The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-30


privileged ones only. They are
squeezed out of business activities as
soon as the controllers of our land
raw materials deem 1t to their ad-
vantage to freeze them out.
That these employing men do not
realize that this speaks i'll for their
economic intelligence is evident, for
they blindly fight the only element
within the people which could save
them-the laboring men-because they
do not fully realize that the power of
cur modern gigantic, commercial and
financial combines lays fundamentally
in their special privilege of private
control of our land and it's economic
wealth, and in the economic advan-
tages (unjust) which the shifting of
the tax cost of society from the land
resources Of all sorts, among which
is the right-of-way special privilege of
our public rail carriers, gives to these
combines. $3.50
| gave you in the first article a
necessarily short sketch of the his
torical development of our present tax
alton system. II space allowed l
would explain it more fully, but it is
not absolutely necessary in order to
understand the growth of the system.
Essentially that history proves that
the private controllers of the common
resources of life (for we could not live
without using the products of their"
land) have admirably succeeded in
shifting the burden of taxation from
their sacred property upon the backs
of the individuals of the nation.
If you conceive that this is morally
right and economically wise within So
ciety that aspires to a government of
the people, by the people, and for the
people, then nothing more is to be
said to you personally. You are en-
titled to your opinion. You have a
perfect right to believe anything that
you think is right and wise. However,
there are others. There are, for in
stance, the hundreds of thousands of
workers in, our industries, some of
whom, as in the mills of Fall River
and in the south, in the sWeatshops,
factories and Offices barely make liv-
ing expenses, although they produce
millions of dollars worth of merchan-
disc out of the resources of their own
native land. Are they justly treated
under our Roman feudal system of
taxation? No. Why are they not? Is
it not your business to find reasons for
this situations? Certainly it is. You
do not live for YOURSELF, you are but
enc in eighty millions. Does not the
tragedy of the unprivileged affect your
fortunes? Answer that if you are an
American citizen.
You can be either of the three, your
brothers brother, your brothers keep
er or your brothers. exploiter. If you
are his brother you are essentially a
democrat (demos-the people,. If you
are his keeper you are paternalistically
afflicted, modern aristocratic republi-
can. If you are his exploiter you be-
long to that caste of modern Ameri-
cans to whom God in His wisdom has
given the economic power to shift tax
alton from their sacred property inter-
ests upon the backs Of all other Amer
leans.
Here is practical, actual illus
tration as reported in the Fairhope
WAlCu INDY COAVCJ OuC VI ClC
many taxation wrinkles into your
mind: A nurseryman of Tennessee had
sold thousands of trees around Fair
hope, Ala. He spoke of the fine land
he owned up in Tennessee. No need"
said he, ito fertilize up there. Just
pillow and put in your seed, and up she
comes in hillin; fine climate, splendid
water, etc" WELL" he was asked,
''any chance for a poor man to get
any of that land?" wall, I dunno
bout that; land is mighty hard to get
round thar. Haven't known any land
to be sold for years. Why, I refused
$500 an acre for some of mine" Well"
was replied, II suppose it is divided
up into pretty small tracts anyway"
ooh no; the farms are all large, most
ly 200 acres and upward. A few fam
lilies own all our good land and they
very seldom sell any Of it, How
about taxes?" he was asked, takes
must be pretty high on, such valuable
land" No." said the nurseryman,
my taxes are very low. 1t don't cost
but little to hold it. That's the rea-
son | don't sell what | don't need
just now"
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