The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-07-04
THE CAMPBELL POLICIES.

The Houston Labor Journal tells
us that under the guiding hand of
Governor Campbell the Thirtieth
legislature enacted a number of
wholesome laws designed to make
the corporations bear their proper
ton of the burdens of taxation.
The esteemed Waco Tribune tells
us that the corporation must take
pot luck with the people and bear
its just proportion of the cost of
government"
The corporation should bear its
just provortion of the cost OF govern
ment; on that we are all agreed
But in his Terrell address Gov.
Campbell tells us that "as a direct
result of our present tax system.
nearly two-thirds of the taxes for the
support of the state government will
be shifted from the backs of the peo-
pie to the corporations and other in
terests.'
The character of our property is
as follows: Agriculture, $4,000, 000,-
900; mining, 0,000,000; manu-
featuring. $15O,OoO,000; public SER
vice corporations, 0,000,000;
miscellaneous, 1890, 200, 900; total
$4,000, 100000.
Let the reader go over the items
carefully and determine for himself
the justice of compelling "the cor
porations and other interests to
pay nearly two-thirds of the taxes
for the support of the state govern
ment. Let him say, if he can, that
such a policy is calculated to build
us up industrially.
We have heretofore discussed the
claim of Governor Campbell that
his system of taxation shifts the
burden from the backs of the peo-
pie. That's a fallacious claim No
will continue in business
unless 1t is either n. aking money or
has reasonable chance of catching
up at an early day. 1t gets It's mon
ey from the people-from the pro-
ducers of the wealth. The Campbell
policies make of the corporations
collecting agencies for the state
that's all.
If that be true-if the people in
the last analysis pay the taxes
what Is the objection to the Camp
bell plan? That's fair question. The
objections are these:
First, it's a cumbersome method.
Second, the corporation is in dali
ly peril lest it be called on for a
larger contribution thus discourag-
ing it's activities, and
Third, indirect taxation breeds ex-
travagance in government. In the
past four years the tax burden has
increased more than four hundred
thousand dollars,
We say and with all possible en-
phasis that the corporation should
bear it's just proportion of the cost
of government. But Tom Campbell
goes on the stump and boasts that he
has shifted nearly two-thirds of the
burden from the backs of the peo-
pie to the corporations and other in
terests," and his friends stand up
and tell us that that is just. 1t is not
true that the burden has been shift
ed, because all taxation rests on the
backs of the people-every cent of
it,-but were it true-were it fact
that the people had been relieved of
the burden-a manifest injustice
would have been done, for two-thirds
is out of all proportion to property
owned by 1.-The corporations and 9TH
er interests"
We can make no progress indus
trially under the Campbell policies.
Men will not put their money into
enterprises subject to unfair exac-
tons at the hands of the state. We
thus constitute ourselves hewers of
wood and drawers of water for the
people in the other commemorative.
Waco Times Herald