Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-03-03
SOAKING Rockefeller

Soaking Rockefeller
The $l2, 10000 claim OF the Tax Commissioners Ot
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, against MI. Rockefeller, pre-.
SCENTS some very interesting phases, especially In view
Of the fact that they will serve to bring out q public
record of the resources Of the founder and chief
shareholder Of the Standard Oil and it's subsidiaries.
Says the Pittsuurg Gazette-Times: r~f: -.
THE issue with regard to assessment and payment,
however, depends upon the matter of residence. TIE
commissioners assert that Mr.. Rockefeller is q legal
resident OF Cleveland. Upon that subject he has pre-.
served an impassive silence. Should he claim legal
residence in the State Of New York his tax return to
the Cuyahoga commissioners may be less satisfying
to the officials and the curious than If he admits
their contentious. 1t will be hoped, whatever view
Mr.. Rockefeller may take and whatever may be
the fact of his residence, that he will adopt a course
to satisfy the long yearning to know just what pro-
portion. of the national wealth he possesses. 1t has
been a matter Of earnest and even acrid controversy"
Continuing the Gazette-Times expresses the hope
that, Mr.. Rockefeller~wil see his way clear to make
a clean breast of what he is worth in a property
way" and concludes: % u g@' il.
"Mr. Rockefeller's wealth has been much trouble
TO- him aud g. lot of other, people since long before he
attained the .tuneful age; Of the psalmist, thus prov.
Ing that Immortal truth resides in the first declaration
OF the 'couplet, whatever may be said of the second
one: The Cuyahoga tax collectors and many more
are anxious to divide the trouble of MI. Rockefeller'.
wealth with him by taking as much of it as they can
get. Countless thousands will be content to- share
the information which is in his possession and thus
aidEin some degree to relieve his mind OF. an oppres.
siye weight" ..< ..ga
Soaking Rockefeller" is the way the Ithaca Jour-
NQl avioua 'ttoE ci1,Iof ~ & = In,o,o-, A,,,.., F. -'f, -H
cleveland is INDUCING in: a pipe dream. so far as
ANYBODY is taking the $i2,0Oo,O0o or $1S,Oo0,Oo0 seri.
ously. MI. Rockefeller's lawyer says that he is d
taxpayer in,ENews York; that no freak law can change
that fact and make him also q resident of Cleveland
because he happens to be detained there through un.
~ayoidable circumstances. MI Rockefeller. win fight
the case to the bitter end says the lawyer. But
We doubt II there will. be any bitter end. It looks
on the face Of it as If they were trying to get at
MI: Rockefeller simply because he has enormous
wealth; that a. like case would hardly have been
brought against any ordinary, even well.to1lo tax.
payer" &,f ~ IL ),
The Indianapolis Star is Of the same mind and
believes that the commissioners Of good sense in
exacting such a heavy tax. The Star declares:
1t looks a good deal like q "%holdup' oil the part
Of, the State Of Ohio through the Cuyahoga County
onicers, and not any the less so because Mr.. Rookie.
1eher Is an enormously wealthy man and able to pay
double taxes on his property. Injustice is not altered
~ Character by the personality of the man on whom
It Is visited. Mr.. Rockefeller may not be the most
popular Of persons. but he has added something 10
Clevelsnd's, fame and prosperity, first and last, and
hardly seems to deserve a treatment that will drive
him away from the State permanently. The best
thing: Ohio can do is to repeal its foolish law as soon
as possible
Inc Baltimore American makes this brief sally:
III Cleveland can collect all the taxes it now claims
is due from John D. Rockefeller, it can bring down
the tax rate. Grevel in: civic luxuries and live happy
forever after" .,>> .-. ~
A KISS on the side Of a girls head, above the ear,
IS not worth any. $4,000. ~.>"r. :.
= Those words of warning about entangling foreign
enhances. showed a large amount Of prophetic sense.
The personal affections Of MI. Carnegie are watt
cd on the Peace. doves wings through both .hemi-
spheres. J..
- -.%-2 - Il - - ',
sunragists avoid complicating the street cleaning
,NfOhIamS nv mt - o,,,a,- e. ~ H.-E :,