Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-12-07


municipalities or other minor diVisic"s Oh
Bufsfhere are many kinds of taxes which
= san only be levied by the general govern
qnent $50 as to produce the pest Ttnut'S'
because, among other reasons, the ~
empt to impose them in one parItSuiaI
often results merely in driving
he corporation or Individual aIec'Eu y
lsomeSpther locality or other state.
The national government has ioh!S &c
lived its chief revcnue. from a tafsn 81
g imports and from an internal or 49,. a>,n
ii eason why, when next our system 81 TAX.
E ton Is revised, tn" national EoVc,ninn II
f hould impose a graduated tntIe'atam
AK, and, If possible, a graduated -lcoi''
The man of great wealth owes Is pecu-
al obligation TO the state, becaus" he de-
ives Special advantages from TIE mere
] xistence of .~govcrnment. Not only should
Id Recognize this obligation in the way
S e leads his daily life and in the way ne
q arms and spends his money, but II Should
le lso be recognized by the way In Wnl'h
n pay for he protection the state gives
q q Sthc one hand. it is desirable that he
ccaouid assume his fun and proper shar"
Mt the burden of taXution; on the other
Sand. il is quite as necessary that in TINS
ind of aNation, whore the men VINO VOC
" le stax pay but little of it, there should
Clear recognition OF the danger OF IN
eli aguin ting any such system save IN Il
brit Of entire justice and moderation.
Exact how far the inheritance tax
sar ould, as an incident, have the effect or
hitting the transmission by devise or glit
lusNTthe enormous fortunes in question 1t Is
ain st Necessary at present to discuss:
Il 1t Is wise that plOgrcss i'll this direction
80 lould be gradual.
first a permanent national inheritance
tx, while it might be more substantial
q Ian any such tax has hitherto been, need
rr 1t approximate, either III amount or IN
fle extent of the increase by graduation,
II What such a. tax should ultimately be.
as On Different Footing.
u In its incidents, and apart from the
& me lax stands on an entirely different
oting from an inheritance tax: because
involves no question of the perpetual
! IN of fortunes swollen to an unhealthy
of the proper adjustment of bur
ms to benefits. As the law now stands
lis Undoubtedly difficult to devise a ma
NAL income tax which shall be %consti-
tional. But whether it is absolutely i'm
,l issible is another question; and If pos
ole it is most certainly desirable. The
fTst purely income-taX law was passed by
&c congress in 1861, but the most import
init law dealing with the subject was that
and 1891. This the court held TO be uncon-
The question is undoubtedly very intri-
rDste, delicate. and troublesome. The de-
sion of the court was only reached by
re majority. 1t is the law of the land,
. id of course is accepted as such and
yally obeyed by all good citizens. Never
rpcGlCSS, III llCSlbdAIOlI SN iiNllAlS ASII Ny
: te court as a whole in coming to a con
tusion, when considered together with
ne previous decisions on the subject, may
rTurhaps indicate the possibility of d~evising
constitutional inCome-taX law which
on all Substantially accomplish the results
med at. The difficulty of amending
lily real necessity can justify a
sort thereto. Every effort should be
,9i AIDE in dealing with this subject, as with
subject of the roper control by the
NV ltional government over the use of cor
p )rate wealth in interstate business, to
90 wise legislation which without such ac-
an shall attain the desired end: but if
lis fails, there will ultimately be no al
Irnatiyc to a constitutional amendment.
n Agricultural. ,.
only other persons whose welfare is
0My as is the welfare of the w~ageworkers
20 e The tillers of the soil, the farmers. 1t
cG a mere truism to say that no growth of
ties, no growth of wealth, no industrial
ed svelopmcnt can atone for any falling off
ts the character and standing of the farm
lou g population. During the last few dec
e les This fact has been recognized with
lafer-.ncreasing clearness. There is no
cunger any failure to realize that farming,
us. least in certain branches, must become
technical and scientific profession. This
that there must be open to farmers
e ne chance for technical and scientific
aiming. not theoretical merely but of the
ost Severely practical type. The farmer
cutpresents a peculiarly high type OF Amer
citizenship, and he must nave the
n. .Ule ClldllCc 10 rise diiu ucNciOp az olIlti
' mer.can citizens have.
Moreover, it is exactly a. true of the
r ormer, as it is of the business man and
IF le wageworker, that the ultimate success
the nation of which he forms a part
sedust be founded not alone on material
/ itqsperity but upon high moral. mental,
le ~ physical development. This educa-
w5n of the farmer-self-education ely pref
0 uence. but also education from the out
bgde, as with all other mems peculiarly
.cessary here in the United Stateo. where
?. e frontier conditions even in the newest
aIatay have now nearly vanished, where
ali cre must be a substitution of a more in
ernsive system of cultivation for the old
ct asteful farm management. ans where
must be a better business arganiza-
in in among the farmers themSell eS.
of Great progress has already been made
e nong farmers by the creation Of farmers
of dairy associa tons, Of breed
associations horticulture associa-
n ms. and the like. A striking example of
t wv the government and the fabmerS can
va -operate is shown in connection with the
lalde southern states by the advance of the
c ill weev.l. The department is doing all
,rsI to organize the farmers in the
tn treatened districts. just as it has been
itaoing all it can to organize thern in AID of
swork to eradicate the cattle fever tick
south. The departments can and
1Grill Cooperate with all such associations,
er IA At must have their help If its own
orork is to be done in the mont efficient
S. A Irrigation.
80 Az 4N&iH ID - cSiil3 .'oiiC " SIS SlalNo
,eTf the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains
trough the development of the national
5iicy of irrigation and forest p~reserva-
LION: no government policy for the better
:, Tent of our internal conditions has been
fruitful of good than this. The for
e; ;ts of the White mountains and Southern
isppalachian regions should also be pre-
Nsrved; and hey annot be unless the peo-
OF the states in which they lie, through
an ieir representatives in the congress-, Sc
ire Vigorous action by the national gov
is nment.
Marriase-Divorce.
pE / am well aware of how difficult it IS to
; ass q constitutional amendment. New
in my judgment the whole cues
of marriage and divorce should be
~sellegate to the authority of the national
2 ,ngress. At present the wide differences
eel, the laws of the d. fferent states on this
inject result in scandals and abuses; and
m ,Irely there is nothing so vitality essen
alto the welfare OF The nation, nothing
GSSrolnd which the nation should so bend
Hh1self to throw every safeguard, as the
come life of the average citizen. The
letiange would be good from every stand
stoint. In particular it would be good be-
tuse Il would confer on the congress the
at once to deal radically and ef-
lpssien tly with polygamy; and this should
bosdone whether or not marriage and Gi-
,rce are dealt with. 1t is neither safe nor
ry ,oper to leave the question of poGygaIny
esEesbe dealt with by he several sta ties.
uPower to deal with it should be conferred
eYtl the national government.
When home ties are loosened; when men
i'd women cease TO regard a worthy fam
b life. with all its duties fully reformed,
lit id SalI its responsibilities lived UP to, as
ficIe life best worth living; then evil days
verr the commonwealth are at hand.
ouTher are regions n our land, and
ttasses of our population, where the birth
has sunk below the death rate. Sure
loc, IL should need no demonstration to show
oUiA$r wilful sterility is, from the standpoint
inc nation, from the STANDPOINT OF the
HRpa1ty is national death, race death; a