South Bend news-times., 1918-05-29

There must be an end TO thinking
Of any other nation. except America.
i When We sing "Our Country 'Tis Of
/ Thee" we must cease 10 think OF
the country Of our ancestors and
center our thoughts our hopes. our
I aspirations on our own America
This war must see the end OF
I hyQhenism. must see the end Of
+ teaching in common schools any
/ language save our own. There can
I be no reason why any person should
4 live permanently in our country
without learning the American Ian
I Euase. In no other war can We as
/ simulate the different racial stocks
that make up our population and
create in America a true national
spirit
That there are German sym pa
! thizers. agents, spies and traitors in
/ our country I have no doubt They
should he hun-ed ou. and punished
most mercilessly according 10 the
\ strict terms OF military law. hut
/ 10 Identify these despica BILE trait
orous scoundrels who would betrav
the country that his given them shell
! ter and opened 10 them and their
/ people the door Of opportunity. and
I confuse them with the millions OF
loyal Americans Of German ancentrv
is an act of the greatest injustice
INDIANA.
! But We are assembled here today
as Indiana republicans. and although
the great war is the oversha dowing
issue and all absorbing topics OF the
! day, yet I want 10 point out some OF
the achievements Of the Hoosier
state during the past fifteen months
II was hoped in the last cam
paign that the republican party
would have a safe working majority
in Doth branches Of the general as
| sem bly, and thus be able 10 AIRY
into effect the policies for which it
stood The large number Of demo-
cratic holdover senators made this
/ impossible and while the house was
republican. the senate was a tie and
we were not able 10 enact laws 10 ef-
feet all OF the promised re-
! forms.
TAN ALTON.
The question OF taxation. like the
poor. is always with US. That il has
/ by no means been solved in Indi-
ana Is admitted That under the
present law il is impossible 10 bring
a bout a fair distribution Of the bur
dens OF taxati is conceded. That
we are constantly driving men of
wealth TO a residence outside the
l.. 4
hiding. is known 10 everyone That
the grossest injustice exists between
different classes of property in our
state is beyond all dispute yet not
withstanding all this. il has been
found impossible TO change our laws,
as those who profit by the present
situation and escape the payment OF
their just share Of axat ton. are al
ways present at the legislature,
while the voice Of those who suffer
from this unjust discrimination is
not heard
Gov. Ralston. ca rly in his admin
istration appointed commission OF
experts 10 collect data. examine the
question and submit a report with
tions After an ex-
haustive study Of the question a re-
port was submitted TO the governor
land by him TO the general assem-
bly, ThS report clearly demonstrat-
ed that the burden Of taxation for
the support Of the state rested most
Iuneaually on the different counties Of
the state, some counties paying al
least FIVE times as much in proper
tion TO property owned as others,
due largely 10 the lack OF power OF
TO enforce uniformity in the method
Of assessment and basis Of valua-
tion
Wants Property Classified.
IT was also apparent that the
sa me gross inequality existed be
tween different classes Of property
the more simple its form the more
nearly was it assessed upon a uni
form basis and at IT'S fair value
and the more complex its form the
more apparent was the lack Of uni
formity in assessment and the great
er the differentiation.
The result is that the small prop
erty owner is discriminted against
in favor OF the large and OmpleA
property of the corporation of our
state
The reports on file in the public
service commission show that the
:, companies reporting 20 it are not as
, sessed i'm manner even approach
r ing uniformity. some paying less
than two per cent or their gross
r revenues in taxes. others paving az
high as fourteen per cent
There is no doubt whatever as tC
the existence or these Inequalities
, and most Of them are esta biished
, most conclusively by the report oil
/ the commission. IL is equally Ger
tain that these inequalities can bC
removed and the injusuces corrected
/ by adequate legislation and admin
, istration.
Followed Recommendations.
The report OF the commission. ir
which Gov. Ralsron concurred
recon- mended the enactment into
90 h5rF- a,IF-.