The San Francisco call., 1897-07-06

In other words, it is larceny under the law
The moral quality of the act does not de
p nd on its directness or its indirectness
The man is just as guilty Ii he does 1t IL
the dark as ii he does ii in the daylight; JUS
as guilty if he does it through the law or not
If make the laws in order that they may
profit this way, they differ from the highway
man only in that they lack his courage.
Here are two men who own property side by
side The Assessor comes around and assesses
one at $4,000 and the other al $1,000. The re-
suit is that The one who is assessed high will
pay more than the one who is assessed lower
and the latter has the instrumentality OF the
law to ala him in escaping paying less than
his neig htor.
put the Fourth OF July so as TO get the best re-
suits from il for the people. l think we can
use it to awaken the public conscience, sc
that it will brand man as criminal. @
thief, who fails in his duty to his Government
There can be no better use TO put this great
day to than educate public opinion that will
drive out of your city any and every man who
attempts to defraud his Government In the
non-payment OF his taxes. There is no city,
no county, in the country where there are not
men who are respected, who move in the
highest circles OF society, who are looked up
to, but robbing their neighbors by the
evasion of their proper share OF taxation or
their avoidance OF the law.
| wish to m en- tion one form of taxation now
before the American people because this form
OF taxation has been the object OF n class OF
men who have tried to shield themselves be-
hind a decision of the Supreme Court, and
who are the very men who would be the first
10 try to evade the law OF that or any other
court if il WAS against their wishes. / men,
ton the income tax.
favor the income tax. 1t is a just tax. No
man can denounce this tax without asser ting
that those who have wealth should not bear
their share of the expenses of the Govern
ment. TAe wealthy do lot bear their share of
the expenses OF the Government and no man
dare dispute the proposition. But for fear
% q FHnr I q no fru tn
argue against this will prove it.
How do we collect taxes? By intern al rev.
enue and import duties. The former is mostly
on liquor ana tobacco. Does any one claim
that his brings taxes in proportion TO the
property and income people have? No; men
pay taxes on what tobacco md liquor they
use, not in proportion 10 their income. The
maa with 81 900 600 does not pay In proper
ton to the man with 800, 900, nor does the
$1,000 man pay in proportion 10 the 600
man. So, as we collect taxes III this manner,
men do OF pay their share of the costs of the
safety, the benefits, the bless ings they enjoy
under this great Government.
How about import duties? People pay them
on what they eat and wear and use. man
with an income OF 800 600 doesn't eat 100
times MS much as the man with $1,000 income.
The man with the small income has the
greater appetite. ii there is any difference.
When you realize that the people with the
small incomes pay more than their share OF
the Government expenses and the men with
larger incomes pay less then you have an iGea
OF the great evil of to-day which coDfronts the
American people.
Instead OF being discouraged at the Supreme
Courts decision by bare majority, that the
income tax was unconstitutional, which on a
former occasion was declared constitutional, l
say am young enough to live to see the day
come when there will be an income tax in the
constitution of he United States. l say moth
ing against the man OF large income, but if he
enjoys it he must pay taxes upon it.
wish to call attention to another way in
oh tho niTlla If mi Nv
ernment to be good must work no injustice
between man and man. An idea is the most
important thing man can get into his head
An idea may rev0lutioniZe country. You ell
know last year how ideas have sundered fa m.
ilv and par ty ties and sent men out to put in to
effect ideas which had come 10 them. Some
times the only way you can get an idea into
men's heads is 10 get it there by surprise. We
get it there In many ways.
In Iowa l saw some hogs in field, and l had
an idea they were destroying much corn, and
it carried me back to boyhood days on farm
and how we used TO put rings in their noses.
1t was not to starve the hogs but we were
more anxious to get them fat than they were
10 fatten. 1t Was simply so that while getting
fat they wouldn't destroy more than they were
worth.
What is government but plan to put rings
in noses of hogs? We are all hoggish, all
selfish. Ii you deny it, I'll prove by your
nies 1t, PHI prove by you that he is selfish.
If say to you that man should not be
allowed to shoot another man you say, This
is all right. If l tell you q man should not use
his strength 10 infiict bodily injury upon a
man, you say that this fact is recognized.
This is not the only injury. It is more neces-
sary TO protect the weaker man from the fnan-
cially strong than the physically weak from
the physically strong. The difference between
the strongest and the weakest is not great, yet
you admit that the weak should be protected.
If it is necessary to protect a man from the
effects OF njuries at the hand of the strongest,
is 1t not more necessary to protect the weaker
from those one hundred times stronger judg-
ing from financial or commercial stand
point? The first man is restrained by the law
and the consciousness of responsibility to his
Maker. But the corporation has no life here
after.
don't want you to think that / would ask
you to do anything wrong against corpora
tions. Ionly say that corporations re created
by and subject 10 the laws. aud that the laws
are created by men. All / ask is that the
power which calls corporations into existence
should have The power to restrain that instru-
mentality. 1t Is ridiculous to say that the
people are unable to protect themselves when
the corporations turn against their creator.
There is just one feature of the corporation
which presents itself TO the American people
to-day 10 which call your attention. There
is one feature which can be denounced any
where without any fear of its being defended.
1t is not necessary 10 defend it. l mean the
trust. The only defense the trust has is the
secret defense which comes from the election
of men to Office to guard its interest.
Isay, my friends, that the people who are
endangerng the Nation are not the anarch-
lists. but those who are threatening the safety
OF the Government are the great men, the rich
men, the powerful men, who think themselves
so strong, so Tree from all interference that
they can corrupt our Government, buy up
legislatures, and with safety defy the TO-
100000 people OF this great Nation.
Let me suggest one thing 10 be considered:
Let US d mly resolve that in political life, that
In political tests, the men who bIibe voters
shall be branded as mean, as con te mpti bic,
and as dangerous to the public good, as the
man who Is bribed. Let us, also, resolve that
as far as we can bring IL about public opinion
will hold up man to merited shame who in
timidates voter as man who is too mean to
live in free government
II an employer has the right to the vote of
his employees, let us change our laws so that
the EMPLOYERS vote may be multiplied by the
votes OF the men he employs. The employer
has no right to the vote of the employe nor
has he any right 10 tell him how to cast it,
Pubic opinion is not severe enough on such
crimes. You ask me how it is that men VIII O
bribe voters, who intimidate their employees.
are respected, are church members. are allowed
in good society and are not In Jail IL is be-