Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-09-16

upon all his income enjoy equal
rights with the man who is shielded
from paying even per cent upon
his income? Such a theory of equal
rights makes paupers and criminals
in one strata and idlers and spend
thrifts in another strata Of the re-
public and no form of free govern
ment, however strong, can long en-
dure such a condition
Last year one man in this country
collected s12.00O,OOO in the way Of
inter sst upon bonds. Out of that
$12,OOO.OOO. he did not pay 81 of
taxes for the support of the nationel
government. Any 10 men working
in the great iron mines taking these
untaxed millions from the earth Gin
GLIDING their families), paid more
to- the support of the national gov
eminent than did this man who has
grown weary in distributing his
wealth. This is one case in a thous-
and that might be cited. DO you
really think, Afford, that our govern
ment lis free of the ancient heredi-
taments that make such taxation
suitable? Are we not flirting with
phrases and betraying principles
when we so speak? What is the diff
ferance between the ancient hered-
itaments" which in feudal days per-
mitted a man to buy his tenants
when he bought his land and the
modern hereditaments' which en-
ables him to hold his vast estate
compel his employees to pay practic-
ally all the taxes for the support of
the government, which protects that
vast estate? Equality of rights"
has in some degree kinship with e.
quality of opportunity.
Much has been said that to tax
incomes is to tax energy and thrift
and to discourage ambition in gath
ering wealth. Under the amendment
which some of us advocated in the
senate, a man with an income Of
$4,000 would have paid to the gov
eminent 500 a year. This he could
well afford to pay and without, in
any way, injuring or embarrassing
his business. This he pays after the
the expenses of his business have
been paid and this he would pay on
ly when prosperous, and never when
adversely had overtaken him. But
it seems to me that we overlooked
the question of the thrift and the
energy and ambition of the other
man. What about thethousands who
work hard on farm, in factory and
mine and are unable to save enough
to lay by anything for old age, and
yet upon all that he eats and all that
he wears, he must continue to pay
the same tax as the man of great
means or starve? Statistics and in
yestigation show that one reason why
thousands of children are employed
in the manufacturing establishments
which undermine health and destroy
them for useful citizenship, is be-
cause the parents cannot earn suf-
fcient for the family without their
aid while the man who holds $1O,-
600, 600 of bonds upon that manufac-
turing plant does not pay to the ma
tional experiment any tax upon that
kind of wealth or share any burden
with those children he would sell for
his increased gain. There are those
who seem to think that it is fair to
play, against these people who must
work or starve, the whip of a rich
mans ambition.
This letter is already too long, but
let me say in conclusion that 1 do not
inveigh against wealth as such. 1
would make our laws strong and
safe in its protection and shield it
so long as it is honestly obtained,
but ] know and no one knows better
than you, that if the burdens of
government, are not more equally
distributed this extravaganza will 90