by the state government.
The humblest and poorest citizen should
receive the same protection and pay as
much therefor as the richest and most
arrogant
Now as to the land tax.
A tax equal to the full rental valua-
ton, or economic rent, should be levied
upon land occupied for business pur
poses by others than those who own it
There should be levied cumulative
graduated tax upon all unused and un-
occupied lands. No other land should
be taxed. The graduated cumulative
tax is called graduated" because, com
mencing at basis rate upon a bash
valuation, it increases in rate per cent
as the property to be taxed increases IL
value. 1t is called Cumulative" be
cause, where an individual or corpora
ton owns more than one piece of lanf
in any taxing district, the rate of ia,
pertaining to the combined valuation
of all the tracts is levied upon eaci
separate tract. Taking the quantity O
land that might be considered the propel
amount for a home, the basis rate O
tax should be levied upon the valua
| tion of such quantity of land as indi
Gated. The effect upon holders of larg.
quantities of land for speculative pur
poses can easily be surmised. TIL,
rental value tax, as indicated, levies
upon lands occupied for business
| not for speculation. But the laws
| permit some men to take possession O.
these natural opportunities of labor anC
hold them out of use, while the natioI
swarms with idle men. 1t is this that
| in thousands of instances drives the
s. farmers sturdy boys into the cities tt
| compete with their fellows for jobs il
the factories; or forces them to beg of a
landlord the privilege of tilling his fields
as the despised peasants of France die
before the revolution.
| Landlordism is not only nn- American,
it is unnatural 1t sent Rome into hel
| grave-her statesmen, her philosophers
her poets, her learning and her wealth,
concentrated in the hands of a few,
| could not save her, after her farmers
had become tenants-"great estate.
ruined Italy"
Land monopoly, and land monopoly
alone, drives the poor of Europe across
the sea in the hope of finding in free
America, easy access to land" And the
aristocrat of Europe has come to oul
shores as well as the honest poor, anC
has laid his fatal hand upon American
soil to the extent of millions of acres
and is prepared, whenever the emer
| gency comes, to introduce the scenes o.
| Ireland. Landlordism, whether of for
eign or domestic origin, ''must go.''
The producing class of this great
country, rural and urban, must dwell
in homes of their own, and the strong
arm of this government must be made
powerful enough and long enough te
reach forth and collar every scoundre
who attempts to evict from that sacred
place the humblest family that lives
between the two oceans.-The Peoples
Voice.