The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-12-05
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
(concluded from First Page.)

ers who are not themselves able 81
factively 10 contest case where th'
Judgment OF an inferior couit ha
been against them. | have specifically
in view recent decision by a dis
trlct Judge leaving railway employees
without remedy for violation of n car
tain so-callcd labor statute. II seems
an absilrdlty to permit single dis
tiici judge. against what may be The
Judgment OF the immense majority OF
his colleagues on the bench, 10 de
clare a law solemnly enacted by the
congress TO be unconstitutional. y
ana then TO deny 10 the government
the right to have tie supreme court
definitely decide the question.
inheritance and income Tax.
The question OF taxation Is diff
cult In any country. but II is especial
" difficult in our with It's Federal sys-
TEN OF government Some taxes
. should on every ground be levied in
small district for use in that dis
is peculiarly one for the immediate
locality In which the real estate Is
found. Again, there is no more legl
innate tax for any State than tax
on the franchises conferred by that
that State upon street railroads and
similar corporations which operate
wholly within the State boundaries,
sometimes in enc and sometimes in
several municipalities or other minor
divisions of the State. But there are
many kinds of taxes which can only
be levied by the general Government
SO as TO product the best results, be.
cause, among other reasons, the at
tempt to impose them in one parti |
cular State too often results merely |
in driving the corporation or individ- |
ual affected 10 some other locality or |
other state. The national government !
has long derived its chief revenue |
from a tariff on imports and from an |
Internal or excise tax. In addition |
TO thtse there is every reason why, |
when next our system of taxation Is
revised, the National Government.
should impose graduated inherit
aance tax. and, is possible, gradn.
ated income lax The man of great
wealth owes a peculiar obligation TO
the state, because he derives special
advantages from the mere existence |
of government. Not only shonld he {
recognize this obligation in the way I
he leads his daily life and in he (
way he earns and spends his money, {
but 1t should also be recognized by !
the way In which he pays for the pro 4
lection the state gives him. On the n
one hand 1t is desirable that he \
should assume his full and proper I
share OF the burden OF taxation; on G
he other hand. il is quite as neces- v
sary that in this kind of taxation, =
where the men who vote the tax pay a
but little Of ii. there should be clear ,
OF the danger OF imam y
surating any such system save in q
spirit OF entire jestice and modera-
ion. Whenever we. as a people, I'M.
lertake 10 remo0el our taxation sys- i
lem along the lines suggested, we n
must make 1t clear beyond peradvent- q
ire that our aim Is to distribute the q
burden of supporting the government q
more equitably than at present; that \
We intend to treat rich man and poor !;
nan on basis of absolute equality, 8
md that we regard II as equally fatal q
o true democracy to do or permit $
Injustice to the one as to do or permit I
Injustice to the other. n
! am well aware that such a sub. e
ect as this needs long and careful 4
study in order that the people may v
become familiar with what is pro. y
POSED TO be done. may clearly see The c
necessity of proceeding with wisdom q
md selfrestraint, and may make up a
heir mind, just now far they are q
Wiling TO go in the matter; while n
,nly trained legislators can work u
out the project in necessary detail. q
But feel that in the near future our v
national Legislators should enact a 4
aw providing for graduated in. q
leritanee tax by which steadily in
,reasing rate of duty should be put v
Upon all moneys or other valuable r
coming by gift. bequest, or devise 10 u
my individual or corporation. II may !
be well TO make the tax heay in pro i
portion as the individual benefited +
s remote of Kin. IN any event. in
ny judgment the pro rata of the tax c
'hould increase very heavily with b
he increase of the amount left 10 r
my one individual after a certain 5
,oint has been reached. II Is most Is
desirable 20 encourage thrift AMI am n
,itlon. and potent source Of thrift h
md ambition Is the desire on the v
part OF the breadw:nner to leave his Il
children we'll of This object can BE- n
stained BY making the tax very n
small on moderate amounts II prop a
.rty left; because the prime object a
'hould be TO put a constantly increas. a
ng burden on the inheritance Of v
hose swollen fortune which it IS "
certainly of no benefit to this coun II
ry to perpetuate. v
There can be TO question Of the b
thical proprie'v of the government a
hue determining the conditions npOn Ii