The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-11-05
Money and the Taxing Power


force. The false claim Of the "suita-
tility" of gold goes to pieces in the.
presence of this fact.
The valuation" placed upon all
commodities is always made OF the
quantity of the force of demand, The
force of demand for coin, no matter
what the material may be. Is always
and everywhere the product of stat
utes compelling people to obtain and
Use it, at the statutory price stamped
upon IT, to satisfy tax levies and judg-
me nts and nothing else.
Whatever thing the statute may APP
Point to that Office is thereby SUBJ
jected to the force Of demand thus pro-
duced, and at its statutory price" a
riece of paper upon which is stamped
| the talismanic words, United States
OF America-Ten Dollars" II It alone
be armed with authority by statute to
satisfy tax levies and judgments, Is
subjected to the same quantity OF the
! force of demand as disk OF gold
stamped with the same words and
a, med with the same power, and cam
not avoid the same valuation.
pJ Tile JUST cyS VI boAHtA0h iAEt W
In its bare outlines, suggested, equal
valuations" in every department OF
human activity would bear equal bur-
dens."
| Just as the price of one sole COM
modify, gold, is now fixed by statute,
al which fixed price 1t alone has stat
Etory power to cancel tax levies and
Judgments; SO under the system here
proposed, would every commodity that
Is made taxable have its price fixed:
and at that price it would be, just as
gold alone Is nova peremptory re-
ceipts by It's tender against all tax
levies and all judgments.
Why should this one commodity,
gold, Of which the government can
make scarcely any use, be singled out
and by statute made the only article
in which tax levies and Judgments
may be paid?
Why should all the citizens Of the
republic, bearing the burdens OF tax
leyies and judgments, be sent to seek
a gold owner and to make such sacri-
| fees of service or wealth as his greed
may require, in order to obtain this
useless metal, upon which alone mon
strous statutes in all lands have con-
lferred the power all must obtain, by
stamping money" upon it at the mint,
| in the fraudulent exercise of the tax
| ing power?
Why should one comparatively use-
less commodity have stamped upon a
| fixed statutory quantity of 1t, fixed
| statutory price, at which 1t alone must
| 1, fn1 txyo toy nh
judgment creditor in the nation, in
satisfaction of tax leyies and judg-
ments, while the great mass Of useful
human products are denied that pow
err?
4 BY adopting the humane and equit-
arle system of taxation here outlined,
the burden Of supporting the govern
ment would press upon all wealth and
power Of service alike. The govern
nent would cease to waste the sub
stance of the people in useless usury
tt fatten the gold trust. All necessity
| for the metal gold, as vehicle for
carrying the money" Of this country,
stamped upon 1t, would cease. Banks
Of issue would cease the work of stat
utory highwaymen, by taking usury
| lOT lue lOdu VI Wudl Lie 6OtciuluCut
supplies them as free gift. Banks OF
exchange and deposit would disappear,
because their functions would be bet
ter performed by the government, and
| without any cost to the people,
Without paying usury, and without
expressing the people. the govern
nent would command the entire con-
tents of the nation for its support and
maintenance. A currency more sound
and stable, and at less cost than was
ever before seen in the world, will be
thereby provided for the people at
large; and not to o favored fraudu-
lent few.
The level OF prices. once fixed by
statute. would never vary; and wheth-
er high or low would be of no conse-
Quence whatever. The revenue OF the
country would be lncalculable.
(COntinupd Next Week \