The herald., 1897-07-06

Wnlcn lneSe Iundamental principles
can be applied. 1 am going to call
your attention to just few. There
is one subject which we always have
with us, no matter whether we con-
slider the county, the State or the ma
tlon; no matter what party for the
time being administers power, there is
one subject ever present-the subject
Of taxation and want for a moment
to apply this question or this principle
of equality before the law to that
great subject of taxation. Is there any
principle in taxation that will enable
US to determine what tax levy is just :?
say that there is. 1 point you to that
principle which l first suggested, that
all men are created equal. If that be
true, then, my friends. citizens who
enjoy the benefits of a government like
ours should contribute toward the sup
port OF that government in proportion
to the benefits which they receive.
[Applause.] Nobody will dispute the
proposition; nobody will say that taxes
should be collected per capita. Every
one recognizes that a man who is worth
million should pay more taxes than
a man who is worth a thousand. If
then, my friends, citizens should con-
tribute to the support of their govern
ment in proportion to the benefits re-
ce1ved, what is the effect of an unjust
tariff law? What is the effect of a law
which makes people contribute out
Oh proportion to the benefits received :?
AN APT ILLUSTRATION.
Let me illustrate: I have in contem-
plation two men; one pays $40 to sup
port his government when he ought
only to pay $5; another pays IS only
when he ought to pay $40. What
simpIS 1he result fbat Of such T.. system?
from one mans pocket to the he
other. That is all that unjust
taxation means. 1t means that a sum.
whether it be great or small, is taken
from the man who pays too much and
by government transferred to the
pockeb OF the man who pays too little.
In other words, it is larceny under the
form of law. [Applause.] The moral
quality of the act does not depend upon
It's d1rectneSs or indirectness If a man
IS robbed by another the man who robs
is morally as guilty if he does the rob-
perry IN the night as if he does it in
the day; morally as guilty if he does
it under cover as if he does it openly;
morally as guilty if he does it through
law as If he does it upon the public
highway [Great Applause.] If the
men who make the laws so make them
as to exempt themselves from taxation
and place the burdens of government
on the shoulders of others, they differ
from the highwayman in that they lack
MS courage, but in no other essential
particular. [Great applause1 Not only
can injustice be done in the making of
your tax law, but injustice can be
done in the enforcement of a law which
ltselr be good. Let me illustrate: Here
are Two men who own property side by
side; their property is equal in value.
Inc assessor comes along and assesses
one piece at two thousand dollars. and
the other at a thousand What does
that mean? Why, it means that the
man whose property is assessed too
high will pay more than his share and
the property assessed too low viii pay
less than its share. If the assessor
makes that distinction, shows that
partlality at the instigation of the man
VINO IS under-assessed. then the man
VINO, by persuasion or any other in
Huenoe, has his property under-as-
sessed, simply uses the Instrumental
ties OF government to secure a part of
MS nelghbor's property. [Applause.1
TO WHAT USE?
My friends, YOU ask me what use we
can put the Fourth of July to. 1 tell
you that there is no better use that
we can put this day to than to culti-
vate a public conscience that will
brand as transgressor any man who
attempts to shirk the duty that he
owes to his government. 1 know of no
better use to which we can put this
that will drive out of the city any man
who attempts to defraud his govern
ment in the payment of his taxes or in
the assessment of his taxes. Ny
friends, the illustration that 1 gave you
are not far fetched. 1 will venture there
Is not city of this size in the Union
where you cannot find disagreements in
the assessment; not to speak of disa-
greements in the laws themselves will
venture the assertion that there is not
county in this Union where you will
not find men respectable in society.
who are robbing their neighbors by in
territorial laws. [ADplause 1 am not
going to discuss the method of taxa
tion, but merely the principle that is
involved, and yet l am going to di-
gress from this proposition far enough
to mention one kind of taxation which
is under consideration before the
American people; and 1 am going to
speak of it because within the last
year that system of taxation has been
prosecuted by men who instead of
coming out and boldly declaring that
they want to live under our govern
ment and enjoy it's blessings, and vet
were unwilling to pay the taxes and
perform their duties-instead of doing
that, they have attempted to shield
themselves behind a criticism of the
Supreme Court, when they would have
no respect for the court if it ordered
them to pay their taxes and to do
their duty. [Applause.] I refer to the
income tax.
INCOME TAX APPROVED.
] am in favor of an income tax. T
believe that it is just tax. believe
that it is a tax that no man can de-
nounce without asserting that those
men who have wealth ought not to
bear their share of the expense of the
Federal government. The wealthy do
not bear their share of the expenses Of
the Federal government today, and no
man dare dispute the proposition But
unless some one should after i am gone
/ will spend moment in making the
subject so clear that if any one dis
pute it after l am gone you can an
sWer him in moment.
How do we collect our Federal taxes ?
BY internal revenue taxes and import
duties. Do internal revenue taxes
make people support the government
in proportion to their property, their
income or advantages they receive
from the government? Not at ali. The
internal revenue taxes are collected on
liquor and tobacco. People pay those
taxes in proportion to the liquor and
tobacco used, not in proportion to their
income. Does a man with an income
of million do more to support his
government through internal revenue
taxes than q man with an income Of
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