Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-27

injustice in taxation means? 1t is nothing
but an indirect form of larceny. Injustice
in taxation is nothing but an indirect form
of transferring one mans property to an
other mans pocket. Let me illustrate:
Suppose a man pays So taxes when he
ought to pay $40, and another man pays SO
when he ought to pay only S.. What is the
result? The result is simply that S is
transferred from one mans pocket to
another. That is the operation of law, and
! make that Illustration and you can apply
it. If, instead of paying twice what he
ought to pay. the man pays, one little
more and the other little less, the man is
| injured to that extent. All unjust taxation
is merely the taking of one mans money
and putting it into another mans pocket.
All unjust taxation simply means that the
government has taken certain man whom
it favors and for his benefit laid an un-
just burden upon man whom it dislikes.
That is all unjust taxation means, and
whether it occurs in your city, in your
county, in your state or your nation, the
result is the same. It is an unjust burden
on the man who Is overtaxed. Now, If you
believe that taxation ought TO be just, then,
as citizens, you must examine every propo-
sition which has for its object the collec-
ton of taxes, whether it be local or ma
tional, to see whether it is just in its opera
tion. Another thing: Suppose in the as
sessment of taxes you assess one mans
property low and another mans property
high. What is the result? 1t is merely in
justice in taxation. It is simply larceny un-
der the form of law and it violates the prin-
ciple which I first suggested. Take the
subject OF appropriation. You will find a
continual struggle between two classes of
citiZens-between the tax-eater and the tax
payer. The difference between them is the
tax-eater is always on hand and the tax
Ig
cult thing public officer has to do is to
stand as an impartial arbitrator between
ali the people who are not there and the
one man who is always there. (Applause)
And this is true whether you speak of the
appropriation in a, city, in a town, coun-
ty or a nation. 1t is an equal contest and
unless the men responsible for the law
making are at all times on the alert to see
that the people who can speak only at the
ballot box have their voices needed, and to
see that the man who favors an appropria-
ton does not do it merely because he gets
the advantage of spending the appropria-
ton. During my brief service in congress
found that wherever there was a man
who had the spending of the money he had
great ideas of the greatness of the Union.
He wanted everything done on magnifi-
cent scale, and he could tell you what
great advantage it was to the community
to have grand public buildings, great public
improvements to look at and to be educated
by, but that mans interest was in making
a profit out of the education proposed
Now, there is another subject, and
have to handle this subject with a great
deal of care, because if 1 were to express
myself in words too broad, you might be
able to guess my views upon the subject.
(Applause) want to address myself upon
this subject in language SO comprehensive
that the man who differs from me in the
application of the principle must agree
with me in the statement of the principle.
I have spoken of this principle which we
must apply to all legislation, and I have
spoken of it in its application for taxation
and whether for property or taxation, or
collection of taxation assessed upon prop
erty, or unless, with Justice and fairness,
it Is taken from the one and given to the
other. call your attention to the applica-
ton of the principle as applied to appropri-
ations. There is one other question to
which this must be applied. and by the
application of this principle, We must de-
termine; We must determine that question
when it is finally determined. I stated the
principle that there is only one way to de
termine what kind of monetary standard
Is best, and that is applying to it the prin-
ciple that all men are created equal and Sc
lecting that principle which treats most of
all the people with the greatest justice.
me, will be able to oppose the statement.
A man who says that in the settlement of
the money question, we should so settle
1t as to violate the laws of equality, would
not be able to defend his argument before
the community or the bar of his own judg-
ment. We differ simply in our efforts to
arrive at that system which brings justice
to most people of this country, and to the
people of the world. I may say that in
ascertaining what monetary system is best
there is but one test, and by that test we
must finally settle this question; and when
We try TO find what monetary system is the
most equitable and the most just, we must
test it by the purchasing power of the unit
which 1t gives to society to measure all
other things by. Now, in the end after
all the discussion, the people of this coun-
try will select that monetary system in the
long run-the people of the country will
select that monetary system which gives
the unit least changeable in its conduct
among the people. If should tell YOU
what system 1 thought would give that
You might believe me wrong. If you told
me what system you thought would give
the best dollar, the dollar most nearly hon.
est, might not agree with you, but when
tell you that the aim of both of US should
be to come to the nearest approach to alb
solute stability and absolute justice be.
tween man and man, you must agree with
me in the purpose, however you differ from
me in the means of arriving at it. And il
is only by taking the principle of an ac-.
cepted fact, and measuring all systems by
1t. that we can expect to arrive at a Just
or fair conclusion.
Now, realize that in all these applica-
tions of the principle we have one great
dithculty to meet, and that is the interest
which the individual has, and that interest
colors his judgment. If you tell me that
man will ever reach place where selfish
| ness is entirely eliminated, tell you that
L cannot agree with you. l believe that
selhshness is here to stay and that any
person who attempts to legislate and for
gets to make allowance for selfshness. is
going to make great mistake in IegisIa-
tion. Nor do 1 believe that seIfishness is
an entire disadvantage. Selfishness is but
the manifestation of the instinct of self
preservation. 1t is the manifestation of
the instinct to take care of yourself. and
we would not be worth much in this world
If we were without that instinct, because
body else, and somebody else was intrusted
with the duty of taking care of me. the
danger is that my extremity might come
when my guardian was not there: but If I
take care of myself and you take care of
yourself. our guardians are always pres
ent in the hour of danger. While selfish
ness is here, and while it will remain here
and while 1 rather think that the Creator
knew better than we when He put the self
ishneSS here, l say. while it will remain
here,yet the evidence of intelligence among
people is found in their willingness to put
limits to their own selfishness in order that
they may put limits to the seIfishness of
| others believe that the highest selfish
Il