The Bossier banner., 1894-08-02
Knock the Top Of.
From Texas Farm and Ranch.l

luOlFluuaiS are SeueIally IoCoS uAAou
as the greatest danger which the
American people have to face. We
have already passed the point where
5per cent of the people possess more
of the wealth of the country than the
other IS per cent. We already see
less than one per cent of the people,
through the power their enormous
wealth confers, able to levy taxes of
millions of dollars upon the people,
to throttle commerce, wreck finances
and bankrupt the government when
ever they think it will subserve their
interests to do so. This fact accounts
fully for the alarming condition that
now exists in this country-for the
anomaly of more than a million of
able-bodied men idle, hungry and
boisterous, while food products were
never so cheap or abundant. There
should be no objection to a thrifty
man possessing all he can possibly
acquire by honest means; but no
reasonable man will contend that one
hundred millions, or half that amount
can be acquired in a lifetime by meth
DDS consistent with the rights of
others, or that the country would not
be better off if there were no multi
millionaires in existence, or that any
wan who controls hundred millions
is not more dangerous, if he sees fit
to exercise his power than all the an
archists that ever landed at Castle
Garden. Not that the possessor of
many millions is personally worse
than other and poorer men; it is the
inherent danger that accompanies the
power to corrupt the fountains of
law; to lay burdens upon the masses
to offer $4,000 for single Senate
rial vote; to maintain it's numerical
integrity, and to grow by the same
means that brought it into existence.
Whether it is better to leave this
great evil to do its worst, or to dis
please a few multi-millionaires by
methods that will insure the safety
of society, the liberty of individuals,
and place the public welfare above
the demands of greeda And yet, il
any suggestion of remedy be made,
its author is met with denunciation
by the obsequious servants of nam
mon, and the right of self-preserva-
ton practically denied to society
We believe that laws should be pass.
ed, and rigedly enforced, that would
effectually knock the tops off these
colossal individual holdings. An
income tax will not do it; even a
heroically graduated incomd tax will
not do it. It has been declared in
the United States Senate that the
benefciaries Of large incomes would
not hesitate to commit perjury rather
than pay this tax. A graduated prop
erty tax is the only remedy. 1t could
not be avaded, and would accomplish
the result with certainty. The pub
lie welfare is the only legitimate
object of legislation. Society has q
right to protect itself, any conceiva-
BILE statute or constitution to the con.
trary Notwithstanding. 1t is right
which no earthly tribunal can lawfully
take away or abridge. Society cannot
surrender it.; it is God-given and in
alienable. Would any person be
harmed by law which would render
itimpossible for him to acquire more
than, say s1O,OOO,OOO of the wealth
OF the countrye "But," say nam
mons subservient defenders. "you
would throttle enterprise" Precisely
whenever enterprise becomes dan.
gerous to society we would throttle
it as a viper. Society should protect
itself; it has an unquestionable right
to do so, even at the risk of displeas
ing every multi-millionaire in ex
istence.
| Thnvy Ia