Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-12-13

alton is revised. the national government
should impose a graduated Inheritance
tax. and, II possible, "a graduated income
tax.
The man of great wealth owes a pecu-
liar obligation 10 the state. because lie de
rlvcs special advantages from The mere
existence of government. Not only should
he Recognize this obligation IL the way
he leads his daily life and in tie way he
earns and spends his money, but II should
also b" recognized by the way in which
ne pays Tor the protection the state gives
him..
on the one hand, i. is desirable that he
snou!" assume his full and proper share
OF tie burden of taxation; on the other
nand, II Is quite as necessary tha; III this
XII OF taxation. where the men who vote
the tax pay but little OF 1t, there should
be clear recognition of the danger Of in
augurating any such system save in d
spirit or entire justice and moderation.
At iirst a permanent national Inheritance
tax. while it might be more substantial
IMAM any such tax has hitherto been, need
not approximate. either Ia amount or IN
the extent of the increase ny graduation.
10 what such a tax should ultimately ue.
On Different Footing.
In its incidents. and apart from the
main purpose of raising revenue. an in
oornc tax stands on an entirely different
footing from an inheritance FAX: because
II involves no question of the pcrpetua-
ton of fortunes swollen to an unhealthy
size. The question is in its essence ..
question of The proper adjustment of bur
dens to benefits. AS the law now stands
it is undoubtedly dificult to devils a ma
tional income tax which shall he cois;i-
tutional. But whether it is absolutely inn
possible is another question: and if pos
stble 1t is most certainly desirable. The
first purely income-taN law was passed by
the congress in 1861. but the most import
ant law dealing with the subject was that
OF lS"4. This the court held to be urcon-
stitutional.
The question is undoubtedly very intri-
cate. delicate. and troublesome. The dc
cision of the court was only reached by
one majority. 1t is the law of the land.
and of course Is accepted as such and
loyalty obcycd by all good citizens. Meyer
theleSS, the hesitation evidently felt by
the court as IA whole in coming to a con
%clusion, when considered together with
the previous decisions ON the subject. may
perhaps indicate the possibility of dcvisins
Il constitutional income-tax law which
shall substantially accomplish the results
aimed at. The difficulty of amending
only real necessity can Justify a
resort thereto. Every effort should b.
made in dealing with this subject. as with
the subject of the proper control by tie
national government over the use of cor
porate wealth Iii interstate business, to
devise legislation which without suct. nc
ton shall attain the desired end: but if
this fails. there will ultimately be no al
Tentative TO a: constitutional amendment.
Agricultural.
The only other persons whoac welfare is
- "a W III MtlltIe OI IUt NIOlc t'OliI-
Try as Is the welfare of the wageworkers
arc the tillers of the soil. the farmers 1t
is a mere truism to say that no growth of
cities, no growth of wealth, no Industrial
development can atone for any falling off
In the character and tand.ng of the farm
ing population. During the last few dec
cver-increasing clcarness. There is no
Longer any failure to realize that farming
at least in certain branches. must become
Il technical and scientific profession. This
means that there must be open to farmers
the chance for technical and scientific
training. not theoretical merely but of the
most severely practical type. The farmer
represents u peculiarly high type of Amer
lean citizenship, and he must have the
same chance to rise and develop as other
American citizens have.
Irrigation.
Much IS now being done for the states
of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains
through the development of the national
policy of irrigation and forest prcscrva-
ment OF our internal conditions has been
more fruitful of good than this. The for
csts OF the White mountains and Southern
Appalachian regions should also be pre-
served: and they cannot be unless the peo-
pie of the states in which they lie, through
their representatives in the congress. Sc
cure vigorous action by the national gov
eminent.
Marriase.Divorce.
! am we'll aware of how difficult 1t IS to
pass a constitutional ~mendmen Nev-
crtheless in my judgment the whole ques-
ton of marriage and divorce should be
r~elegatcd to the authority of the national
congress. AT present the wide differences
in the laws of the different states on this
subject result in scandals and abuses: and
surely there is nothing so vitality essen
tial to the welfare of the nation. nothing
around which the nation should so bend
itself to throw every safeguard. as the
home life of the average citizen. The
change would be good from every stand
point. In particular ii would be good he
cause 1t would confer on the congress the
power at once to deal radically and eff
ficlently with polygamy. and this should
be done whether or not marriage and di-
vorce are dealt with. 1t is neither safe nor
proper to leave the question OF polygarny
Power to deal with 1t should be conferred
on the national government.
When home ties are loosened: when men
and women cease to regard a worthy fam
lily life, with ali its duties fully reformed.
and all its rcsponsib lities lived up to. a.
the life best worth living, then evil days
tor The commonwealth are at hand
The Subsidy Issue.
Let mo once again call the attention Of
me congress to two subjects concerning
which have frequently before communi-
Gated with them. one is the question of
developing American shipping. | trust
mat a law embodying in substance the
views, or q major part of the views, "X-
pressed IN the report on this subject laid
before the house at It's last session will be
passed. am well aware that in former
years objectionable measures have been
proposed IN reference to the encourage
ment of American shipping. but il seems
TO me that the proposed measure Is as
nearly unobjectionable as any can be. 1t
VIII OF course benefit primarily our sea-
board states, such as Maine. Louisiana
and Washington; but what benefits part
OF our people in the end benefits all: Just
as government aid to irrigation and for
estry in the west is really of benefit. not
only To the Rocky mountain states, but
10 all our country. If it prove impractic-
able to enact a law for the acknowledgements
u DDiDE Iener.IN then ut least rroNi-
SION should be made for better ommuni
cation with South America. notably for