Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-09-16


considerable opposition to the pro-
posed income tax is being worked
up. II will be remembered that the
recently enacted tariff law makes a
provision for an amendment to the
constitution of the United States
that will allow of such a tax being
levied. An amendment to the fed
eral constitution. to become opera
tive, must be ratified by the lcgisla-
lures of three fourths of the states.
Ii would seem that the income tax
is an ideal method of raising a part
of the nations revenue. If a man or
woman has become wealthy through
the opportunities provided by a sys-
tenn of good government that has
made life and property safe. GER
tainly that person should contribute
a larger share than the poor man.
Furthermore. in case of war, the
protection of the property of the
wealthy corporation or individual
rests on the army and navy, thus
creating a larger expense for its
protection than for the protection
of the property of the individual
with lesser means. In case of a des-
perate conflict, the nation has the
right to call on any of its inhabitants
to come to its defense. The nation
as in the civil war can even draft
or conscript its people to unwilling
service i'm the army or navy. The
great mass of the defenders of the
country will of necessity be men of
small property. If it is right and
lawful TO compel a man to involun-
tarily offer his life for the protection
of the country's wealth, it is GER
tainly only just that those of large
material holdings should stand a
larger prorata share of the coun-
try's expenses than is put upon the
poor man. Our declaration of indie
pendence lays stress upon life,
liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness" as the things most desirable
in this world. Certainly there would
not be legitimate reason for un-
happiness on the part OF a man
worth his hundreds of thousands, or
his millions, should he be asked to
contribute to governmental ex-
penses in larger degree than the
man whose income is all required in
the procurement Of the everyday
necessaries and cheaper comforts of
life.
The income tax is not an innova-
ton in national legislation. Nearly
every other civilized nation has such
tax. England, the land from
which our colonial forbcars were
chiefly descended, has for many
years had an income tax, and there
is in 'the tight little isle" never a
question asked as To it's necessity
and business as a means for assist
ing in the raising of the required
national revenue. The struggle for
existence under a worldwide sytem
of competition makes human nature
selfish. 1t is often said of a man
that 1.-The more he has the more he
wants. This saying seems to apply
IN larger degree to the immensely
rich in this country than TO those
who possess less and who have no
hope of becoming milIionaires. 1t
is only by law that the very rich can
be made to contribute their lust
share to the easing of the public
burdens of a financial character.
The colossal complaint of the
Union soldiers OF the civil war a
feeling which gave great impetus
to the greenback and the free-silver
movements was the knowledge
that injustice had been done to the
soldiers by requiring them to take
their meagcr pay in paper currency,
while the bond holders whose money
fought in the war were being paid
in gold. In other words, money was
paid hundred cents on the dollar
for its services, while blood received
in the last years of the conflict less
than an average of forty cents on
the dollar. There is feeling
among the middle class in this coun-
try people who are not in the least
of socialistic tendencies that the
immense fortunes of the United
States should do more than they
have been doing in the matter of
bearing their proper share of the
public burdens. An income tax,
promptly and uncomplainingly paid
by the people of great wealth, would
do much to lessen the growing feel
ing of antagonism to the rich,
caused largely by the belief that
they. by snbterfuge and conceal
ment. havd escaped a fair taxation