Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1906-02-03
COMMENT
A GRADED INCOME TAX NEEDED.
W. c. Black, Editor

his fortune came from oil wells. Those wells are still the greatest
source of his income. He did not fitch his wealth from the
pockets of other men; it was new wealth drawn from the earth
Men say that by his combinations he broke up other men in the
same business, but fhe did, he reduced the price of oil to the
millions of consumers so per ceut, and at the same time I'M
proved greatly its quality. Looking the matter over fairly 1t
must be said thai MI. Rockefeller obtained his wealth more
honestly than nine out ofevery ten rich men do.
But, nevertheless, a man worth a billion of dollars, with
that money invested in banks, mines, railroads, in enterprises
most of which are Of the kinds that the necessities of men com
pei them to extend their patronage to, is a great danger, II not a
real menace to the liberties ofa people. When we question Mr.
RocktlIer's friends, they tell us that he has come by his wealth as
honestly as h, 5 the man who, with a little fvestamp mill, has
pounded out a few thousand dollars from low grade gold ore,
and thatbe is euttled to his own, and ask what we are going to
do about it,
Our belefis that a wrong OF that kind not an intentional
wrong, but the wrong which permits one NAT to amass an
altogether abnormal fortune while the many are so poor, should
be arrested if not cured by an income tax, Il graded income tax
increasing as the income increases.
The right ofself preservation is quite as sacred to a nation as
to an individual, and II : quite as much the duty of a nation as
of an individual to anticipate possible danger and to provide
against it. Indeed It's more; the life of an individual does not
count tor much; the hopes ofa struggling world may hang upon
the life ofa nation.
We will assume that Mr.. Rockefeller is a Christian gentle
man, and an intense patriot; that he holds in his thoughts a
purpose of doing for his countrymen as much more good than
any other man has, as his fortune is greater than that of any
other man.
But all that does not change his original money-mak1ng
nature. He goes on, he absorbs here a bank, there a railroad, in
another place a great mine, until five years hence tits found that
hecontrols the great banking and transportation interests of
the country, and all the time he is gathering wealth as a rolling
SNOWFALL gathers snow until at length it becomes an avalanche,
sweeping every thing beforeit. In the meantime the rates on his
roads are reasonable, the interest charged by his banks is not ex-
horbitant, his requests are princely. But, necessarily, all his
business is involved in corporations, to insure perfect service the
very finest talent in the world is called in to carry on the
gigantic enterprises, and we see that he at once controls the
money Of the country, the main lines Of transportation, and has
under his direction thousands of acute minds, and that the
whole vast machinery Is perfectly systematized and is moved
merely by the touch ola button.
But some morning the news is flashed east and west that
the controlling force has received astroke ard is dead; dead and
poorer than the humbIest section hand on one of his roads.
Well, some one has to be selected to take his place. Sup
pose this man happens to be a Napoleon, or Tallerand or
Aaron Burr, and he determines with the means under his control
to subvert the ballot. to elect his own president, congress and
courts, to shake off all laws that are checks upon his corpora
tions-in short to rule the republic. We need not follow the
matter further; the dulest person can understand the menace
which would threaten the country's liberties and the peoples
rights.
1t is the duty of the government to make such a combination
impossible, aud it seems to Is that an income tax, increasing
with the incomes until when they reach a certain figure it
amounts to coniscation is the right thing.
There would be no injustice in it either. lit would be called
condscation, it must be remembered that all taxation is confsca-
ton. The poor man who owns property worth, say $500, is
taxed say 2 per cent, That is to support the state SO of the
poor man. $500 Is conhscated. 1t may Inconvenience the poor
man very much. After a rich man has ample means to supply all
his wants, to give all his family princely fortunes, it is not unfair
for him to pay a part of the poor mans tax. for after all the
fortune of The rich man is possible solely because of the protection
OF the government and the patronage OF the people.
We believe the rich man would be the happier for the law in
the end. He would have time to realize that when a man OBJ
tains an indepence he is lust as rich as he ever can be.
1t would have a tendency, too, to stop the Unsuitable lust for
money that is causing so many Americans to frget God and dut,
and their own souls, and impeling them to sacrifice principles.
hialth' aPplness-everythln that they may pile up more money.
1t would be a righteous law.