The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-19
URGE VOTERS
CONTINUED from Page One)

proper and desirable amendment for
this reason: the law calling for the
special election Sept 6 says in effect
that any amendment to be adopted
must receive number of affirmative
votes greater than the number Of mega
tive votes and also that the number
of affirmative votes must equal ma
jority of the entire number of votes
cast in the election. 1t is easily seen
that If a great number of votes is cast
for one amendment and a considerably
| smaller vote is cast for the other
amendments, the other amendments
might fail not because they did not re-
ceive number of affirmative votes
greater than the number of negative
votes, but because the number Of af
firmative votes did not equal a ma
jority of all of the votes cast for the
amendment which received the great
est nu.nber of votes.
Taxation Interests
: This matter is important because
even now there are indications that
the greatest interest is being taken
in two of the amendments, those re-
lating to taxation. But this great in
terest in the taxation amendments
might easily result in the defeat of
other amendments.
| 1t may be of interest to note that
the special election will be conducted
| in about the same manner of other
I elections except that the regulations
in regard to registration Of voters may
! be disregarded. Each voting place
will have an election board appointed
| in the usual manner and the voting
will be on white paper ballots. The
amendments will be printed on the
ballots and the actual voting will re-
quire merely the marking of a cross
in the square opposite the word Yes"
or the word NO.
An impression has gone out that
, those who are responsible for calling
statewide conference on the amend
ments are in reality opposed to the
constitutional changes proposed. This
impression arises probably because
the movement was started by the Tax
payers league of Indianapolis. which
is made up of rather extensive prop
erty owners. In the legislative ses-
sion the two proposed tax amendments
were opposed by number of Indiana
. polls business men. However the
conference plans now seem to be in
the hands of the governor and it is
very well understood that he is In
no way prejudiced against any of the
amendments. In fact he is strongly
for most il not all of them.
Income Tax Possible.
| One of the amendments on taxation
: would make possible the levying of an
| income tax and the other would au-
thorize the legislature to establish a
| system of taxation for the state. The
second named amendment is the more
! important because if it is adopted it
will be in the power of the legislature
to provide for an income tax The
chief advantage to be gained from the
adoption of the important taxation
| amendment will be the possibility OF
providing for the classification OF
! property for taxation.
1t would make possible for example
the placing of lower rate of taxation
on intangible securities, and this it
| is argued by some would bring many
! of the intangibles from their hiding
places. The chief argument against
! the taxation amendment is that it will
again cause an upheaval in the taxa
! ton system of the state and that with
the Legislature continually "monkeying
, with and making changes in the tax
! system, business men will never know
exactly where they are. The business
| disturbance and dissatisfaction that at
/ tended the early operation of the tax
! law enacted by the Goodrich admins