Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-05-30

lNooAu W. No'>J AL SAS Va SAS
individual is continuously and fever
ishly on the search for opportunities
L e., for creative and productive use
In the hands Of the government it ID
apt to lose a good deal Of It's fructify.
ing energy and ceaseless striving and
to sink instead into placid and SOM
nolent repose.
There need not be and there should
not be any conflict, between profits
and patriotism. l am utterly opposed
to those who would utilize their coun,
try's war as a means to enrich them.
selves. The war p%roiteer," as the
tern 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
q reasonably liberal disposition toward
business sgd a willingness to see II
make substantial earnings.
For, taxation presupposes earnings.
Our credit structure is based upon
values, and values are largely deter
mined by earnings. S%hrinkage of
values necessarily affects our capacity
to provide the government with the
sinews Of war.
The CONSUMPTION of Men.
Reverting now TO the subject Of the
CONSUMPTION Of men, I know l 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 d man who would not
willingly 60 to fight If the. country
needed or wanted us to fight. But the
country does not want or call its en-
tire manhood to fight. It. does not
even call anywhere near its entire
young manhood. 1t has called or in
tends to call in the immediate future
perhaps 25 per cent. of it's men be-
tween twenty and thirty years of age,
which means probably about q 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.
c. A. and other wal 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
needed at home to support dependents
or to maintain essential way industries
are exempted from the draft.
Our Laws Favor Sons of the Poor.
The draft exemption regulations dis.
criminate not, as 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 burden
Of the abnormallye high cost of living
caused largely by the war, weighs heay
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 is
practicable to have that burden light
ened. But excessive taxation on CAPT
tai will not accomplish that; on the
contrary, 1t will tend to Intensity thu
trouble.
Taxation must be sound and wis
and scientific and cannot be laid in
h%aphazard way or on impulse or &C
cording to considerations Of politics
otherwise the whole country will suffer
History has shown over and over agai
that the laws Of economics cannot b
de6ed with lmpunity and that the r.
sulting penalty falls upon all section
and classes.
The question of the individual is nc
the one that counts. The question
. not what sacrifices capita, should an
would be willing to bear II called upol
but what taxes 1t In TO the public a.
vantage to impose.
+ ] do not say all this to plead for
u reduction OF the taxation on wealth
In order tc urge that no additions
taxes be imnosed on wealth If need b
There is nc limit to the burden whit
H. time OF stress and strain thoi
j. must be willing to bear who can affol
II except ONLY that limit which is II
Ia posed by thu consideration that tax
II ton must no, reach a point where Il