davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29

should put the land of the Black
SnlrtS upon their blacklist until
MuSSonnl crawlS on his hands and
knees IN apology to the great man
whom he has harassed and sighted
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29

Ideals and opinions expressed
IN this column are those OF
one OF Americas most inter.
esting writers and are ure-
sented without regard to their
agreement or disagreement
With the editorial attitude Of
this Daper.-The Editor.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29

No, Dorothy, young dramatist is not necessarily
a playboy
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29

Then there's the dumb botanist who thinks
rubber plant is place where they make tires.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29
Banking in the u. S.

What national bank? What is state bank?
trust company? What private savings bank2
What clearing house association? federal reserve
bank? farm bank? Why banks fa9 How are
banks inspected? What safeguards your money bank? What
has the federal system done to making banking and
better in the United States?
Can all these? you are interested y,
banks and bankngand everybody want Ia
read our Washington bureaus latest bulletin BANKING IN TIFF
UNITED STATES 1t will give condensed descrp
ton OF the various kinds of methods nd
purposes Fill out the below and
-- CLIP COUPON HERE
Dept 1877 Washington Bureau. The Indianapolis Times
1922 New York Washington, D. c.
want copy the bulletin UNITED STATES
and inclose herewith uncanceled rnte6
States postage stamps for handling costs
STREET AND NO
CITY ......................... STATE ............
an reader Of The indianapolis Times, code No,
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29
Forget Right and Wrong

MODERN civilization has done a
1V1 wonderful job from scientific
and mechanical standpoint.
When it comes to those common
place conceptions of right and
wrong, however, not so good.
To a certain extent, we have
stressed mathematics at the ex-
pense of ethics.
AS EinStein says, regarding his
theory of relatively, eff I am right,
the Germans will say 1 was a Ger
man and the French will say was
a Jew; if I am wrong, the Germans
will say I was Jew and the French
will say I was a German"
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29

By DIX. MUKkIS FISHBEIN
Editor. Journal Of the American Medica
Association and Of Hygeia. the Health
Magazine.
The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-05-29

Who was George Psalmanazar?
Was that his real name? What
books did he write?
He was a French adventurer
(1679-1763). After various esca-
pades, including a pilgrimage to
Rome in the guise Of a Japanese
convert, he came to London where
he imposed on many people, notably
the bishop of London. who employed
him to translate the catachism into
what was supposed to be Japanese.
In 1704 and 1707 he published fc-
titious works on FormoSa. Event
ually he confessed to his impoSture.
He died in London May 3, 1853. His
Memoirs do not disclose his real
name or place Of birth. His flcti-
tious publications include 'Histori-
cal and Geographical Descriptions
of Formosa;" San Enquiry into the
Objections-with George Psalman-
azar's Answer" Dialogue between
japanese and a Formosan," (l707) d
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

must buy. 1t reaches into the pockets
of the humblest citizen, even the beg
gar in the street. 1t proposes to col
lect $4,000. 100000 from those who
have least. who might conceivably
lack sufficient food and clothing If
required to pay it.
Bleeding the poor of dollars now
is the intellectual equivalent Of bleed
ing the sick in medieval times to
restore health. Medical science has
advanced since then and so has eco
nOmic understanding. 1t is generally
recognized now that prosperity in this
country can return only when, the
great mass of people in the country
again have money to buy goods.
There probably, is little danger that
a sales tax law will be enacted by
congress. In 1921 business used every
means at it's command to have such
law adopted and enough members
of congress refused to listen. This
year with the people less able than
ever before to endure such an impcsi-
ton, congress probably will reject the
proposition in the summary fashion it
deserves.
The Minnesota legislature should do
likewise if the measure is proposed.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

Editor Fay Cravens of the Mile
Laos County Times, thoughtfully
writes:<"WR are convinced that ear
nest study and thought on public ques-
lions will usually bring out sound
opinion. 1t is the mutton-head who
does no thinking and assumes that he
doesn't need to do any, that causes
the trouble in this world. He is the
fellow who, finding himself face-to-
face with difficult problems, wants to
smash up things and demands that
the people get guns and shoot some
body. And it is this kind of person
who usually sees no way out of his
own personal difficulties, except to
shoot somebody or kill himself. What
the world needs is more rational
thinking, and a deeper study of the
problems that arise. If we are able
to jar few thoughts loose, even if
opposed to our own ideas, it is worth
while. If we had a nation of think
ers they couldn't go far wrong"
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

Miss Edna Ferber, the novelist, who
has just returned to America from
Europe, takes an awful rap at the
American youth. She calls them
beautiful young idiots" who never
get beyond football talk and 'oh,
yeah?" An article on her comparison
of the European youth and the Amer
lean youth appears in this weeks
issue of the Literary Digest. Her re-
turn to America was made on the
lie de France where on the first class
deck she made her observations of
how young Americans act and talk.
The average American youth that we
have come in contact with is certain
ly of higher, mental calibre than
those Miss Ferber describes as beau
tiful but dumb" When it comes to
slang she seems to be able to use it
herself when she writes: 'If they'd
only use their BEANS"
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

We have now reached the stage
where we have the American billion
aire. No man can render service to
society on a scale that warrants ap-
preparation to himself of one billion
dollars of the wealth created by So
ciety. 1t is only through exploitation
and legalized plumber that such an
amount can be taken from the people,
A system that permits one man to
possess one billion dollars while mil
lions of our people are at a mere
subsistence level is far from right.
The people have a right to say: "You
took this money away from society.
Now society is going to take it away
from you Think of it, some men in
this country with net incomes of over
$5,00O,000 in year! Half or more of
that should be paid in income taxes.
The man who has accumulated bill
lion dollar fortune should return a
good portion of the swag he has ex-
torted from the public in monopoly
profits.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

The county with the lowest per-
centage of tax delinquency at the
beginning of this year was Mcleod
It's delinquency was 1.03 per cent.
Brown. Carver, Fillmore, Goodhue,
Houston, LeSueur, Scott, Steele, Wa
basha. and Winona were all in about
the same class with tax delinquency
ranging between 1 and 2 per cent.
Pine showed % per cent tax delin-
quency at the beginning of 1881 while
Hennepin registered 81 per cent
Lake of the Woods county had &c per
cent delinquency, Beltrami 81 per
cent, Aitkin 4S, Cass 46 and many
other counties in proportion. The
taxes above referred to are all gen.
eral property-real and personal prop
erty taxes. With the delinquency
prevailing and on the increase it goes
to show that some other mode of tax
alton must be inaugurated. The rem
edy is a state income tax. General
properly taxes have gone too high.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

st. Peter Herald: The older we get
the more humility we feel and the
more tolerant we become. The longer
we tumble through this vale of tears
the more we realize the small part
each individual plays in the scheme
of life. After all it matters little
what honors or gain we strive for,
because we are quickly forgotten when
the race is run. 1t is we'll that the
world is like that or mere man would
swell beyond redemption with his
own ego, for such is human nature.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01
THE LEGION AND PROHIBITION
(The Minneapolis Journal)

At a convention in which delegates
with wet sympathies were manifestly
in the majority, the American Legion
has wisely followed Minnesota's lead
and refused formally to take stand
either for or against prohibition. In
stead, the Legion calls upon congress
for nationwide referendum on the
question either of repeating or of
modifying the Eighteenth amendment
For the Legion it may be said that
the veterans have not tried to tell
the states how to vote when and if
such a referendum is ordered; and
they have tried to draft a referendum
plan that would have binding results.
That is, the referendum they propose,
to be conducted by states, would be
no mere registration of public opin-
ion, but an actual and formal decision
on the question of retaining in the
United States constitution an unmodi-
fed Eighteenth amendment.
Whether congressional resubmis-
sion of the Eighteenth amendment, or
congressional submission of a substi-
tute amendment, in the manner
planned would itself be constitutional,
is another matter. Article V of the
original constitution says flatly that
any amendment, whether submitted
by congress or by a convention, must
be ratified by the legislatures of three
fourths of the states, or by constitu-
tiOnal conventions in three fourths of
the states, before it can become part
of the organic law of the land. And
the courts, we believe, already have
held legislatures" as the term is
used in Article V, to mean the duly
elected bodies of lawmakers set up by
state constitutions. This would seem
to be a bar to substitution of state
referendums, as called for by the
Legion's resolution.
DR.. Clarence True Wilson's attack
upon the Legionnaires is in bad taste,
to say the least. These veterans to-
day have the same right to ask for
resubmission of the Eighteenth amend
ment as DR.. Wilson had to ask for
the amendments original submission
thirteen years ago.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01
GOLD. SILVER VALUES
(Mille Laos County Times)

Some people have the mistaken no
ton that the "free silver theory"
contemplates the fixing of the value
of silver by law, making sort Of
money by government fiat. Such is
not the idea. The idea is to allow
the free and unlimited coinage Of
silver the same as gold, the only
being the ratio of value as between
gold and silver bullion. Today any
body with gold bullion can have it
converted into dollars at the govern
ment minis. But the same is not
true of silver. A limited coinage ct
chases of bullion, and the silver COLL
age is actually based on gold re-
serve the same as greenbacks. There
is no advantage in coming silver over
the making of greenbacks today, as
both are token" money, the value
being represented by gold in the U.
S. treasury. Open the minis to free
and unlimited coinage of silver on a
proper ratio of value to gold, and
it would be like the finding of a lot
of gold mines, as the silver that
would be thrown into circulation
would increase the available money
supply the same as the discovery of
geld in Alaska did some thirty years
ago. And an increased supply of
real money always causes business to
boom, and prosperity to come out
from behind the corner.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01
RIDE IN THE CAR, NOT ON 1T

A warning from the National Safety
Council says automobiles are built to
ride in, not on. Adults usually show
better judgment, but school boys, (and
some girls too) seem to think that
even if car is filled up, it will carry
few more on the running board, the
spare tire, or the bumpers.
The danger is apparent. In their
merriment they may loose their hold.
Bumps and ruts may cause them to
fall off. Tire carriers or bumpers
may break. 1t is a mighty dangerous
way-to travel.
Then. there is the habit of over
loading the front seat. Many cities
have ordinances forbidding more than
three riding in the front seat. More
is dangerous. Play safe.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

masses already overloaded with taxes
either direct or indirect. 1t will in
crease the cost of merchandise to the
consumer, discourage buying, and in
times of depression such as we are
experiencing now, it is much less the
time for such an Ubiquitous tax.
Organized labor declares it will
stand to the last ditch against the
sales tax"
]. S. Jones. secretary of the Mime
sofa Farm Bureau Federation, who
has given considerable study to the
tax problem, especially as regards the
agricultural population, says that the
sales tax is not a new idea. 1t was
employed and used by some countries
centuries ago and it's history has not
been encouraging. Revenue accruing
from this tax must be paid by either
the producer or consumer as is being
done in the general property tax.
The outstanding opponents of such
tax i'm Congress will be men like
Senators Norris, Shipstead, LaFollette,
and others of this type who are more
interested in human rights than prop
erty rights.
The sales tax has little chance of
coming to the front in Minnesota as
long as Floyd B. Olson occupies the
governors chair. Among the lower
House members of the Minnesota leg
islature who are militant opponents
of this form of taxation may be men,
toned Representative S. A. Stockwell
of Minneapolis, and Representative
Frank T. Starkey of st. Paul. Upper
House members who have been active
against it are Senator Victor E. Law
son of Willmar, and Senator Chas. A.
Hausler of st. Paul.
Must Have More Buying Power.
This :hinly disguised scheme to tax
the people of very limited means as a
preliminary to lifting taxes from the
very rich deserves every denunciation
that cam be given it. Taxes and in
terest have taken the buying power
from the masses. Without buying
power there can be no revival of trade
and better times. We have a surplus
of everything but buying power, yet
the Pennsylvania senator proposes to
tax buying power two billion dollars
year.
Schools, roads, and other govern
ment functions and services are in
dispensible. Funds are required for
the national and state treasures
Are we to levy part of this money
through the sales tax to the disad-
vantage of $3.50 of our people? The
better way is to employ state income
tax for the state treasury, and for
the federal budget make a raise in
surtaxes on incomes i'm the higher
brackets, also higher federal inherit
ance taxes-mOre taxation on concen-
trated wealth.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

A young man of 26 returned to- his
home near Milaca the other day after
being absent for IL years. since he
was IA, and during which time the
family did not know of his, where
abouts. Naturally there was; a. happy
reunion, but think of the anguish and
suffering he caused his mother and
father, especially the first years of
his absence. Every mothers boy
should think of that if the leaves home.
A letter from such a boy would be
the best birthday or Christmas pres
ent mother could get.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

Now that the legislature of the
Philippine Islands has passed resO-
luton unanimously asking that Con-
gress grant them independence i'm
mediately and the American farmer
would just as soon be rid of the unfair
competition of the "cocoanut cow
everything should be lovely for free
dom of the Philippines. The action
of the insular legislature makes it
rather embarrassing to those who kept
insisting that the Islanders did not
want to go it alone.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01
IT'S EASY TO TALK

There is an abundance of food stuffs
and manufactured goods in the coun-
try. The thing to do is to make it
move. Prosperity comes with trade
President Hoover's national relief di-
rector Walter S. Clifford, told the
country over the radio Sunday eve
ming: IF the public buys neither work
nor goods it is the public that is in
directly dischargfng men, This state
ment is correct, but if the gentleman
will tell us how the masses can buy
when they have not the wherewithal
he will solve real question. Let the
money get into the hands of those
who have produced the wealth and
there will soon be a revival of bust
ness
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

John A. Monger of Duluth, the
fiery editor of Publicity, says much in
the following few lines: why should a
Farm Board with Large membership
and a $5OO.OOO,OOO revolving fund be
necessary to reach the statesmanlike
conclusion that one-third of the grow
ing cotton crop should be destroyed?
Could it not have been done just as
well by two-thirds of the member
ship and of the fund? :. :. Secretary
MELONS huge loan policy is remind
err of the story of the woman who
was so happy because she had bor-
rowed enough money to pay all her
debts
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01
FROM OUR EXCHANGES
Editorial Comment From Other News
papers. Which May or May Not
Conform with the Opinions
of the AskOv American.)
FROM POCKETS OF THE POOR
(The Daily News, st. PauD

If a special session of the Mime
sofa legislature is called there is a
strong probability that sales tax
will be enacted. Country district
Legislators express hope of relieving
the burden of farm taxes by this
method.
There also is disturbing national
movement for "a sales tax. Sen. David
A. Reed of Pennsylvania is advocating
such an enactment by congress.
In a season when most of those
workers who are. not out looking for
jobs are having to live on curtailed
incomes, it is astonishing that sales
tax should be seriously suggested.
A sales tax is a tax on each piece
of bread that poor men must eat, on
each pair of shoes and overalls they
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

Every real liberal and progressive
will oppose the levying of a sales tax
state or national-which will be
paid by the consumer. The public
will object very strenuously if one
should be put over.
The income tax is not like a sales
tax which is passed on to the con-
sumner. The income tax is final, as
sessed after the net profits have been
arrived at. 1t is a good means of
decentralizing wealth which is GER
tainly needed now. 1t makes for a
better distribution of wealth and for
more security, happiness, and con-
tentment.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

The Capitalization of wealth and
the destruction of the purchasing
power of the American people are the
real cancers that are threatening
American life today. Favorable leg
islation-tariff and taxes contributing
did its part to make possible the
great GENERALIZATION of wealth and the
making of millionaires and billion
aires. Legislation can decentralize
part of all this wealth, and that is
what necessarily must be done. No
use of soothing the cancer with a
plaster. The root of the evil must be
gotten at.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

During the years from 1925 to 1929
there were 14,700 individuals in the
United States who had net incomes
of over 100000 each, and 5O4 of them
had net incomes of over one million
dollars each in 1929. This group re-
ceived the greatest benefits from so
ciety and government. They should
shoulder more of the tax burden
through the medium of raise in sur
taxes. 1t is only common justice.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01
BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS
teregon, Washington, Idaho Farmer.)

t0regon, Washington, Idaho Farmer.)
Repeatedly, the following alterna-
tives are mentioned in current dis
cussion of the tax problem: Find more
taxable property; or, increase the
rates on the present assessed valua-
tions; or, cut down the expenditures;
and the moralizing which usually is
to the effect that the proper way is
ito cut down the expenditures"
The dilemma is favOrite method
with those who can see but one an
swer, for it assumes that there is no
other way of escape than by the ia
voritee horn A fatal flaw in this
three-horned dilemma is that the
only thing that can be taxed is prop
erty. Now the only thing that can
pay taxes is persons, natural or arti-
fetal. The state may take property
if persons do not pay and liquidate it
and with the proceeds pay the tax due
from persons or bodies corporate.
How, then, shall it be determined
how much each person or body cor
or it's share of the means for its sup
port?| The answer agreed to all
around is: "He shall pay in proper
ton to his ability to pay" Even in
the matter of war for the national de-
Tense we follow that principle. We
excuse the old from bearing arms,
the young, the women, the physically
defective, and we lay the duty on the
able-bOdied. There can be no ques-
ton as to the principle: Persons and
bodies corporate should pay taxes in
proportion to ability to pay; and abil-
ity to pay is, rightly speaking, in pro.
portion to income.
How, then, has it come about that
taxes have been assessed and col
lected on property, real and personal?
Unquestionably because these were
assumed to be a fair measure of the
ability to pay. And perhaps they once
were, but they are far from it now.
Tangible property has wholly ceased
to be the proper measure, or it's taxa
tion proper method, of the contribu-
ton of persons to the support of the
state.
illustrations could be multiplied
without end going to show that prop
erty is no measure of income or the
ability to pay tax. The favorite illus
tration of the old saloon days was the
valuation of the barrel of whiskey
and the bar of the saloon keeper as
compared to his large cash income.
Just as good an illustration is the up
to-date doctor. He dresses we'll; he
lives extensively; he charges you high
for removing your appendix, your gall
bladder or your tonsils. The assessed
valuation of his tools, library and Of
flee fixtures is Insignificant. He is
likely to invest in intangibles or
enough to invest in property he es-
capes without bearing his share of
the tax burden.
The undertaken is not far behind
the doctor. In truth, you can not af-
ford to die and be buried. The as
sessed valuation of his stock is trif-
ling. His income is large. His taxes
are small.
So it is throughout the whole line
of professions and occupations and
business that do not rest primarily on
property. Multitudes of those living
comfortably, even extensively pay no
taxes. Yet they receive constantly
and largely the benefits which spring
from state expenditure.
Net income should be the measure
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

England has dropped the gold STAN
dard, so has Norway and Sweden, and
Denmark is following in the same
line. That brings to mind that per-
haps William Jennings Bryan was too
far ahead of the parade when he ad-
vocated the silver question.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1931-10-01

Only 504 men in the United States
in 1929 had net income that was as
large as the combined gross income
of 1,O32,0 cotton farmers and 1,3OO,-
900 wheat farmers in 1880. That stu
alton should be sufficient to warrant
a real change in our economic system.