Mexico weekly ledger., 1912-05-30
c. F. CLARK ON
TAX AMENDMENT

10 the Editors Of the Ledger;
This is a very strong organization
with thousands Of men, millions Of
money, and lots of brain behind It. |
They have been at work for a num-
Der Of years with the purpose IN
view of repeating that portion Of the
organic law OF our state. which re-
luires that all property shall bear its
Just and equal share Of the burdens
OF taxation. and enact in lieu thereof
by an Initiative petition to be voted
upon at the November election, a
section that will place all the bur
den OF taxation. State. County, |
Township, School, Road and Municipal /,
upon the lands of the State, (inde-
pendent of Improvements thereon or
therein) and franchises for public
service utilities.
The proposed law provides that the
land and public service utilities shall
be assessed for taxation at their true
and cash value and that the constitu-
tional limitations in regard to the
rate OF taxation for State, County,
Road, School and Municipal purposes
be repealed. They then propose to
dump all owners of land and
the owners OF pubic service
utility corporat'ous in.o the
laps of a few high price commission
lers this Bill creates, with power 10
conflscate our property ut their pleas
use, The limitatioHis in the rate of
taxation above mentioned is one of
the wisest sections ever written into
the organic law of any state and new
er should be repealed.
What do property rights amount to
unless they are safe-guarded by the
constitutional law of the land?
Section of this proposed constitu-
tional amendment prohibits this levy
+ or collection of any poa ia
or any tax whatever on
amy person, firm, merchant, manufa
turer. trade. labor, business, occupa-
ton or profession, under the form or
pretext of a license for revenue after
December 81, 1918. excepting in the
interests of public peace. health or
safety. This section as / view it is
only bid for votes and when they
unite the strength bought in this
way with the moneyed, banking and
bond-hold'ng interests of our State
and relieve from taxation all build
ings OF every kind anddeseriptfon and
all personal property, as provided un-
der the terms of this Bill. it viii
certainly become very dangerous
proposition and should receive the
dlsapproval OF every good citizen
who believes in a square deal
We all know 1t costs money to es-
: tahlish and maintain governments,
either national state, county or mu-
!. nicipal and if we wish to enjoy these
blessings, we should be willing to
pay the price and the only equitable
way Of obtaining that price is to re-
qulre all property real or personal
tangible or intangible, 10 bear its
Just and equal proportion Of the
burden To relieve the bankers and
moneyed class of bearing their hon
est and just proportion ofgovernmeni
al expenses, as this Bill seeks to
do, Is unrAmerican and dishonest. 0u
fat-mers are. the salt Of the earth.
the backbore OF oar state, and
would like 70 know what they havt
done tba, they should he made beas'
ii Of burden
n will say to my farmer friends
+ and to all others who believe II
II what Is right and hate what i
wrong that they should walSen up be
fore we are tied hand and foot ann
organize to fight down this in
famous scheme
Respectfully,
@. F, CLARK.