The age-herald., 1901-07-04
HUN, NM, |. WARD
 ON POWER ID TAX The Veteran Lawyer and the Constitutional Convention ALL TAXATION IS 0Dl0US This Honored Citizen Declares People Hate TaxatIon-All People of the
 State Should Be Taught To
 Read and Write.
ALL TAXATION IS ODlOUS

Hon. W. c. Ward, the veteran lawyer and Alabama statesman, was asked yes- terday for his views on taxation.
 Today, by the way, was the thirty eighth anniversary of the desperate and almost fatal wounding of Captain Ward, while as a Confederate officer he was fighting in the battle of Gettysburg.
 In reference to taxation Captain Ward said:
 Replying to the question, Are you in favor of the proposed reduction in the tax limit by the Constitutional Conven- tion from 75 cents to 65 cents I answer only the reduction is applicable only to property, and leaves future legislatures to tax without limit all other subjects of taxation; at liberty to impose double tax ation, when the subject is the outgrowth of property. The capital of bank in the course of its business has become invested in real estate. The Legislature has the power to tax the real estate of the bank and also the capital stock sand has done it, though the capital stock has been merged into real estate A merchant pays
 
 trade and then pays a privilege license graded according to the amount of his stock, and then may be taxed on the gross amount of his sales without any refer ence to the tax limit. The decisions of our courts on this subject indicate a de- cided inclination against the tax payer and in favor of the power to tax. All tav regulation ought to be according to value.
 "An 'office-holdipg oligarchy,' composed in a large degree of persons without vis- ible property, favor large and burdensome taxes; favor increased salaries, and in creasing them after they have been in ducted into office Even with reduced taxation provision ought to be made for the liquidation of the State debt already too large. The young men who have been in the saddle for the last twenty-five years have never thought of a pay day. Such also is the case with all city governments. As long as they can borrow money by the sale of bonds they will never pay; they do not want to pay; they do not ex- pect to pay. The State not only ought to TX iiIIllt III the Legislature as 10 all things taxable, but to enforce a strict limit on municipalities and require their obligations to be paid and hold them up to a just taxation. The State ought to enact the tax laws for the municipal gov ernments and take from them all power to assess and collect taxes.
 All taxes Is odious. The people hate taxation. It Is the exercise of tyranical power and beyond the necessities of an economical administration, all taxation is oppressive. It is to the interest of the general public and promotive of the high est good that all the people of the State be taught to read and write. He who knows how to read has the key with which to unlock the secrets of nature. Education beyond this at public expense is oppressive. It takes from the unwilling tax payer and bestows his goods upon the thriftless.
 'Let the Convention remember that all taxation involves an element of wrong, and not to leave 1t to the Legislature to infiict the wrong"