People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-01-27
INDIVIDUAL INCOMES.


munication from Z. T. Snediker of
Hartford, Kan, which, though in the
main presents a good argument, con-
tains some statements that in our judy
ment weaken it materially Taking
the following as an example:
Blu the people believe in the sacred rights
OF property, and If q man has an income Of
A,lOJ,OOJ or SlO,OOO,OOO year, the result of his
own individual effort, it is his, and down deep
IN their hearts they would respect a man who
showed such marked ability.
Now, as matter of fact, no man ever
had an income of 81, 900, 900 or $40, OOO, :
600 a year or of $1,000, 900 or So 900. 900
in a lifetime, the result of his own in
dividual efforts unaided by special
privileges and determinations which
have given him advantages over his
fellow men. In what occupation did
any man ever earn such an income? It
is folly to talk about it. 1t was never
done and never can be where men en-
JOY equal privileges in the struggle of
life; and we do not believe that well in
formed people, as rule, will be found
to entertain any superior respect for
the class OF men who from dividends on
watered stock and gambling specu-
lations, either in money or the neces-
sites OF life, have become possessed of
the great incomes to which Mr. Snedi-
ker refers. While the fault is really
with the conditions which permit such
accumulations, yet these men are large
ly responsible for the conditions which
have all been secured through bribery
and corruption"
l work each and every week dav.
many nights and part of every Sunday,
but succeed in earning, or at least get
ting paid, less than 81 a day for thirty
day month And yet | am receiving
remuneration for my labor which is
three or four times the average wages
realized by the masses of laborers or
wage-earners. Now, if Adam had lived
until now and had received S. every day
since his creation until the present time,
spending nothing, he would have accu-
mulated less than 81, 100000.
Mr.. Snediker is a single taxer of the
strictest sect of individualism and be-
lieves that having given every man mot
free) access to land, the proper condi-
lions are hand to hand conflict with
"the survival of the fittest" as the ulti-
mate, the fight being waged under a
banner inscribed Every man for him
self and the devil take the hindmost."
The single tax theory offers labor no
boon, because it proposes to take as a
tax the exact amount of benefit derived
from access to land Untaxed use and
occupancy would give to all access to
land and charge nothing for the privi-
lege The one theory is individualistic,
the other socialistic, and between these
two schools of thought there is an ire
pressible conflict which will never
cease until the nations of the earth rec
Ognize and acknowledge "the father
hood of God and the brotherhood of
man"
My esteemed friend, Mr.. w. II. T.
Wakefield, editor of the Jeffersonian.
of Lawrence, Kan, in the course of
from his standpoint) an able article as
sailing the income tax theory, gives
expression to identically the same
thought as is expressed by Mr.. Snediker.
Speaking of the income tax, he says:
Tried by the first test, that of justice, it fails
in this, that it does not require contribution to
the use OF society in proportion to benefits con-
ferred by society. One NAV have an income
derived from exceptional talents, energy or
self denial by fortunate inventions, discoveries,
etc, or by skill as an organizer and director of
labor, yet receive little or nothing from society
government and cause 1t little or no expense
Another may have the same income drawn
from monopoly Of what really belongs TO the
people, as Of valuable lands or locations. use Of
mines, forests, franchises ETC., and may also
cause large expense to the government in pro-
teCting him in the enjoyment OF special priv
ileges.
Herein we have the same selfish in
dividualism advocated and the same
failure to recognize the truth that indi-
viduals are but members of an organic
body, the genus homo, otherwise known
as society, the community, government,
etc. II is to the whole of this organic
body and not to any few individual
members of such body that talents and
ability belong. 1t is for the human
race that energy should be expended
and to humanity should belong all new
discoveries of Gods old blessings as
well as all outward manifestations of
the manifold kinds of genius with
which the race has been endowed by its
Creator. Allincomes are paid in wealth
produced by labor, while all laborers
are entitled to the same remuneration
for their best efforts for the same length
of time. Broadly speaking, all are en-
titled to comfortable living and de-
cent burial, no more and certainly no
less, from the common fund produced
by the common labor of all
Allow me to reiterate: If actual use
and occupancy were made prereqr'
site to legal claim to land including
mines, forests, etc; if usury INTEREST,"
were destroyed by the Inauguration of
the sub-treasury plan and the national
ization of the banking system; if the
people themselves owned and operated
at cost all public utilities; if, in addi-
ton, laws were enacted and enforced
which would render it impossible to or
ganize and maintain trust; if all these
things were done an individual would
find it difficult to pile up a million dol
lars in the course of a lifetime. Then
if all revenues were raised by graded
tax upon net incomes above a certain
sum, say $1,000, and upon estates and