The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-04-26
rae PEOPLES PLATFoRM.

foruers Favor It--An Interesting let
ter from Gen. Percy Daniels in Sup
port Of &c
Special Correspondence Of The Progressive Far
mer.
CHAPTER IL.
As noted last week I now call atten-
ton TO the bill "a r 39OSl introduced
In Congress by Hon. Mr.. Ridgely Of
Kansas The general purpose OF this
bin mas received eminent endorsements;
amlng the most prominent is that OF
State legislature Of Kansas.
Very briefly stated, the bill provides:
''thas q graduated tax be levied
on all estates between n and two
million, q one per centum tax
between . and 5 million 5 per cent.
tax . . between 5 and 10 mil
lion 8 per cent. tax . . all above
10 million -16 per cent. tax, "
Section 6 That q United States as
SCISSOR snail be elected in every voting
precinct in every State by the people,
who shall have an open Office for two
months during the annual assessment
Of property; that every person shall
give into this assessor q complete list
OF all his property owned there or
elsewhere in the United States
at It's actual valuation, which
valuation shall be subject to
approval or amendment by the asses,
sor or by the boards of equalization
where the property ia located. The
complete assessment list of each dis
trict is Co handed over to the county
collector of State and county taxes,
which is to collect and pay the amount
over Co each State treasurer, Co be held
subject TO the order Of the United
States treasurer.
The aggregate amount of this tex is
to be divided among all the States to
each State one third of the aggregate
tax / n proportion TO its property valu-
alton; one third in proportion to its
population and one third In proportion
to area.
Each State shall expend this tax for
three purposes: First, for pensions to
soldiers of the last war; second, for in
ternai improvements, as canal, nava
gable streams, to make arst class
highways and public roads. Also, to
maintain the national guards. The la
borers or agents to be employed in any
State shall be citizens of that State.
The act also provides for q heavy
immigration tax. It also provides
that the assessors above named shall
each take the census of his district
under direction OF the census bureau
every ten years also when required to
do so Dy the Safe for State purposes.
Also, he shall keep a permanent list Of
the votes of his district to be used in
the State at all elections il directed.
It provides for an inheritance tax for
amounts over 800 600. Section 35
provides, THAT the property lists
made by the United States assessors
shall be used for all purposes of State
and local taxation, and the assessors
shall furnish complete copies of same
whenever required by State laws, and
NC hAAO NACECDg GC6SOn6O4C COH-
pensRtion for the work"
The measures for carrying this bill
into effect are exhaustive, full and
complete, the above being a very brief
summary of It's most important pro
visions.
I do not believe that there has been
within the last fifty years before Con
gress a more important bill nor one
which embodied so much for reaching
reform fraught with such great bene
fits to the industrial people as this bill
now with the Committee of Ways and
Means of the present Congress.
Ii enacted into law it will do more
for the peoples liberty and happiness
than the free silver bill, savings
bank bills and revenue bills, of the
last decade, all put together would do.
IT seems to me that every Sub ALI
anc and every industrial organiza-
ton should officially urge their Con-
gressmen to support that bill and that
everyone who fsvors the measure and
can spare a stamp should write his
MEMBER of Congress to support it.
Isay this because the bill embodies
the principle of graduated taxation
which is needed in the United States
TO check the enormous aggTegations of
wealth which enriches q few and i'm
poverishes so many, and because it
has beer formulated with great ability
and care and not because I endorse
of it. IL / could 1 would amend
it, and / believe the amendment will
yet be offered as a substitute for its
Arof a no oootions no FoIIo-e,