The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-23
DUTY OF RICH PEOPLE.



sessed at 81 200 or less than l per cent. of
his personal property; while a poor woman,
Mrs. Mcclure. isNassessed on her real estate
at % per cent. of its value. The question
naturally arises. How long will there be
any respect for government or law ii these
things are allowed to continue2l In con-
clusion he says: "A great awakening all
over the country is needed and that speed
ily, in order that the people may appreciate
the enormity and injustice OF existing
methods of State and local taxation. and
may be impelled to effect changes that snail
make OF the State an Instrument OF right
eousness rather than what i is now IN TINS
matter of taxation-a conniver at fraud ana
creator of inequality.
WHY 1T HAS GROWN.
tt is easy to see how this offense against
morality and patriotism has grown TO such
proportions. The very sense that inequality
is injustice has promoted it. One man sees
that his neighbor is not making L con-
scientious tax return and that if he re-
turns his property honestly he will pay
dsproportionately. The result is that his
conscience finds a salve in the saying
Everybody does it," 1t is probably also
true that under the tax laws of many of
our States double taxation results and tax
payers take it upon themselves to remedy
this defect in the law, not by the methods
prescribed by the Constitution. but by
leaving off from their tax returns such
stocks and securities as they suppose to
be taxed in other States.
lack of uniformity in our state laws I'M
doubleday result in some injustice and in
EQUALITY but the conscientious 9Is,, lou; taxpayer
of the State responds to his call to pro-
tect his property from lawlessness, but the
appeal OF the lawbreaker to be delivered
from the lawbreaker is not so strong as
that OF the law-abiding citizen. Wealth
evokcs jealousy, and the strong arm of the
law II often invoked te to p pc,s Il iron
pay its fair proportion of the cost of maxi
ing this defense-or the vigor of the de-
our oath Of fealty includes all the laws,
the small as well as the great, the incon-
venient as we'll as the convenient. The
compact to obey the laws is the basis of
our civil system. the only guaranty of So
cial order, and the test of good citizenship.
Taxes are a debt of the highest obliga-
ton, and no caSu1St can draw sound
moral distinction between the man who
hides his property or makes a false return
in order TO escape the payment of his debt
to the State. and the man who conceals
his property from his private creditors. Nor
should IL be more difficult to follow the
defaulter in the one case than in the other.
If our taxes were farmed out TO an 1ndl-
vidual or to a corporation they would be
collected, There would be vigiant and
unrelentiDg pursuit. The civil and GRIM
inal processes of the law would be in
voked with effect. just as they were
against fraudulent debtors under the bank
rupt law. Is it not possible to secure public
officers who will show the same activity?
When to this enormous and crying evil
IS duded the corruption Wnlcn IL Is alleS6u
characterizes the appraisement in some of
condition of things with which we
dare not palter. We must inaugu-
rate. and at once, a system that
shall .equalze tax burdens. The men of
wealth in our great communities should
lead the movement. This great club, organ
ICED as rallying center for loyalty and
patriotic citizenship. should hear call
loud and imperative as that which came
to its members during the years of the
civil war Mr. Lncon'S startling declara-
ton that this country could not continue
to exist half slave and half free may be
paraphrased to-day by saying that this
country cannot continue to exist half taxed
and half free.
This sense of inequality breeds a fierce
and unreasOning anger-createS classes, in
tensihes social differences and tends to
make men willing to pay their debts in half
dollars. The just sacredness of these money
obligations, the right of the holders to be
to these angry men If they see that these
securities are paying their lawful taxes.
A DANGEROUS CONDITION.
If there is not enough public virtue left
in our communities to make tax frauds
discredtable; ii there is not viriIity enough
left in our laws and in the administration
of justice in our courts to bring to punish
ment those who defraud the state and their
neighbors. is there not danger that crimes
of violence will make insecure the fortunes
that have refused TO contribute ratabiy
to the cost of maintaining social order? If