Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-07-11
cRADD0cK ON TAXATION.
SHOWS WHO BEARS THE BURDEN
OF STATE TAXES.
Offers Practical Remedy. Without Injury
to Any Honest. Fair Minded Citizen.

You are commanded to Glove
your neighbor as yourself - l
come to you as your neighbor to
talk on matters of personal in
terest to ourselves and families,
and if you believe / tell the truth
then help me to help you to put
money in your pockets, by vot-
ing the fusion ticket next Novem-
ber. Elect this ticket, and will
pledge to you that where you
now pay 500 tax you shall only
pay $50; that where you now
pay $40 tax you shall only pay
$5. TO bring this aboutyou are
not asked to do any individual,
corporation Or institution any
injustice. All we ask you to do
is to make those amongst us do
their duty wherever they have
failed to do so. We all agree that
law is made to define and enforce
duty, and names penalties for it's
infraction. We all agree that
statecraft is only a plan to pro-
tect the individual or aggrega-
ton of individuals; and if an ag-
gregation of individuals, under
the name of a corporation, shirk
or refuse to do it's duty in bear
ing it's just part OF the burden OF
citizenship, or tramples on the
rights of other citizens, tn e
transgressor should be disciplin-
sed, and if he then refuses to do
his duty, wipe him from the
earth as an enemy to society. Ii
eallowed to exist and continue his
wrong-doing, other creatures
with wrong In their hearts, seeing
the success Of one, would multi
ply in geometrical progression
and soon destroy the nation on
which they feed.
The rapid growth of our coun-
try and state has required large
sums of money to be expended
at one time, in building steam
and streetrailways, stock yards,
'telegraphs, gas and water works,
and other public necessities,
which are generally known as
public utilities, because used by
the entire people when needed by
them. To construct these pub
lie utilities, the law requires that
the state or city officers grant
permission to the mOneyed men
seeking to build the utility
wanted, and this permission is
usually called franchise; and
the group of moneyed men to
whom the franchise is given are
also given a name by the state.
This general name we know of
as a corporation. This corpora
ton, in contemplation OF the
tax laws, is an Individual, just
as Brown, Smith, or Jones, and
are as amenable to the law, when
the law is enforced. It's one OBJ
iect in life is the business end to
be attained, and the money
profit resulting from the busi-
ness they are merciless in prose
cutting. If state or city officials
are in their way every influence
known to the ingenuity of man
is brought to bear on the official
who, if weak, adds one more to
the list of unfortunates, and
wrong again triumphs. Ii the
official is honest and courageous
the corporation bows to the in !,
evitable and the people get their
dues. The one crying need OF all
the cities, counties, and states i'll
this nation is not democrats,
nor republicans, nor politicians,
but honest and brave men; men
who will do right for the sake of
right. The corporations have
no politics. Their agents are
democrats in Missouri and re-
publicans in Kansas. If they
did their duty it would be a
matter of Indifference to them
who held the Offices, SO they were
honest men.
1t is the abuse of the franchise
privilege given the corporations
that demands our attention
When franchises in this state
were granted to the steam rail
ways, nearly all the cities and
counties through which the road
passed voted big donations. Il
was not contemplated that il
addition thereto the peopl,
should be called on to pay te
the railway owners more than s
reasonable interest on the cos
of construction The averag,
cost of the 5000 miles of rail
way in Kansas was less thar