San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-02
LABORING FOR TAXATION

The reports, OF bolshevism. that come
from Mexico are not rcassuring as to the
economic future OF that country. 1t Is an
nounced that the governors OF several
states have gone to Russia for the purpose
OF studying at first hand the Workings OF
the soviet system and applying them II
possible to conditions in Mexico.
In several of the Mexican states an CT
tort has been made 10 compel people pos
scsscd OF capital to pay fifty per cent OF
their income to the public funds. The re-
suit has been, as any child might have for
seen, that the owners OF capital have
simply ceased to strive Tor an income and
are eating up their principal This con-
dition is a natural and inevitable conse-
uuence OF such a vicious system OF
taxation.
ANY tax is lair and equitable that bears
upon all alike. 1t may be burdensomc, OPP
Dressivc to the last degree, even confisca-
tory. 1t may be any one OF these to an eN-
tent that renders it economically unwisc
and injurious However. il it applies equal
" TO all it may have all sorts OF defects
! ana sui DC IAN ~ lllS IilIENho VI TN
nation in which it is operative.
Ii the workers OF capital in Mexico
are to be taxed fifty per cent OF their IN
come. every other person should be taxed
accordingly. The tax might be graded
to the income as is the case with Our own
income tax, but to levy a tax upon some
individuals that does not apply to others
is simply to create discord, endless trouble
and to sow the seeds OF an inevitable
revolution.
Men will not work for anything save
their own advantage. They are willing
to divide with the public a proper share
OF the income from their labor. but they
will not surrender all OF it nor the greatest
part of it. That has been the economic
history of the world and it will always be
the economic history of the world. 1t Is
such a simple elementary TACT that il
seems remarkably strange that govern
ments should ignore it or seek to gc
around it. Men will not work for the tau
collector They never have done it; they
never will do it. Any taxation system
that is founded on the belief that they
viii, is doomed to defeat And whatever
defeats a taxation system throws an eco
nomic system into disorder and seriou!
trouble is certain to follow.
The great detect with the bol,hcyil
idea of practical cOniiscation OF wealth i
that it cannot guarantee that the maj
whose wealth has been taken away vii
: 60 on and create more wealth. Up to
certain point wealth can live upon itself
1t will be in the position OF the ginger
bread man who ran away and was over
taken by a foN who commenced to dc
| vour him. in short time the ginger
bread man announced "I'm hall gone,
Now I'm three-quarters gone and final,
t he said Nov I'm all gone" and he neve
, spoke again. And that condition is Ger
+ tain to arrive before men will work 10
the purpose OF paying taxes.
, Such will be the ultimate fate of ethe
labor or capital when they attempt /
live upon themselves alone. There mus
: be surplus to labor and there must be
surplus for capital. II there is none the
will disappear This is the fundamcnts
fact that bolshcvism has failed to gras
, and which will render all its working
i useless unless and until it is comprc
hcnded.