The Adair County news., 1915-04-07
The Proposed Constitutional
Amendment.
he
Editor Ne VS.


though it does not purport to be an
.editorial which is not signed by any
one, there is a full column setting
forth the woes of an imaginary tax
payer Of Kentucky. The word pict-
'ure represents man as having died
owning considerable estate equally d.
@ided on the one hand; lands, horses
cattle and other tangible personal
property. On the other hand, stocks,
bonds and other intangible personal
property. Having two children. one
"A son and the other daughter, they
are represented as being allowed to
make choice of the kind of property
they will take. The son is represent
ed as choosing lands, horses cattle
and other tangible property, and the
daughter being the wiser of the two
as having chosen bonds, stocks and
other intangible property. At this
point the daughter drops out of the
allegory, but the son is represented as
being constantly pursued, harrassed
and oppressed with burdenSome taxes,
until in dispair and anguish, he pro-
claims that "He will vote for the tax
amendment. The inference evident
ly intended to be drawn from this ar
ticle is that the sister was all right,
and was not being taxed because there
m 10 ~ IN 70 hnr hot Oh
in some way able to escape taxation,
and the brother by reason of the in
equality of the present laws Oh the
subject of taxation is being greatly
oppressed, and he would vote for the
tax amendment. But why does not
the gentlemen that produces this
horrible picture pursue the subject to
the point of telling the public what
lax amendment he refers to, and fur
Their explain how and why the amend.
nent referred to will relieve the poor,
unfortunate brother? This article
would not have been written or pub
lished except that it might be read
and considered by the people. Why
stop by picturing the unfortunate
mans woes, and ending with sub
lime climax that he ''Would vote for
the tax amendment. This unfort
unate man needs light on the subject,
Cor he must be in dire distress. He is
entitled to know and should know
what the amendment is, that is to re-
lieve him from his great burdens. If
It is Constitutional amendment that
, IS being proposed, why does the writer
not say so? Let the poor fellow look
into the present provisions on that
subject and see what they are. Why
not give the text of the proposed
amendment, and let the poor tax pay
ser decide for himself what he thinks
of it? 1t would not have taken over
,one-eighth of the column occupied by
this article to have inserted the vital
part of the tax amendment that the
writer evidently desires the tax payer
TO vote for. Fact is that this article
is evidently the forerunner of a cam
paign in favor of a constitutional
amendment proposed, in which as
heretofore, the real purpose of the
amendment and the amendment itself
IS to be carefully with held from the
people and lot of Siush from time 10
time to be published in all the papers
that will receive it for love or money,
trusting that as taxes are high the
people will be willing to vote for any
thing that promises a change The
promoters of this tax amendment
scheme well know that if the people
are led to know what the proposed
amendment is, and the purpose of its
promoters that it would be voted
down by large majority.
There are many sections in both the
present constitution and the proposed
amendment, but there are only two in
the present constitution that contain
the vital principles of taxation and
one in the proposed amendment.
Our present constitution after pro
viding that certain household goods,
church property, charitable and ed.
.ucational institutions, and crops
grown in the year of assessment shall
be exempt from taxation, has the fol-
lowing sections.
'172 All property not exempt from
taxation by this constitution shall be
assessed for taxation at its fair cash
value, estimated at the price it would
bring at a fair, voluntary sale''
Section IL. "TaXeS shall be levied
and collected for public purposes only
p They shall be uniform upon all prop