Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-03

i Al ~ ~. " w SuS kVAt~t ~ 49, - bsAs~~>
States governments to impose extra
heavy taxatiou upon the present gen.
GRAFTON. the senate progfessive6 are on
the right track when they insist upon
raising the rate OF taxation upon war
profits.
The United States cannot perform
miracles. II cannot expend millions
without facing reckoning. II the
government insists upon trying to pay
for the war as 1t is fought. the people
Of this generation may as well pre-
pare for the worst. The blow will be
aimed at the rich, but 1t will fall upon
the poor.
War profits are legitimate spoil OF
the tax gatherer. These profits re-
present excessive prices. collected eth
er from allies of the United States or
from the government itself. In either
case the surplus profit belongs in the
treasury. II congress can devise a
method Of collecting this tax so that
the corporations will not squirm out oil
the tolls it will be doing we'll. Another
good source of taxes is the piled-up
surplus of many rich corporations. This
surplus represents fat dividends which
t al y / i,;1ute. Let the government neip
itself The money came from the peo-
pie. let it go back TO them.
Soon, however. there will be an end
Of these resources. There cannot be
excess profits under government dicta-
torship Of industry. If prices are to be
fixed, they will be fixed on the basis Of
reasonable" profit, not excessive pro-
fit. In his classic letter to American
manufacturers, telling them to cut out
profiteering, President Wilson wrote:
Il hear 1t insisted that more than a
just price. more than price that VIII
sustain our industries, must be paid
that It Is necessary to pay very liberal
and unusual profits In order to slim
ulate production; that nothing but
peeuniary rewards will do it-rewards
paid In money. not in the mere liberia
ton of the world 1t In fnconceiv-
able 49, Many xrfevous burden Of
taxation will be laid on this nation IN
this generation and in the next to pay
for this war. Let US see to 1t that TOT
every dollar that is taken from the peo-
pies pockets it shall be possible 10
obtain a dollars worth OF the sound
stuffs they need"
That Is more than common sense. 1t
is the inspired will Of the American
people. Industry must conform to
every syllable Of IL. Consequently there
will be no excess profits. When the
cream has been SKINNED in the COM
Ing revenue taxation, there will be no
more. Then the burden will fall upon
the common people, not upon the war
profits.
Who are the common people? They
are the ones who are sending their
sons to France. The red sign Will be
on the Intel of many a door, signifyins
that the hrst-born has been taken. In
many cases the soldier-boy was the
wage-e Garner. The people at home must
get along as best they can. Is 1t wise
TO seek out ways to put extra taxes
upon them? Must this great rich ma
ton put a load upon it's people such as
is carried by the poems Of Mexico?
When this generation pays fair
share OF taxes and contributes It's
blood besides to the cause Of liberty. II
has done all that should be demand
ed of any generation. Posterity. in
heritor Of the liberty that VIII be pur-
chased by the blood OF this generation,
should be compelled to pay heavy In
heritance tax on liberty. Champ Clark
suggests that posterity may have wars
of its own. We admit that, but we
insist that posterity will never have to
fight Germany II this generation per-
forms It's duty thoroughly. American
liberty win be unassailable II this war
is fought to a finish. The present gem
Grafton is ready to do this work. and It
can successfully accomplish the task
Il IL is not overtaxed.-Washington
Post.