The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-01-22

uct check productions Mould irult trees
be as plentiful II taxed as II not taxed
Every honest mind must Acknowledge that
taxing products checks production Aease
We can not but zee that che proposed
law fails 20 conform 70 the hrst canon
q win tho proposed tax be easily and
chsaply coliectsds VIII II TALL az directly
rs possible on the ultimate payers SO, as ia
take from the people as little as possible
In addition to the amount II yields 10 tbs
goyernmcntg Let us see. II merchant
be taxed on ''the amount Of his puf-
chasss'' will he not add the tax 10 tbs
other cost OF his goeds aud charge II
against his customer who thus becomes
the ultimate payer Of the taxg Are no,
all taxes on labor products thus shifted
70 the consumer N SO, DO they fall dircc-
~ 90 tho ultimate payer and take FROM
him as little as possible Ia addition 80
what the tax Yields 20 tho government
They do not fall directly: they do net
take ag little as possible from tho mitim0to
payer. On the contrary. while not inoreas-
inc the Yield 10 the government they do,
With every exchange from the arst payer
to tao ultimate one, increase Ia the amount
which this ultimate payer must pay. SO
all through tho list of personal PROPERTY
Any tax on such property becomes part
OF the cost to the consumer Tux she
money lender. the butcher. the manufac
turpf. the puDliN CARTIER. GU AuCAi VuNbffs
meats. wares or services. they add tho
amount to what they charge their customer
Jones. ana Jones he pays the freight"
Clearly the proposed law fails to conform
to the second canon
8. VIII II be certain, so ne TO give the
least opportunity for corruption on the
part Of officials and least temptation TO
law breaking on the part OF taSpsycys? On
the contrary. wealthy men will continue so
hide their conceaiable millions, while the
immovable and visible effects OF the OPP
pressed farmers and other poorer classes
will be taxed inevitably. The people have
only 20 examine the reports on taxation
issued by the State OF Illinois and by the
congress OF the United States 10 see tho
impossibiity OF taxing the personal. prop
erty of the rich and the poor with even
an approach towards Justice Thus we see
that the proposed law again fails to con-
form to the recognized "eanon." Ii Offers
70 tax kinds Of property that have always
been hidden By the rich and kinds OF prop
erty that can not be hidden by the poor aud
tho middle class. Again almost every tax
roll In the Union will furnish testimony
TO the same truth
A. Will It bear equally, so as to give no
citizen au advanrsse sn as to put no clti'
zen at disadvantage as compared with
others? Is the farmer who owns farm,
dwelling, barns, stables, orchards, fences.
cattle, horses, ETC., put at no disadvan-
tage as compared With the usurer the
owner OF money. notes, Jewels. stocks,
bonds, warehouse receipts, goods wares
merchandise The farmer asked what he
owned on January I, makes true answer
since his ueghbors know In great measure
what his holdings we're al that limo. Ask
wealthy men what they held on that date
and according TO hundreds Of pages OF de-
tailed and lndisputable facts In my pos-
session, issued and published by state
aud National authority they VIII render
and report only from Z TO IL per cent of the
truth! Hence again does the proposed law
fail to conform to ''oanou" OF taVationl
Il will violate the fourth ana last one,
Wherein lies the evil What is the rem
edy,
The evil in our present system Is the
taxing of personal property. So lous as
We take for public use what belongs only
10 him who produces Il. hat loug VIII III
justice prevail sud our people mourn he
ills that Governor SaSeIt deploret. To
remove these evils We must abandon the
system We must cease the vain effort
10 compel men to pay taxes accord NJ 20
their ability, and require them 10 pay
according to the benefits they resolve
from the government What arc thcss
benehta9 They are only such as mon dc
siNe from the occupancy ot land aud the
right to use land THIS IS the onlf ben
COT that 10 Justly tsNshle II all who
hold land were required to nay It's rental
into the public treasury syerv year, OK
Guiding Improvements. and n other sN
were required from any ole whatever
there would result the nearett pozs.ble
approach to absolute justice THIS ! as
sert because this system would re oEnts 2
and protect every mans rlght 10 the ol
Of his country The holderf Of The land
which Is the common property OF the
whole people. will pay the whole poole
a fair price for what they hold each one
paying only for what he bolls Th2
franchises and monopolies that create mil
iicnaires are based ~ a denial OF thi
right Of all to use the earth Tax land
values, tax them according 10 the beneats
their possession gives 70 the possess 81
then will the iuiquity milllouai@cisni
dissolve and like an unSubstan fal rssean,
faded leave not . wrack behind. III Is
principle OF taxing land values win enahle
society to reach the monopo.ies and tl'
holder Of franchises Ulder existing sys-
TENS this can NOT be done. The raiwas
under It's application win pay taxes in E
new way, just way 1t will be assessed
not on it's roadbed. rolling stock depots
and rails, but on It's Franchise which 1;
only a land value a rod OF lard IN the
sage brush OF Colorado Is as valuable &c
the railway as IS a rod in Now York City
The exclusive privilege which the railway
has to run it's trains any distance unhroton
by farms, public roads or any other landed
rights Is privilege Of enormous valne
To use this privilege the desert land u
as valuable and as Indispensable 70 the
railway as is the city lard worth millions
of dollars an acre Worthless for farm
ing, enormously valuable 70 the raj way
its rental value should be paid a1nualls
by tho tenant. the railway, 10 The oaij
rightful landlord. the whole people thi
government. even as the rental Of ali land
should be by those who hold IT,
In the last analysis the values OF AZ
such franchises are land values. Tel..
graphs, telephones light plants, ec. a1'
, worth millions. NOT because OF the COS
or value OF their material equipment. bn
because Of their exclusive privilege o
using unimproyed land, Their franehsa.
. are only rights over land To secure thes,
, special privileges and monopolics, ihey pas
I enormous hrihes 70 legislators aud alaet
men Tpon these franchises taeN issN'
: bonds and stocfs by millions On then
they now pay virtually no tax OF thi
truth ! challenge investigation, Ono suci
,,nrnnration has befn Known 10 eylen,