Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-04
PERCY DANIELS INTERESTING ALL
THE KANSAS LEADERS.
TAX ON WEALTH PROPOSED.
WOULD SOON DEPLETE THE GREAT
FORTUNES OF THE COUNTRY.
Wealth Exceeding S10,OOO,OOO to Be
Taxed is Per Cent n Year-Plnn
Is 10 Secure an Amendment
to the United States
Constitution.

Toneka. Tas.. Aprfl 3.-(Special) Ex-
Lieutenant Governor Percy Daniels has
succeeded in interesting all of the leading
Popocratic statesmen of Kansas in an or
Ganization. the object of which Is TO op-
crate Il bureau of information concerning
his scheme TO tax inordinate wealth and
ultimately o secure an amendment to the
federal constitution giving congress the
power to levy such Il tax The names OF
those who belong 10 the association, to-
gether with their official titles, as printed
in the prospectus follow:
Percy Daniels. eX-lieutenant governor.
Frank Doster, chief justice supreme
court.
S. H. Allen, associate justice supreme
court.
David Overmyer. Democratic leader.
w. IL. Morris. state auditor.
G. &. Clemens, supreme court reporter.
J. ". Leedy. governor.
William Stryker, superintendent public
instruction.
a. NJ. Harvey, lieutenant governor.
ii. 5. Lands, warden of penitentiary.
James Shearer, eX-state senator
John ii. Mahan, district judge
w. NJ. Campbell, railroad commissioner.
John Martin, ex-United States senator.
J.. {. Boyle. attorney general.
ID. III. Hefiiebower, state treasurer.
l.. S. Waterbury, ex-county attorney.
w. T. Bush, secretary of state
W. p. billiard, railroad commissioner.
j. ID. Botkin, congressman-elect.
W. ID. Vincent, congressman-elect-
Jerry Simpson congressmaD-elect.
w. A. PETER, ex-United States senator.
The organization is now working on a
r1an to arouse public interest all over the
country on this subject. The Kansas legis-
lature took up the question at its recent
session and adopted a resolution asking
congress TO submit a proposition to amend
the federal constitution providing for a tax
on inordinate wealth 10 vote of the peo-
pie. The legislatures of all other states
will be asked TO adopt similar resolutions.
The promoters of the idea do not expect TO
accomplish the object sought Immediately,
but believe that by proper management the
people might get a chance at such a prop
osition in 1906.
The correspondence throughout various
sections OF the country is already coming
TO be enormous. Interest is being manifest
ed in the Eastern states. but the advocates
back there say that no relief can be ex-
pected from that quarter. Associate Jus
tice Allen, of the state supreme court,
wrote TO Walter Rose, of Fitchburg, Mass,
asking him TO take the matter up there
ed by the kansas legislature through the
Massachusetts legislature. To-day he re-
eeived reply from Rose in which, he said,
II am strongly inclined to look for the
political salvation of this country in the
West. East of the Alleghenies the love of
liberty seems TO be decidedly on the wane.
The worship of wealth has taken its place.
The courts. as well as the legislatures, are
on the side of wealth. Jury yerdicts are
set aside In a manner that Is scandaIous.
will endeavor TO get the matter before our
legislature, but do not believe we can ac-
complish anything here.
The Organization now has In print a for
ty-six page pamphlet explaining the inor-
dinate wealth tax theory.
Under the sub-head, Let Mammon Pay
the Bill" is a statement showing how the
graduated tax would work on multi-TnilI-
ionaires II follows:
1T would take an immense fund to en-
ploy all idle labor and furnish the appIi-
ances for their work, but the legislative
resolutions provide for that feature in sup
porting a project for a graduated tax Ias
recommended by Thomas JeffersonD, on the
property of all millionairas. The proposed
rates begin at i per cent at SlGD0.01. and
increase 10 lS per cent on fortunes exceed
ing Sl009.Ooo.
There are five persons who own l per
cent of the whole value of the nation. The
three richest of these have about $Jl5. .000. 900.
with an annual income exceeding 81, 0.U00
tsOme estimates say nearly S50.0y0.0O0D. This
is $4,000 day for 80 working days. The
following table shows how much tax mil
IonaIres would pay: