The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-11-19

sts-ld squarely behind the commits
sion in Its efforts to give the state
a new and equitable taxation system.
The commission, as has already
bee reported in the columns of THIS
paper, has recommended six changes
in the constitution.
Two of these amendments would
permit the classification of proper
ty. 1t would enable the commission
to apsess a public service corpora
ton like an express company
most of whose property consists of
its right to do business-upon the
value Of it's charter. Every one should
be in favor of this change without
a moments hesitation.
A third amendment is designed
particularly to permit an income tax
such as that in use in Wisconsin,
a tax which cannot be lodged like
a tax on moneys and credits. AS the
large majority favored a federal in
come tax, SO should a large majority
favor a state income tax. There
should be no question about this
amendment.
The fourth amendment proposes
to strike out entirely the provision
3aa'liring the taxation of moneys
and credits. On this subject the com
mission says: "The class of property
mentioned can never be made to con-
tribute equally with tangible prop
erty. Practically no more UNEQUAL
ystem could be contrived than by
attempting to assess moneys ana
credits, stocks, bonds. ETC., on the
same basis with Tangible property.
The present system puts a premium
on perjury and a penalty on integ-
rity." This opinion is held by every
authority on taxation in the United
States, This tax has been worse
than a joke. It has served to reach
mainly a few widows or compare
lively poor retired old men by taxing
a mortgage or two representing all
they have in the world. The better
plan is to tax incomes. 1t is not ONLY
more just but 1t is more effective.
The remaining two amend
ments propose to give to the
legislature the right to say what prop
erty, if any. shall be exempt. This
should not be done by constitutional
provision asS conditions will change
from time to time and what would
Be a fair exemption at one time
would not be at another.
1t seems to The Republican highly
important that these amendments
should be ratified at the next gen
eral election. TO that end they
should be given the right of way.
IT may be hoped that their success
will not be je%opardized by the sub
mission at~the same time of any 9TH
'er amendments certain to be reject
ed n certain also to start a heed
less vote no" campaign that would
defeat good, bad and Indifferent.
AMERICAN SYMPATHIES IN THE
WAR.
The Literary Digest:-Much talk
ts heard about American sympathy
in the European War;, but thus far
1T has had no basis except hearsay
or very limited personal observation.
Do q majority OF the American press
or the American people favor the
Germans or the Allies? To approach
an answer to this question we have
obtained statements from between
$50 and 400 editors. telling their
own attitudes and the feelings of
their communities toward the war
ring nations. We need hardly say
that we give, the result of this in
quiry entirely without partizanship,
and-purely for our readers informa-
ton. The replies cover the country
from the Atlantic to the. Pacific and
from Mexico to the Canadian border.
They can not very well be woven
into q connected narrative, but the
reader who scans the summary pre-
scented here will find the country di-
vided into large areas where the feel
ing is preponderately for one side or
the other. or is so mixed as to be
neutral. Yet the sympathy on either
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