The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-06-23

y.
affected with public interest. How
far this amendment may lead the
state into enterprises which we have
heretofore regarded as foreign to its
activities may be imagined.
Uniformity
Uniformity of taxation has been the
cardinal virtue OF our constitution. 1t
Ihas been the one principle that have
given 4 stamp of character to the state
of Georgia and has reflected the right
thinking and fair dealing of her citi
zens. No citizen has opposed bearing
his portion Of the public burden. but
ne has complained when others have
escaped theirs.
The legislature In 1913 passed an
Equalization Law, the purpose Of
which was to eQualiZe the payment of
taxes, making each man pay in pro
portion to what he had. The law has
accomplished wonderful results, but
like any humand enactment. has not
achieved perfection. 1t should be
strengthened so as to accomplish its
intention.
The proposed amendment, however,
ton OF equality and seeks to give the
legislature the power to classify at
will. The property Of the butcher may
be made to pay one rate, that of the
drygoods merchant another and so on
! throughout the various industries of
life
The injustice of the suggestion
needs no argument. Justice does not
depend upon numbers, and the mani
! fest fairness of imposing lower or
heavier taxes according to the num-
| bers who happen TO own one kind Of
property instead OF another is indie
| feasible.
Lobbying Encouraged
Not only that,-the amendment, ii
adopted, would result in filing the
halls of our legislature with lobbyists
seeking to have their clients property
| kept in lower class of taxation or 10
have it put there. Professional lob
byists would find a field most attrac-
tive and most lucrative, to the profit
Of those who employ them and to the
injury of those who do not
In addition, the proposed amend
ment not only suggests that different
rates of taxation on different classes
Of property should be imposed. bur
also provides for different methods of
taxation On the different classes that
had been established by the legisla-
ture. Thus one Class of property
could be taxed under one method that
| provided for espionage and unbearable
intrusion into private affairs; another
class of property would be taxes I'M
der another method that occurred to
some legislator; and instead of all
men in the state and all property be-
ing equal in their treatment, the rules
would be as different as the caprice
OF each legislature. Even the methods
OF levying taxes may be varied in ac-
cordance with the class of property
into which it shall be placed
Other States With Different Conditions
we are cited, as an example. to a
similar provisions in the laws of other
states. 1t is we'll to understand that
it is necessary for the constitution to
be harmonious. A vest may ft one
suit of clothes and be a discord with
another. In order to understand why
such provision might be appropriate
in one state and not in Georgia, would
require an investigation of the entire
constitutional scheme.
North Dakota is offered as an ex-
ample. This is the one state in the
Union that has entered into private
business and has practically adopted
socialism as It's theory of govern
ment
Kentuck, with whose constitutional
scheme | am unfamiliar, has been Of
Tered as an example. With her, this
innovation is an experiment, and in
the life OF a state the value of ey-
perlments is to be determined by the
experience Of years. and not bv the
enthusiasm of its advocates for foo
snort time to test the innovation.
we DO know how Georgia has deyel0n.
ed under her plan OF uniformity. and
we Know that her demand for ecouo-
my and her restriction on making
debts enabled her to borrow money at
TWO percent when her sisters were
paying seven percent, and to sell her
Donds IN war times at higher price
than the state Of New York,
While one legislature today NAV he !
conservative aud Intelligent, and not
W1thstandinS Il want of limitation, NAV |
yet be just and fair, the same power |
that is given to the present legisla. |
tGre Is open to legislatures of the ru, |
ture, as /. tha membership OF which. |
and the character and intelligence of |
which, We can have no conception.
Comptroller Generals Opinion
However, in thi smatter, my 0nin-, |
ion as to the disaster and unspeakablo |
harm that this amendment would /
work upon the state OF Georgia is con |
iirmed by the opinion of the Comm
trOller General of the state. Nor
nearly half century he has occupied |
that office, and the ability, wise con !
serVatism and honest fearlessness
with which he has performed his
duties have been attested by his con /
tinu0us reelection. lie declares that |
the scheme in this amendment is ruin |
Gus beyond the expression of Ian !
guage. His report shows how the |
state of Georgia has developed from !
under the travails Of the Civil War |
until now its agricultural products |
are fourth in value among the states !
OF the Union; her factories are multi |
plying; her mills are thriving; her
banks and her merchants are pros
pering; her laborers are advancing
with the geneal prosperity in the com /
90