Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-09-16

TAX the life out OF one city to build up
another. By secret rebates and dis
ordinations they can destroy any citi-
zen. any business, any city, any state.
Their corrupting influence is felt and
seen all the way upward from the town
council to the judge on the bench;
from the bench to the senate of the
United States, and from the senate to
the railroad commissions, whether
state or national
Almost without exception. the rail-
roads Of this republic were paid for
by the public. and not by the corpora
lions which own them.
In donations of land. of bonds, and
of actual cash, the American people
have paid for practically every railroad
on this continent And we have moth
ing to show for it. We are paying
dividends every year on at least five
billion dollars of watered stock.
Bought Every Ten Years.
The figures show that in every ten
years we pay in freight and passenger
charges an amount equal to the sum
total Of the actual cost of the roads
Talk about the trusts. The greatest
support which the trust system of
America has this day is in the rail-
roads. It is only by determinations.
secret rebates. special help and favors
that Rockefeller or any other great or
ganizer of the trusts could make his
way to the gigantic power which he has
established.
BY no other methods than by govern
ment ownership of the railways can
you eoualize all shippers, all persons
establish fair system of exchange
restore public franchises to public
uses; take out of politics one of its
most corrupting influences; take out
of commerce one of its most tyrannical
masters, anC thus put transportation
where the postofIice system is-makine
it a servant and agent of all the peo-
pie, doing good where it extends.
is It Anarchy?
Is public ownership of railroads and
telegrapbs and other public utilities
the cry of mere demagogue? Is it
step toward anarchy and chaos? Is it
a subject which can find no room in
the domain of legitimate. respectful
debate? Gladstone of England was in
favor of government ownership of rail-
ways. and when he was member of
Sir Robert Peel's cabinet carried
through parliament a law which en-
powered the British government to
purchase the railways, law which the
corporations managed to render a null
lily.
Bismarck. the iron chancellor Of res
directed Germany, was in favor of gov
eminent ownership. and it was
through his leadership that Prussia &C
quired her railways. Nearly every
kingdom in Europe, many of the coun-
tries of Asia and Africa have adopted
the system and work it with perfect
success. And as an American citizen.
seeing that Australia and Canada sue
cessfully deal with this great problem
and operate railroads in the interest Of
all the people, feel ashamed of the
backwardness of our own statesman
ship which fears to grapple with that
issue.
Favor a, Income Tax.
We are in favor of an income tax.
Planting ourselves squarely upon the
ground occupied by Thomas Jefferson.
we say that the larger the income the
larger should be the rate of taxation on
that income, to the end that vast ac-
cumulations should be discouraged and
that the wealth of the country should
always be in a process of distribution,
No fairer tax than this can be i'm
posed 1t would put the burden of
government upon the shoulders Of
those who are most able to bear it. II
would draw the support Of the admin
istration from those who derive from
IL the greatest benefits.
It would throw our pension debt
upon that class of men who during the
civil war speculated upon the necessi
ties of the country and grew rich while
the soldier was in the field
Declaring itself in favor Of a grad
uated income tax. the peoples party
supplements that by saving that there
should be no tariff tax upon the neces-
saries Of life which the Door must have
in order to live. Establish an income
tax. and you would give the govern
ment source of revenue Independent
of tire tariff and thereby pave the way
for the reduction Of the tremendous
burdens Of taxation which now rests
mainly uron the shoulders of the mid
die and lower classes. At this time,
when governmental extravagance
squanders every dollar of the national
income. it Is idle to prate Of tariff re-
vision until they first tell us how they
will get the money to run the govern
ment when tariff revenues have been
lowered
The farmer must pay his tax whether
his farm be run at profit or not. The
merchant mist pay his tax regardless
of whether the net balance of trade be
for him or against him. The income
tar Is levied upon profits only; and
there is not an argument to be urged
against it that does not reek with the
rankest seleshness.
Tho Money Question.
Upon the money question we have
always stood for the quautitative the
DRY, have always opposed national
banks. and have said that the crea-
tion of money was governmental
function which should never be sur
rendered; should never be delegated to
any class of citizens. bit should al
ways be held by the government as one
of the great attributes of sovereignty.
oil ,ar no