The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-07-10
MUNELIPAL TAXATION.
To the Ardmoreite.


establishment of corporation lines,
and the electing of able men to Oe-
cupy the various municipal Offices,
the great question agitating the
minds of many is: What shall be
the system of taxation to raise rev.
enue to support the municipal gov
ernmentf How shall there be
levied a taxa pecuniary burden
for the support of the corporation
that will meet with approval and
not commendationR The funda-
mental principle upon which our
republican form of government is
based is, the greatest good to the
greatest number. AS a matter Of
fact, the system of taxation is to
be devised by the city council, and
in the passage of any law by that
body providing for the assessment
and collection of taxes, the consent
of tax payer to abide by it. pro-
viding it is constitutional, in the
very nature of things is not nec-
essary to its endorsements; it oper-
ates ininvitum. But because the
power to tax rests upon necessity
in the exercising of the legitimate
functions of government, and is
unlimited except by constitutional
provisions, is no argument that a
great and burdensome tax should
be levied upon this people akThe
system which nearly attains per-
feet equality and uniformity is the
best.
Several thousand dollars is
necessarily needed to make the de-
sired improvements and to defray
the expenses of the administration
of the municipal government.
The placing of the streets of the
city in a better condition is OBJ
viously a necessity. and should
receive immediate consideration at
the hands of the authorities But
this improvement does not neces-
sarily demand a tax from the COM
mon whole, for it is a principle
of law that the city council may
direct that the whole or part of the
expense of a public improvement,
like that of laying out, grading OF
preparing a street, shall be paid
by the owners of the property
benefited.
The power to tax NAV touch
property in every shape; III its
natural condition, in its manu-
factured form, in its transmuta
tions. 1t may touch business in
any of it's infinite forms-in pro
fessions, commerce, manufacture
transportation. The amount o.
the tax levied is determined by the
value, use, capacity, productive
ness, etc. 1t is, therefore, sug
gested that, in order to raise suf
ficent revenue, licenses could b
levied upon the following, amonl
other things: Pawnbrokers, auc
tioneers, hawkers and peddlers
drays, hacks and omnibuses, doll
racks, tenpin alleys, shooting gal
leries, hearses, hop ale sellers
wagon and stock yards, stree
sprinklers, brokers, livery stables
cireuses or menageries. travelin
theatrical troupes, billiard un
pool tables, milk wagons, fOrtun
teIlers, horse traders. hueksters
: owners or keepers of dogs, and a
advalorem tax on property.
1t is to be hoped that throug
the wisdom and good managemer
e of the council the city govern
ment's initial year will be pr
pitious; that one and all will sui
NIT gracefully to the laws and.
the authorities; that we all have
common means to @ common enc
and, if thus, the recent electiC
day marked for Ardmore the dav
of a new and brilliant era.
SYLVESTER MULLEN.
Rullard's Snow I.inimant eHr