The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1906-12-06

the people m a whole such adequate con-
troll and regulation Of the great interstate
common carriers will do away with the
evils which give rise To the agitation
against them.
so the proper antidote TO the dangerous
and wicked agitation against the men OF
wealth as such IL TO secure by proper leg
islation and executive action the abolition
OF the grave abuses which actually do OBJ
tain In connection with the business use
OF wealth under our present systcm1or
rather no system of failure to exercise
any adequate control at all.
The rcactionaries and the violent ex-
trcmists show symptoms OF joining hands
against us. Both assert. for instance. that
II logical. we should so to government
ownership OF railroads and the Ike: the
reactionaries. because on such an issue
they think the people would stand with
them. while the extremists care rather TO
preach discomfort and agitation than 10
achieve solid results.
A. a matter OF fact. our position H. as
remote from that OF the bourbon reaction
airy as from that OF the impracticablc or
sinister visionary. We hold that the gov
eminent should not conduct thu business
OF the nation. but that u should exercise
such supervision as will insure it@ being
conducted In the interest OF the nation
| our aim Is 80 far a. may be-. to secure.
| for all decent hard working men. equality
I OF opportunity and equality OF burden.
tn. actual working OF our laws has
| shown that the effort TO prohibit all COM
bination. good or bad. II noxious wher"
| IL II not Ineffective. Combination OF cap
ital like combination OF labor IL "A ncces-
sary element OF our present Industrial
/ system.
IL 10 not possible completely to prevent
| a.: and ~ IL were possible. such complct"
prevention would do damage To the body
polite.
What we need Is not vaInly to try TO
prevent all combination. hut to secure such
rigorous and adequate control and super
vision OF tn" combinations as To- prevent
their inJuring the public
Two Taxes.
The question OF taxation In difficult In
any country. but IL II especially difficult
In ours with its federal system OF govern
ment. Some taxes should on every ground
be levied In a small district for use In that
| district. Thus the taxation OF real csta ic
u peculiarly one for the immediate local
lily In which the real estate II found.
Again. there " no more legitimate tfN
for any state than a tax on the franchises
conferred by that state upon street rail-
roads and similar corporations which op-
crate wholly within the state boundaries,
sometimcs In one and sometimes IN seN"faI
municipalities or other minor Divisions OF
the state.
HUT there are many kinds Of taxes which
can only be- levied by thu general govern
mcnt 80 m to produce the best results.
because among other reasons, tn. at
tempt TO impose them Ia one particular
state too often results merely In driving
! the corporation or individual affected To
some other locality or other state.
TIL. national government has long de-
| rived It's chief revenue from a tarln on
| Imports and from an internal or "xcis"
| tax. Ia addition To thcS" Their" H. avery
reason why. when next our system OF tax
| alton Il revised. tn. national government
should Impose a graduated Inheritance
tax. and. u possible. graduated income
| tax.
The man OF great wealth owes pecu-
| liar obligation To the state. because he de-
rives special advantages from the mere
| existence OF government. Not only should
| he recognize This obligation In the way
| he leads his daily life and In the way he
I earns and spends his money. but IL should
also be recognized by the way In which
/ no pays for the protection the state gives
him
ON the one hand. Il Is desirable that he
should assume his full aud proper share
/ OF the burden OF taxation. on the other
hand IL II quite nv necessary that In this
kind OF taxation. where the men who vote
the tax pay but little OF II. there should
be clear recognition OF the danger OF In
augurating any such system save In n
spirit or entire justice and moderation.
Exactly how far the Inheritance tax
would. az an incident. have the effect OF
/ limiting the transmission by devise or gift
OF the enormous fortunes In question II Is
not necessary at present TO discuss.
IL Is wise that progress In this direction
At first a permanent national inheritance
| tax. while IL might be more substantial
| than any such tax has hitherto been, need
not approximate. either In amount or In
"
/ 10 what such a tax should ultimately be.
On Different Footing.
In Its Incidents. and apart from the
main purpose of raising revenue. an In
I come tax stands on an entirely different
/ footing from an inheritance tax; because
| Il involves no question OF the perpetual
! ton OF fortunes swollen TO an unhealthy
size. The question Ii In Its essence "A
question OF the proper adjustment OF bur
dens TO benefits. As the law now stands
! u Is undoubtedly difficult to devise ma
tional income tax which shall be consii-
[ tutional. But whether II Is absolutely inn
| possible IL another qeesiion; and II pos
siblc IL IL most certainly desirable. The
first purely income-tax law was passed by
the congress In 1851, but the most import
ant law dealing with the subject was that
OF 1894. This the court held To BE- uncon-
stitutonal
The question T. undoubtedly very intri-
cate. delicate. and troublesome. The de-
rision OF the court WAS only reached by
one majority. II Is the law OF the land
and OF course n accepted as sgch and
Loyalty obcyed by all good citizens. Never
thcleSS. the hesitation evidently felt by
the court as a whole In coming TO CON
clusion. when considered together with
the previous decisions on the subject. may
perhaps indicate the possibility OF dcvislng
a constitutional tncomc-tIN Law which
shall substantially accomplish IA" results
aimed at The difficulty 10 amending
IN. constitution " 80 great that
only real necessity can Justify u
rcSor, thereto. Every EFFORT should b.
mad. In dealing with thiS subject a. with
the subject OF the proper control 10y the
national government over the US" 81 cor
I porate wealth IN interstate business 20
devise legislation which without such ac-
ton shall attain the desired end. but u
this fails. thcr" will ultimately be- no al
Tentative TO u constitutional amendment
Agricultural.
| The only other persons whose welfare h
as VITAL To- th" welfare of the whole couu-
try as H. the welfare OF the WagcNurk"rs
are the oilers OF the soil. the farmers. n
- a mere truism 20 say that No growth OF
cities. no growth uf wealth. no lnduStr al
development can atone for any falling on
/ In the character and standing 81 the farm
/ ing population. During the last Few d-C-
AIDES this fact has been recognized with
\ evrr-.nCrrnsing cicarncs-. There IL me-
longer any lailur" TO realize that farm ng.
| at least IN certain branches. must become
! "A technical and scientific profession. This
means that there must b" open To farmers
/ the chance for technical aud scientific
| training. not theoretical merely bur 81 the
most severely practical type The farmer
| represents a peculiarly b. gh type of Amer
\ lean citizenship. and he must hRv" the
| same chance To- rise and develop ~ other
/ American citizens have.
Irrigation.
| Much u now being done for IN" states
! cf the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains
! through the Development ~ the national
1 tpliTN ~ n ana forest A..