Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-04-18

uveIy OuuuU buIu VI uIOlley OuVSVOOC'
lively or salfishiy. The money that II u
In his power actually 10 waste u e.
cpptiingIy, limited. The bulk Of what
he hns must he spent and used for
productive purposes. just ~ would bs
the cnse II II were spent BY the gov.
eminent, with this difference, however,
shat. generally speaking. the individual
Is more painstaking and discriminating
IN the use of his funds and ut the same
time holder, more imaginative. enter.
prising and constructive than the gov.
eminent with Its necessarily bureau
cratic and routine regime possibly
could he. Money IN the hands Of the
individual IL continuously and fever
ishly on the search for opportunities
1 e., for creative and productive use.
In the hands Of the government 1t ID
apt to lose good deal of Its fructify-
ing energy and ceaseless striving and
to sink instead into placid and somno-
lent repose.
There need not he and there should
not be any conflict between profits
and patriotism. am utterly opposed
to those who would utilize their c0un.
try's war as means to enrich them.
selves. The "war protiteer." az the
term is generally understood. Is 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 ard willingness to zee
It 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.
Tho conscription Of Men.
Reverting now to the subject of the
conscription of men. know speak
the sentiment of all those beyond the
years of young manhood when | say
that there Is not one Of Us worthy Of
the name of a man who would not
willingly go to fight II the country
needed or wanted US to fight But the
country does not want or call It's en-.
tire manhood to fight. 1t does not
even call anywhere near its entire
young manhood. II has called or In.
tends to call In the Immediate future
perhaps Is per cent. of Its men he
tween twenty and thirty years Of age,
which means probably about per
cent. Of its total male population of all
ages. But It 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. n.
c. 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 proportIonateIy greater
numbers than the children Of the poor
because those young men who are need
ed at home to support dependents or to
maintain essential war industries are
exempted from the draft.
Our Laws Favor Sons Of the Poor.
The draft exemption regulations die
eliminate not, az In former wars. In
favor Of the rich mans son. but In
favor Of the poor woman's son.
realize bu. too well that the burden
Of the abnormaIly high cost OF living
caused largely by the war, weighs henv.
lily indeed upon wage earners and still
more upon men and women with mod.
crate salaries. l yield to no one in my
desire to see everything done that ID
practicable to have that burden lights
ened. But excessive taxation on capital
will not accomplish that: on the con.
trary, It will tend to intensity the trou,
BILE.
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 suffer.
History has shown over and over again
that the laws of economics cannot he
defied with impunity and that the re.
sulting penalty falls upon all sections
and classes.
The question Of the individual IL not
the one that counts The question Ia
not what sacrifices capital should and
would be willing to bear II called upon,