Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1919-04-10
TALKS ON 4 NEW
TAXATION SYSTEM

Continued from page one)
the grand climax-the income tax
law. The income tax law is the most
lust law of all, after all, worked out
in the most unworthy fashion. II is
too bunglesome, it is too easily beat
en- and it is unjust Again, suppose
buy lot with the intention of build
ing house on it, but times become
adverse and | am unable to build the
house. Although | paid for the lot
in the beginning every year ! have TO
pay for it again, IN taxes to Uncle
Sam. II the boom in the town sub
sides, ! find ! am finally paying as
much I'M taxes as the lot is worth, and
if ! am wise, | get rid Of 1t or let
Uncle Sam take it for the amount Of
the taxes.
Now what ! preach tonight is this,
that ! want you TO own your proper
ties. am not a Bolshevik nor a
Socialist. With the Bolshevists, if
you don't agree with them they will
kill you on the spot, while the Soc
ialists will let you starve TO death
for their motto is this, IF man will
not work, neither shall he eat" Now
that is a good saying and was sup
posedly said by the inspiration of
God through the Scriptures. But
that is a principle. God never said
10 enforce that on your neighbor and
He never made us the judges Of those
10 be brought under that principle.
The principle will come of itself to
the man who doesn't work-he won't
be able to eat, nor able to support his
family
Another thing. the present system
is the system that allows men TO pull
the wires. and "he that hath" can pull
the wires the best and fill ali the
best offices in the land The little
fellow can't get hold of any of these
offices because ne cannot pull the
wires. Now suppose he is thrown out
of a job through the poor economic
working conditions which does not
create jobs. What does that system
mean? 1t means that it is not only
an oppression TO himself but also to
his family, for it does not supply the
necessary means for their support
thereby creating condition that may
be not only an oppression unto want
but even unto death.
We want 10 inaugurate a system
that is just TO the rich man, the
middle man and the poor man, the
laborer. The laborer is not a poor
man. There wouldn't be any poor
men if you didn't make them. The
present system of taxation is one of
the main factors in making poor men.
Well. how is the system going 20
work have told you the main
factor in it. the simple part of it, that
is the interchanging of moneys and
the tax on the profits. Money does
MT depreciate on this tax. and keep
in mind what | have told you-the
man who receives the money pays the
tax. remember that. The man who
receives the money is the man who
is making the profits. and it is mere
ly part Of his profits that is going
to be taxed. You can see very plain
ly that there is no debt created when
the tax is paid right on the spot
through the use Of these stamps. But
supposing some big deal has been
pulled off and asupicion has been
created that the man who sold and
the man who bought had an agree
ment TO beat Uncle Sam, that is, TO
forget the tax. All the commissioner
has to do to find out is 10 examine
the books and the last dates, and if
everything satisfies him and the bust
ness corresponds TO the deal he says
no more. There is the best check on
any crookedness that could possibly
be. Not only that but every man
would be filed with the fire Of liberty
and freedom; he would be walking in
the paths Of just living We don't
want TO hurt the rich man, what we
want is to be on an equal in paying
our just dues with the rich man. II
anybody should pay the more il
should be the big fellow. but we don't
want it so. We just want him to pay
his share and the laboring man to
pay his share.
Well. then the question comes up.
How are you going to work it out
Will one per cent be enough ?" One
per cent in place of bringing in
enough 20 run the government will
bring in billions because every time
money changes hands. money goes 20
Uncle Sam, and in place Of bringing
in what runs the government now, it
will bring in billions more and we will
have more Improvements. We will
have good roads from the Atlantic TO
the Pacific and we will have every
where increasing improvements. We
will have no taxes on real estate and
we will have no taxes on personal
property. Now as il is contemplated
that we use this money TO our best
advantage. that is, that viii accrue TO
our least annoyance, that will not
permit; or that will deter as much as
possible TO the presentation Of bills
for payment, in order TO cut down
the number of collectors that may
call upon US. may we not under this
system have our electric lights. our
gas, our water. or sewer privileges,
etc. paid for in rural districts as well
as in city out of the common fund =?
As said improvements are to be car
ried and pushed through the country
at large as fast as brain, muscle and
machinery can accomplish il.
You ask il one er cent will do all ?
! say IL will. II has been figured out
BY an authority that one tenth of one