Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1919-11-01
RIGHT THINKING MUST
PRECEDE RIGHT ACTION
Mr.. Hennessy Delivers Able Address
to Bergen County Lodge, |. o. o. r.
Touches Upon Taxation.

The seventh of the series of lee
lures arranged by Past Grand Sam
uel Kraft upon the suggestion of No
( BILE Grand Chas. Mackay was held
last Monday night at Odd Fellows
Hall, Hackensack. Chairman Edgar
Wigglesworth presided
Former Senator Charles O'Connor
Hennessey addressed the members of
the Bergen county Lodge, by invita-
ton, upon the topic of Public Opin-
ion and taxation"
Mr.. Hennessy complimented the Off
GERS of the lodge upon their series
of meetings to promote discussion up
on interesting public questions
Among other things, he said:
'In view of the distracted condi-
ton of the country today, no more
patriotic duty rests upon any body of
citizens than that of promoting
through free discussion, the process
OF right thinking about public ques-
lions. This is true not only of our own
country, but of all the countries
where government rests upon public
opinion The proverb of Solomon
that AS a man thinketh, so is he,' is
equally true of groups of men, of
communities, states and nations. Re-
cent events have made it evident to
thinking men that after we have made
the world safe for democracy there
still remains the greater problem
of making democracy safe for
the world. This can only be ac-
complished when the masses of peo-
pie who rule the world are animated
hyy hn oh 90 tod
ciples of Justice in the settlement of
the relations between the govern
ment and citizen, and between man
and man. Most of the disloCations in
our social and political system are due
to wrong thinking or no thinking at
all.
THE average man, whether rich or
poor, will respond to the truth when
he understands it, and will, in his DO
litical relations, aim to produce just
conditions of living, not only for him.
self, but for his neighhors. Whether
a public question be great or small
whether it be the question of a
League of Nations designed to put an
end to war in international dealings
or whether the question be as to the
effect of taxation in it's bearing upon
the material prosperity of a people,
right thinking must precede right ac-
ton. Therefore there can be no duty
of citizenship higher or more insist
ent than that men shall meet togeth
er from time to time in the spirit of
tolerant discussion Of their common
problems in order that they may ar
rive at the knowledge of truth-the
truth that shall set them free"
In his discussion on the question of
taxation, Mr.. Hennessy pointed out
that the most important aspect of ev-
cry tax was what the economists call
its incidence-that is, the manner in
which it affects production and bust
ness. Obviously, he said, govern
ment in raising revenue should so
contrive it's tax burdens as to
stimulate and encourage, rather than
discourage thrift and industry. All
taxes upon trade OF production tend,
naturally, to the increase of prices to
consumers and therefore a really just
taxation system was one that could
raise the largest amount of revenue
with the least interference with the
processes of trade and production. He
believed in a total abolition of per-
sonal property taxation and the utili-
mate transfer, by gradual steps, of all
taxes upon the products of capital and
labor to land values, irrespective of
improvements.
After the lecture a banquet was
served to the members and guests at
the main banquet hall.