The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1907-06-20
! INCOME TAX ONLY.
Orwell c. Riddle Tells the Tax -
Commission to Abolish All 9,
Other Forms Of Taxation. =
aO4e4O4O7o4arOpopO4an04s1G

u
Other Forms Of Taxation. =
ROHezOHO20&0r0pOzO7s4O40r0
At the April meeting of the Tax
Commission of Ohio, Orwell C. Riddle,
editor of the Columbus Press-Post and
a wellknown newspaper man. said in
part:
In discussing taxation 1t should always
be kept in mind that the only legitimate
purpose OF tax is tribute A tax tor
any other purpose is extortiouate OF
puaitive, ana ought to be abolished. An
| Income tax is the only tax that can be
applied equitably.
| Under our present system Ohio raises
funds from direct levy on lands and chat
tells. eXcises, licenses interest on deposit
of state funds. all of which are wrong
in principle and practice. The Nichols
excise law, Willis and Cole laws and
Akin saloon tax are not paid by the per-
sons directly assessed. but by patrons.
| Direct and indirect taxes on manufac-
| lures and commercial properties become
items oil cost" and are charged to the
| customer.
Indirect taxation imposes the entire
burden of furnishing state funds upon
the consumers of lifes necessities. an in
sidioLs way of piling up the receipts OF
/ the treasury to be sQuandered in riotous
expenditure, graft and loot.
The proposed single tax" would be
punitive tax that would lead to rapacious
land monopoly on the principle of sur
| vival Of the fittest"
Local option in taxation Is a proposi-
tion that will defeat itself by simple
/ analysis.
An Inheritance tax 10 a crime against
the dead and the living committed by the
state in the guise of law. Its true name
| Is statutory stealing
Taxes on mortgaged property and on
the mortgage. special vehicle tax and
similar imposts are double taxation. Nu-
merouS special taxes are proposed that
& re preposterous
In abolishing direct taxes on property
| would favor abOishing taxes on all
inds of property. tangible and intangi-
lie, real ana chattel industrial, and COM
laercial. and tax the incomes of all per-
sons engaged In operating these prop
critics.
To make an income tax Just and equit.
able 1t 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 on the fruits of the soil IL the
tax on the soil itself be abolished
In the Industrial and commercial
branches II is reasonable to believe that
larger sum would be obtained by tax
Oh rewards for service from heads of
M fo
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 q specific
tax, the fnll amount of which would be
known, it 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 wa into the pockets Of more
employees from whom the State would de-
rive increased receipts. And this tax
could not | shifted from one to another
until 1t is finally met by non -resistants.
Taxes on street railway. interurban
and steam railways would be more equit-
able under an income tax than under the
present system. Tax on franchise Is ad-
Vocated. Under Gar present system fran
chises should be taxed. But our going
concerns are going in a direction for
which they we're not originally chartered
They are going to go out Of private own
ership into public ownership. When
popularity owned. "A tax on franchise on
physical property and on capitalizato
will fall together. II such properties
We're producing tribute to the public cof-
fers under an 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 horizontal
rate. 1t were AS unjust to lower the rate
as the income goes up as 1t would be to
raise the rate as the income increases
There can be no justice in any gradu-
ated or siding scale for an income tax.
Why should not the man of larger oppor-
tunity pay in proportion to his opportu-
nifty? Make us all taxpayers through
the medium Of a direct income tax and
we will all become actively concerned in
the common welfare. We will all be-
come public spirited citizens, jealOusly
guarding our own rights and interests
and justly regarding the rights and in
terests of others.