Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-05-18
COUNTY TAY-fTTONs
A POpmiist Correspondent En-
presses Some UhOteso'te
Ideas Oa Salaries, Etc,
CLEARWATER. Nav 4. 1894

nearing Wnch inc i'oilticdI lp"C'S
that be will return TO the people,
and looking oyer the FREE PhEss
at the long list Of county warrants
allowed by the county dads : re-
minds one Of tax-paying time If
the county dads could fully re-
alize the many tables that were
set last winter without sugar and
the many little ones that went
without shoes and warm clothing,
that the heads Of the families
might keep off the delinquent tax
list, they would not be so XtraVa-
CANT with such dearly bought
money. AS the time approaches
it is the duty of all reform people
of this county to crystalizc their
ideas on two subjects, Of how
government can be had with less
expense and an equal distribution
of the burdens Of taNation. i or a
tax is just that which the state
asks of us for its support, and any
more than that is robbery of the
citizens by the state or by thos E en-
trusted with the powers of the
state. OF course legislatures must
be supported where the will of the
people can be heard courts W here
differences may be adjusted on
some other basis than individual
might; administrative officers;
highways for the convenience of
all; and schools for the education
of our children. But where the
salaries of those intrusted with
power to carry out the functions of
the state are so much above the
power of the ordinary citizen to
earn (Which is now the case, then
government becomes 70 some peo-
pie a money-making institution
and run largely to the interest of
those that strive to keep such an
inequality between the governed
and the governing Gas in the ease
of the lawyer getting $500 for his
little service in u case which was
caused by man that was intrust-
ed by the people to 90 their will
and to carry out the functions Of
state). Such things must be re-
membered by the voting and lax
paying people of this state if they
ever expect the situation of affairs
to be any different. No sane man
will deny for one minute that the
offices of the state and county CAN
not be filled with better brains at
q less cost outside of political par
ties and political prejudiccs. The
question arises: what is a fair dis
tribution of the burdens of AKA
ton? If the people were circllm-
stanced alike, then justice would
be that all pay alike. Bat how if
they are unequally circumstanccd,
would justice then consist in THEN
paying alike? We say a poor n nan
cannot afford to pay as much as
one more well to do, nor it is not
justice to ask it of him. Ten dol
lars for the man worth $500 is
much harder for him TO raise than
5000 for the man worth $4,000,
though the per cent is the same.
John S. Mill says equality of fix.
alton, interpreted in its only just
sense, means equality of sacrilid e.'
In the delinquent list for 1898 20
per cent Of the delinquents were
assessed under the value of $500,
showing it was more of sacrifice
for the poor man than those more
well-to-do. A minimum of $500
should be exempt from taxation
simply because it is not able TO
contribute. In civilized comnu-
nifty it is supposed that none will
perish for want of the necessalies
of life. SO what the state takes
away with its right hand it may
have to return in the way of relief
with its left. But up will Jump
the office-hunter and say: The
expenses of the state cannot be
met and make that exemption
without increasing the rate ON
property above that. Ggeat cor
porations reserve the right to le-
duce the salaries of their employees
and it is only justice for the state
to do the same thing. So we SAY
to those gentlemen: I'VE will re-
duce your salaries until the state
can make that exemption; and
maybe you won't pack conventions
a year ahead to secure your nomi-
nation, and resort to chicanerv
and all manner of lying the day
before election to get into Office. +"
Notes, mortgages and all evidences
of indebtedness should be heavily
taxed. Certainly it is a good
thing for people to store ava Y
wealth for future calamity, and
should not be discountenanced lly
law, but notes and mortgages are
not wealth, only the power to draw
on wealth without the responsible
ity of creation and loss of it. Yes |"
but says the interest taker (tlle
creditorl 1--WE will shift the burden
of taxation on the debtors md
they will have to pay it in tile
end" If going in debt proves rrL-
inous TO the debtor class every 10
or 10 years, then it il NO more
than right for the lazy to discour-
age such inequality between indi-
yiduals by heavy taxation, and at