The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1907-06-13

items OF "cost Ind are charged TO toe
customer
Indirect taxation imposes the entire
burden Of furnishing state funds upon
the consumers OF lfe's necessities, an IN
sidious way Of pilns up the receipts
the treasury to be suuandered In riotous
expenditure, graft and loot.
The proposed single tax" would be 4
punitive tax that would lead to rapacious
land monopoly on the principle of sur
vival OF the ,ittest."
Local option IN taxation Is proposi-
tion that Will defeat itself by simple
analysis
An inheritance tax Is crime against
the dead gnd the living committed by the
state in the guise OF law. Its true name
is statutory stealing.
Taxes on moftgaged property and on
the mortgage special vehicle tax and
similar imposts are double taxation. Nu-
merous special taxes are proposed that
are preposterous.
In abolishng direct taxes on property
would favor abolshing taxes on all
kinds of property, tangible and jntangi-
BILE, real and chattel, Industrial and COM
mercial, and tax the incomes of all per-
sons engaged in operating these prop
critics.
TO make an income tax Just and equt-
able II should be imposed on every per-
son. male or female. adult or minor, who
performs services for compensation In
commercial and Industrial pursuits. and
on the. products Of agriculture appraised
at an average market price.
The farmer could not reasonably object
to a tax OF tho fruits of the soil II the
tax on the soil itself be abolished.
In the industrial and commercial
branches 1t is reasonable to believe that
a larger,suin would be obtained by a te
on rewards for service, from heads OF
firms and corporations down to the low
est paid employe, than is derived today
from tax on physical properties and
inadequate methods of trying to reach
intangible assets.
The income tax would be a specific
tax the fun amount of which would be
known. II would be the entire tax In
stead of each individual indirectly bear
ing the taxes of the butcher. baker.
clothier grocer or any other institution
patronized An increasing business would
find its way into the pockets of more
employees, from whom the state would de-
rive increased receipts. And this tax
could not be shifted from one to another
until 1t Is finally met by nom -resistants
Taxes on street railway, interurbar
and steam railways would be more equit-
able under an income tax than under the
present system. Tax on franchise is ad-
vocated. Under our present system fran
chises should te taxed But our going
concerns" ere going in a direction for
which they were not originally chartered
They are going TO go out of private own
ership into public ownership. When
popularity owned, tax on franchise, OH
physical property and on capitalization
will fall together If such properties
were producing tribute to the public cof-
fers under IN income tax, public owner
ship would create no taxation perplex-
tiles. A franchise tax would he an OBJ
stacle in the way of public ownership In
addition to the obstacles in the present
tax system.
Give us an income tax at a horizontal
rate. 1t were as unjust to lower the rate
as the income goes up as it would be to
raise the rate as the income increases.
There can be no justice in any gradu-
ated or sliding scale for an income tax.
Why should not the man of larger oppor-
tunity pay Ia proportion to his opportu-
nifty? Make US all taxpayers through
the medium of direct income tax and
we will all become actively concerned in
the coinmon welfare. We will all be-
come rubic-s spirited citizens. jealously
guarding our own rights and interests
and justly regarding the rights and In
tares:s OF others.