The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1918-03-16

productive purposes. just as would be
the case II II were spent by the gov
eminent, with this difference. however
that. generally speaking, the individual
is more palnstaking and discriminating
In the use of his funds and at the same
time holder, more imaginative, enter
prisIng and constructive than the gov
ernmen with its necessarily bureau
cratic and routine regime possibly
could be. Money in the hands OF the
individual is continuously and fever
lshly on the search for opportunities
ii e.. for creative and productive use.
In the hands of the government ii is apt
TO lose a good zeal of its fructifying
energy and ceaseless striving and to
sink instead into placid and somnolent
repose.
There need not be and there should
not be any conflict between profits
and patriotism am utterly opposed
to those who would utilize their coun-
try's war as a means to enrich them
selves. The war pro1teer," as the
term is generally understood, Is a pub
lie nuisance and an ignominy. Extor-
tionate profits must not be tolerated.
but, on the other hand, there should
be a reasonably liberal disposition to
ward business and a willingness to see
1t make substantial earnings.
For. taxation presupposes earnings.
Our credit structure is based upon
values, and values are largely deter
mined by earnings. Shrinkage OF
values necessarily affects our capacity
to provide the government with the
sinews of war
Reverting now to the subject OF the
conscription of men, | know l speak
the sentiment of all those beyond the
years Of young manhood when ] say
that there is o one of US worthy of
the name of 9 a who would not
willingly go to fight If the country
needed OF wanted US to fight. But the
country does not want or call its en-.
tire manhood to fight. 1t does not
even call anywhere neal its entire
young manhood. 1t has called or In.
tends to call in the immediate future
perhaps 25 per cent. of Its men be-
tween twenty and thirty years of z
which probably about 4 per
cent. Of It's total male population of all
ages. But 1t has called from incomes,
business profits and other imposts fall.
ing principally on the well to do. ap.
proximately ninety per cent of our
war taxation, not to mention the con.
tributions to the Red Cross, the Y. NJ
G. A. and other war relief activities.
Let me add in passing that the chill.
dren Of the we'll to do have been taken
for the war in proportionately greater
numbers than the children OF the poor,
because those young men who are
needed at home to support dependents
or to maintain essential war industries
are exempted from the draft
The draft exemption regulations dis
criminate not, az In former wars, In
favor of the rich mans son., but In
favor Of the poor woman's son.
realize but too well that the bur.
den of the abnormally high cost OF
living. caused largely by the war,
weighs heavily indeed upon wage earn.
ers and still more upon men and wo-
men with moderate salaries. / yield
to no one in my desire to see every.
thing done that Is practicable to have
that burden lightened. But excessive
taxation on capital will not accom-
plish that; on the contrary. it will
tend q intensity the trouble.
Taxation must be sound and wise
and scientific and cannot be laid in q
haphazard way or on impulse or &C
cording to considerations Of politics
otherwise the whole country will suf
fer. History has shown over and over
again that the laws of economics can
not be defied with impunity and thai
the resulting penalty falls upon all
sections and classes.
The question of the individual is not
the n that counts. The question Is
rot VIVA; sacrifices capital should and
would be willing to bear II called upon
but what taxes II Is to the public ad.
vantage to impose.
do not say all this to plead for a
reduction of the taxation on wealth OF