Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1912-01-19
TAXES-FAlR AND UNFAIR.
By Frank U. Russell.

Our preseRt tax laws we're but re-
Gently bitterly aSSailed, but they were
strong enough to survive the attack.
The wise men who framed them
wrought web; yet few perfect laws
exist outside the Decalogue, and there
IL no denying that the Kansas tax
laws are moi thoroughly economical
or altogether rlSt. The banner Of pro-
gresS cannot be carried in behalf Of a
better cause than that Of eTery6ody's
issue. namely, The improvement Of
rhe. Tax Laws"
The opinion is current among the
people that our present tax system
costs too much in its operation. If
We can harvest a crop OF wheat for
IN expenditure Of $500 it is folly TO
pay $500 for the sane work with no
better results. While We must raise
whatever money We need to pay the
COS; OF good government, yet We
should use the most economical meth
DDS TO procure il. We need 10 simpli-
y our system of assessment; it is
too intricate and expensive.
The mos. impressive tax that V.
have is The one required 10 be paid
on properly inherited. An inheritance
tax is fair only as + tends TO throw
the heavier burdens of taxation upon
Weal-a not earned by. or necessary
%, the pOsSeSsOr. Our present tax
GpplieS TO values OF $1,000 and over
m some instances, and of $4,000 and
over in Otha- instances. Now he
men who are dying in Kansas. leay-
Ing estates that are reached BY this
Tax. are largely the pioneers of the
stale, the men who by years of toll
AM sacrifice have made this common
wealth rich and poSperOuS-they who
have made this erStwhile desert bios
son as the rose. If such one with
he aid Of q good wife and dutiful
Children, has accumulated the home
AM the means for living 10 his de-
pendent ones. il IS unfair TO place a
special tax upon the shares The wild
ow and the children inherit-Shares
thal are eQuiiably theirs by reason Of
their toll expended in helping their
husband and father TO "ge, "a little
ahead, shares that perchance they
need 70 project their future lives
from danger OF want. The widow has
pad out her work, her health, her
tore'hought and care throughout the
beS' yeaTS Of her life for her share,
and The boys and girls have herded
cattle, MIXED COWS and driven the
Teams that pulled the plows, drills
and havesters, 70 earn theirs. So a
special tax like this one is unjus.
and its injustice falls heaviest on
ahe widow and rhe orphan.
The Legislature thai made this law
was trying TO remedy an evil doubt
less, but it only aggravated i. It
reminds one Of the old, odd story Of
Pat, " who having accidentally swaL
lowed a mouse, placed a piece OF
cheese on his tongue, put the cat on
the table before him, opened his
mouth and awaited results. The
mouse came up for the chees all
right, but IN the scrimmage that fol-
lowed Pat" swallowed mouse, chees,
and all. So his condition was
worse than before. In trying to per.
feet the tax laws the Legislature ap
pears to have swallowed the cat"
Everybody considers double taxa
ton Of certain values to be an unjust
fact, and everybody knows that It oc
Guns sometimes under the present syS
TEN. Some men defend it on the ples
q sxpediency but e1pediency ought
always to yield to the demands o.
Justice.
One instance viii serve to illus
trate the matter: Jones buys farm
from Brown for $1,000, being only
able to pay $1,000 in cash. and giving
his note and mortgage for the othel
5000. The assessor assesses the lani
at perhaps 5000. and the mOrtgag'
at 5000 also This makes $4,000 q