The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-12-06

sole consideration should - &c see
that the sum total of changes repre-
sents the public good This means
that the subject can not with wisdom
be dealt with in the year preceding a
Presidential election, because as a
matter of fact experience has con-
clusiyely shown that at such time it
is impossible to get men to treat it
from the standpoint of the public
good. In my judgment the wise time
to deal with the matter is immediate
ly after such election.
There should be no tariff on any
forest product grown in this country;
and, in especial, there should be no
tariff on wood pulp; due notice of the
change being of course given to those
engaged in the business so as to en-
able them to adjust themselves to the
new conditions. The repeal of the
duty on wood pulp should If possible
be accompanied by an agreement with
Canada that there shall be no export
duty on Canadian pulp wood.
Reference is then made to the in
come tax and the inheritance tax.
In my Judgment, writes the Presi-
dent, both of these taxes should be
part of our system of Federal taxa
ton. / speak diffidently about the
income tax because one scheme for
an income tax was declared unconsti-
tutional by the Supreme Court; while
in addition it is difficult tax to ad-
minister in its practical working, and
great care would have to be exer-
cised to see that it was not evaded by
the very men whom it was most de-
sirable to have taxed, for if so evad-
ed 1t would, of course, be worse than
no tax at all; as the least desirable
of all taxes is the tax which bears
heavily upon the honest as compared
with the dishonest man. Neverthe-
less, graduated income tax of the
proper type would be desirable fea-
ture of Federal taxation, and it is to
be hoped that one may be devised
which the Supreme Court will de-
clare constitutional. The inheritance
tax, however, is both far better
method of taxation, and far more
important for the purpose of having
the fortunes of the country bear in
proportion to their increase in size
corresponding increase and burden
of taxation. The Government has
the absolute right to decide as to the
terms upon which man shall re-
ceive bequest or devise from an
other, and this point in the devolu-
tion of property is especially appro-
pirate for the imposition of tax.
Laws imposing such taxes have re-
peatedly been placed upon the Ma
tional statute books and as repeated
ly declared constitutional by the
courts, and these laws contained the
progressive principle, that is, after a
certain amount is reached the be-
quest or gift, in life or death, is in
creasingly burdened and the rate of
taxation is increased in proportion
to the remoteness of the man receiv-
ing the bequest These principles are
recognized already in the leading CIV
ilized nations on the world.
The tax should, if possible, be
made to bear more heavily upon
those residing without the country
than within it. A heavy progressive
tax upon very large fortune is in
no way such tax upon thrift or in
dustry as a like tax would be on a
small fortune. No advantage comes
either to the country as whole or
to the individuals inheriting the
money by permitting the transmits
sion in their entirety of the enormous
fortunes which would be affected by
such tax.
We have not the slightest sympa-
thy with that socialistic idea which
would try to put laziness, thriftless-
ness and ineficiency on par with
industry, thrift and efficiency; which
would. strive to break up not merely
private property, but what is far
more important, the home, the chief
prop upon which our whole civiliza-
ton stands. Such a theory, ii ever
adopted, would mean the ruin OF the
entire country-a ruin which would
bear heaviest upon the weakest, upon
those least able to shift for them
selves. But proposals for legisla-
ton such as this herein advocated
are directly opposed to this class OF
socialistic theories. There should be
conditions under which each man OBJ
tains the chance to show the stun
that is in him when compared with
his fellows.
Referring to the past loud COM
plants that the law could not be m
voked against wealthy offenders, the
Message boasts that no such COM
plant is heard now. The course OF
the Department of Justice during
the last few years has been such as
to make it evident that no man stands
above the law, that no corporation is
so wealthy that it can not be held to
account The Department of Justice
has been as prompt to proceed against
the wealthiest malefactor whose
crime was one of greed and cunning
as to proceed against the agitator
who incites to brutal violence. Both
the present condition of the law and
the present temper of juries render
it task of extreme difficulty to get
at the real wrongdoer in any such
case, especially by imprisonment.
Yet it is from every standpoint far
preferable to punish the prime
offender by imprisonment rather than
to fine the corporation, with the at
tendant damage to stockholders.
The two great evils in the execu-
ton of our criminal laws to-day are
sentimentality and technicality. For
the latter the remedy must come
To- - In0fS1a