What Do You Think?
By A. B. O'Brtont
Gentlemen of the decision com
mittee. Our subject for discussion
tonight is the sales tax, of which
or to which you have already been
. seemingly introduced, a fact which
to most people would be a matter
of fact within itself, as there is
nothing so full of i tense human in
terest and romance as the study of
taxes during all the centuries.
My opponents under these circum
stances it appears to me, are trying
to impress upon you the idea that
it is -untried and a new experiment.
So I am going to tell you what the
science of taxes is. The science of
levying and collecting taxes is the
science of getitng the most feathers
with the least squawking of the
goose. That is all there is to It.
Nevertheless, our lawmaking body
has seen fit to pick the pockets of
the poor in order to have a downy
feed for a favored few. There is no
trouble about that. They do not
care, because they are not acutely
conscious of it.
There are only two older taxes in
this world than the sales tax. The
tariff dates back 2,500 years before
the birth of Christ. It is a tax which
you do not feel because you do not
know you are paying it. The next
tax imposed in the order of tax
development in the world was the
estate tax. In the old days they
called it death dues. Ancient Egypt
Rmposed it 1,000 years before Christ.
We have just got to it a few years
igo. Babylon imposed it, Rome im
posed it, and Anally we come to it.
That is a favorite method of taxing
from the standpoint of the tax
maker. Because it is paid by a man
who cannot object. He is dead.
That is the reason.
The next in order 01 development
we come to the sales tax. Some of
you people think It is new. The
Greek cities imposed it 500 years
before the birth of Christ and un
der those circumstances it does not
Impress me as a new tax. It did
not soon disappear from Greece.
They clung to it until the city
states of Greece collapsed and chaos
came. Then they did not have much
taxes of any kind in the civilization
they had after the collapse of their
city states.
Now then. If we are to theorize at
all we all of us can very readily see
the path we are speeding upon. The
taril Is blazed and there are pla
cards and signboards of abundance
all along the way. History truly re
peats itself. Where are the great
and mighty nations of ancient
Egypt, Babylon, Rome and Greece?
It simply shows that 3,500 years be
fore the birth of Christ and in all
of the centuries which have follow
ed men felt about taxes just as we
do now. They adopted the same
methods we prefer to adopt at the
present day. What are those na
tions today? Only a page in his
tory, so to speak. Which is our
destination the way we are going.
Lost as a sob in the midst of cheer
ing,
Like a flame of songs high burning,
Carries a world of flesh and bone.
The first and cmel reason wny a
oppose the sales tax is that it is
contrary to or sins against every
sound principle of taxation. It is
a tax on consumption, a tax on
what we spend for the necessities
of life. It is a tax imposed with
out any regard or consideration
whatever for the prinlcple or ability
to pay. The effect of this sales
tax legislation upon 24.000 mer
chants in North Carolina and its ef
^Ject upon the whole business of
Merchandising in the state in wor
BBiy of serious consideration. There
is a very important sense in which
It is i^apessary that responsible gov
ernment should consider the politi
cal consequences of its act. The tax
commission did not reach its con
clusions with respect to the sales
tax field upon superficial thought.
The whole subject was analyzed in
its conseqeunces and incidents and
the conclusions represented mature
consideration of the subject in all
its phase.
Tomorrow will be a repetition of
today. Whether it will be rewarded
the mean of a day's subsistence, is
as the fates may decide and all the
others who come into the market
to buy range in estate and condition
between these two. Your consumer
tax levies upon them all impar
tially. I must humbly ask the de
cision committee is there any Jus
tice or even a spirit of sovereign
Christianity shown in such an act?
I shall have to abide by your find
ings and continually show allegiance
to mV state. But I emphatically
say there is something putrid in
Peru or our tax commission has
gone nuts.
So, In conclusion business needs
encouragement, not more taxes. I
offer the following reasons for my
opposion:
1st. It is a tax on poverty. It
has made the cost of living higher
to the man who was barely able
to make both ends mftet. That is
finance and necessities.
2nd. It tends to take business
away from North Carolina to the
mail order houses whose sales can
not be taxed.
3rd. It discriminates. The busi
ness man is taxed. The profession
al man who sells his service Is ex
empt
4th. Like the locust plague, the
business man will be harassed by
'swarms of snoopers and spie, other
wise known as inspectors, for whose
work the public will pay both In
the form of salaries and the in
creased overhead of the merchant.
5th. The merchant who sells for
credit has to pay on sales whether
he collects or not.
As killing the hen that lays of
golden eggs is an ancient figure of
speech which never loses value as
a guide to conduct under personal
or public responsibility. It is true
the interest of the mercrant rims
along with that of his customers
with respect to the payment by the
latter of the tax in the last analy
sis. The correctness or incorrective
ness of the principle is a matter of
unimportance Just now. If the
merchants succeed in passing it
along it cannot hurt them. The law
givers expect the merchants to pass
the tax along in the first analysis
to the satisfaction of everybody.
There is no question about this. The
merchants are doing their very best.
There's no tax relief in the sales
tax for those who need it. There's
no tax relief in it for the farmer
who is caught for more new tax on
his purchases than he is relieved of
on his property. There's no en
couragement for business in it.
; There's no sound political economy
j in It. There's no satisfying prece
dent of experience by any state or
surviving nation in It and there is
no germ of state building in it.
The politicians hare put the tax
on the merchants by preference be
cause there are not nearly as many
merchant votes as consumer votes.
If the marchant cannot stand it let
pass it along in such a way that will
not stick out and roil the customer
voter. The grandest tax in the his
tory of the world from the imme
mediate standpoint of practical poli
tics is the tax that has been levied
In this country at the instigation of
a combination of the Grand Army
cf the Republic and smart business
men for the benefit of the latter.
The second reason in opposition is:
No more oppressive principle of col
lecting revenue for the public needs
ccultf be devised. The negation of
its cardinal doctrine by the party in
control in this state is by no means
I unknown or even unusual. But there
, has never been such an outright sur
render to expediency and privilege
as this has been.
Here is a shopper in the market
I with a well filled purse. Behind that
is a bank balance, a strong box full
of securities yielding regularly a
| crop of coupons, a fixed and per
Imanent income sufficient for every
necessity, every comfort and every
whim. Here is another whose wealth
consists all told of a few coins suf
ficient to buy food for the day. To
procure these has required the ut
most effort. I confess I have not
much of the spirit of poetry. Be
cause it is a fire that is enkindled
I at the living lamp of nature and
; glows only on a few favored altars.
There it is a sublimity of invention
and the imaginative faculties are
lost in the great ocean of reality
and association. There they are
sublime and beautiful, like the
mountain torrent swollen and im
petuous by the sudden bursting of
the cloud. Now they are grand and
awful like the stormy Galilee when
the tempest beat upon the fearful
disciples, again they are placid as
the calm lake when the Saviour's
feet have touched its waters and
stilled them into peace. Neverthe
less, the little spark I have millions
Heads Women's Division of NRA
Mary E. Hughes, (seated) of Louisville, Ky., is- the newly appointed
head of the Women's Division of the NBA, her job being to organize the
women's club* of the country in support of the recovery program. Head
quarters are in the Department of Commerce building at Washington.
in gold could not procure. Neither
can the depths of poverty drown It
nor blot It out Because In It we
are called upon to cherish with high i
veneration and grateful recollections
the memory of our fathers. Both
the ties of nature and the dictates
of nature demand this. In it death
loses it terrors and pleasure its
charms which brings to my mind
one of the most impertinent ques
tions ever asked me that I recall:
We don't have a Solomon or a
Jesus Christ here now do you think?
My answer to the question was
and is: No, we don't have a Solo
mon or a Jesus Christ in the flesh
among us at the presention. Ques
tion: Why Tou ... .? Answer:
I don't want to be a Solomon for
two reasons, and I can't be a Jesus
Christ. Why? Solomon had 700
wives, princesses and 300 concu
bines and his wives turned away
his heart. I can't be Christ. So I
think we will all have to be just
what we are for the time being.
Another of my fellowmen wanted
to know if I meant to say what I
did in my last article. I said yes.
He said: That is why you are in the
shape you are in. Now I asked what
do you mean? He said: You ain't
got no sense. I asked: Is that the
reason you gave the other man a
job? He said, yes, that's it; you
( ain't got sense enough to hold It.
Let's leave the two of them there
\ and consider this statement: For
! maximum benefits and pleasure
[ from wholesome social life, sports,
[ and recreation, by helping develop,
I beautify and ennoble the commun
ity we live in. Yet which fact is
| imppssible I frankjy admit with
! ignoramouses entirely in charge,
i Although now and then one stum
bles upon a left over of rustic inno
cence. As a gag they tell the handy
man he has done badly. But I must
say: The sole difference between
ruts and the grave lies in their
depths as is heard almost every
where. All we need is a little
front money.
And after all this ballyho, we are
just a plesimorphous plication as
pertaining to our government and
ourselves.
Since the idle mind is the devil's
workshop. I arranged this in order
to use my spare moments for amuse
ment.
LIFE OR DEATH
__
By William S. Humphries
On Nov. 7th, North Carolinians
go to the polls and give the answer
to one of the most momentous ques
tions that ever faced the citizens f
the Old North State.
In deciding the prohibition ques
tion, all moral training of the past
must be brought into play, and mil
lions of h uman souls ? HUMAN
souls for which the Son of Man
gave His blood? must not be ran
somed for a few thousand dollars
of revenue money.
For all admit that strong drink
will bring in some revenue. But
what is revenue in comparison with
the salvation of millions?
Over a quarter of a century ago
North Carolina decided to try the
"noble experiment." Has it been
a success?
Ask histroy.
Do not the pages of history show
that the prohibition amendment
has greatly curbed the habit of
drinking whiskey?
I do not say that the prohibition
law has caused American to lose
their taste for strong drink; no law,
no matter how well written or how
strictly enforced can do this.
What I mean is simply this: By
making prohibition a law, America
saved many men and boys from
taking their first drink and thereby
saved- them from becoming a slave
of the most harmful, the most dam
nable drink that man ever tasted.
Not only did it save many millions
from taking their first taste of
strong drink, but it also stropped
many more millions from drinking.
And in doing so, America saved the
souls of a limitless horde of men.
What will strong drink do to a
man?
Again I say ask history.
Is not a great percentage of mur
ders, of breaking up of homes, of
OUT TO GET 'EM ? ByAtb^T.Reid
-rz*dau).\,^nr
cases in the courts, and of auto
mobile wrecks Caused by strong
drink?
Isn't every athlete forbidden to
touch whiskey or even 3.2 beer?
Do railroad companies ever em
ploy a man who uses strong drink?
And doesn't the doctor tell us
that one taste of strong drink calls
for another drink, and that the sec
ond drink calls for the third, and
so on until the man is a slave of
his thirst for whiskey, and is an
omnious wreck in nerves, in health,
in mind, and In morals? Doesn't the
physican also tell us that a man
who drinks strong drinks is not a
man, but a being of the below-brute
stage? N
Adam and Eve were tempted to
eat the forbidden fruit. They did
not resist. As a result, they were
driven from their Eden to make a
living by tolling In the sun.
Strong drink is the forbidden
fruit of today. That Is stated clear
ly In the Holy Writ. Whoever falls
will pay the penalty In an everlast
ing hell.
Why does the anti-prohibitionist
want strong drink?
It is because he wants it for his
ILT&s
' -? ? ? ? i
TO RENEW BLANKETS
*J*0 keep blankets permanently
soft and flufTy as when new,
great care ahiull be exercised In
their washing. Rubbing, extremes
of temperature and harsh soap will
cause the sensitive wool fibers to
mat down, shrink, and become
hard and scratchy. Sever we home
made soap. -
Washing Suggestions
1. While still dry, shake blan
ket well to remove dust. Then put
into sudsy water and work up and
down with hands, squeezing suds
through fabric. Use plenty of suds
For one single blanket use about
one cup of Ivory snow or flakes
to tub or washer about two-thirds
full of lukewarm, soft water. A
little borax will soften very hard
water.
2. If a machine is used, run
only two or three minutes in one
suds, repeating with fresh suds it
blanket Is very dirty. Avoid severe
agitation.
3. When clean, put through
loose wringer into clear, lukewarm
water and rinse three times in
clear water of the same tempera
ture.
4. Wring again loosely and
hang in open air to dryt Never dry
near heat or in intense cold. When
partly dry, shake well from four
corners. When thoroughly dry,
press binding with warm iron, and
air in warm room.
Professional Cards
Dr. ROBT. E. LONG
Dentist ,
Wilburn & Satterfleld Building
Main Street - Roxboro, N. C.
B. L SATTERFIELD
ATTORNEY- AT- LAW
Roxboro -Durham, N. C.
Roxboro Office: Thomas St Carvei
Building. In office Monday and
Saturdays. ? -
Durham Office: 403 Trust Build
ing. In Durham Office Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday and Frt
_ day each week.
DR. G. C. V1CKERS
Dentist
Office at residence, on Route No.
144, near T. H. Street old home.
Mill Creek.
N. LUNSFORD
Attorney -at- Law .
Office jver Thomas St Carver Bldg
Roxboro, N. O.
DR. J. H. HUGHES
Dentist
Office In Hotel Jones, next door
to Dr. Tucker's Office
Dr. J. D. BRADSHER
DcatM
Office over Wlburn Si Satterfleld'i
Store Buidlng
DR. R. J. PEARCE
Optometrist
Eyes Examined ?
?Glasses Fitted
ntwi * Carver BaJMttng
Roxboro, M. C.
?
MONDAYS ONLY
10 A. M. to 5 P. M.
personal use? Then better, far bet
ter, a million times better would It
be for him to give It up, for he Is
not only sending his own soul to
hell but he is also sending others
there.
Does the "wet" want to abolish
prohibtlon because HE THINKS it
has proved a failure?
Even if prohibition has proved a
failure? and it is far from
the situation made any betttf by
abolishing the law? Should Ameri
ca, now in the midst of a great
wave of kidnapping, abolish all the
laws punishing kidnappers? Open
wide the doors of hell, or close
them TIGHTER? Give us, then,
not abolition of prohibition, but
STRICTER ENFORCEMENT.
I know of only one other reason
why anyone should favor strong
drink. That is for revenue ? for the
thirty pieces of silver the "wet"
would be a Judas, and he a traitor j
to Jesus Christ If anyone favors
whiskey for the money it will bring
in he will not be satisfied with ei
ther whiskey or money, but will be
like Judas, live in misery, and
mental agony the rest of his days.
The anti-prohibltionist has no sane
christian argument for his cause.
Nov. 7th is fast approaching.
Citizen kings of the Grand Old
North State, I c?t& upon you to
awaken to the power of your
kingship!
And when you go to vote remem
ber this: 'A thousand years of Amer- j
lea's future look down upon the
answer to this question, a thonsand
years of anxious future bend low
to catch the whispered message of
LIfE or death.
"Onward Christian Soldiers/'
IN MEMORY
On August 5, 1932, God saw fit
to visit our home and take my
dear sister to the home that He
has promised to all those that love
and serve Him. We cap't under
stand why He called her so young.
She was 19 years old. The Lord
giveth, and the Lord taketh, bless
ed be the name of the Lord. She
was always nice and kind to all she
met. She had a sweet smile for
every one. All that knew her loved
her. She bore her sufferings so pa
tiently. She never talked of her suf
fering to people. She always talked
it with Ood, the one that was able
to help her. The blessed thought
she left for us to think is the sweet
est of all: that she was ready and
willing to die. She said she was
ready for God to have His way with
her. So may we prepare our lives
to meet her in the home that God
has promised.
Her sister. Odell CBriant.
To The Public:
we can put backs and bot
toms in all kinds of chain.
Let me fix np that old chair
like new. See me under Wil
burn A Satterfleld's Store.
John Cash
ALWAYS
SMOKE
STEADILY
ATA PARTY
YOU CAN SMOKE
CAMELS ONE AFTER THE
OTHER ...THEY TASTE
GRAND AND NEVER
JANGLE YOUR NERVES
CcuaeJ's (toitker'Jcbueos
never cjetcn ijowlUrvei . . fHever tire ijtmrTaste
BARGAIN FARES
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27TH
$1.50 Round Trip From Durham
Tickets Limited To Date Of Sale
SPECIAL TRAIN
Leave Durham 2:10 A. M.
Arrive Wilmington 8:15 A. M.
SPECIAL ELECTRIC TRAINS FROM PASSENGER STATION
TO WRIGHTS VILLE BEACH. FARE TO BEACH AND RE
TURN INCLUDED IN ABOVE FARE. .
Leave Wilmington 6:40 P. M.
Arrive Durham 12:40 A.M.
PURCHASE TICKETS ^ N ADVANCE
J. S. Bloodworth, DPA Raleigh, N. C.
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
Business Directory
If 70a are In doubt m to where to find anything look over this Iht
The advertisers In this space are all reliable and 70a win make no mis
take when yon patronise them. If yen da not And what yon are
looklnf for here come to The Cornier Office and we will |he yon the
Information deatred.
-john'cash
FOB TOUR SHOE REPAIRING
J. T. BRADSHER
Plumbing and Heating
Office on Reams Avenue
Phone 14
Wilburn & Satterfield
Roxboro's Dependable Store
"It wni Pit Ton To Trade With
C*? Try It"
Watkins & Bullock
Everything To Build With
If you need Lumber ? 94
is your number.
G. B. MASTEN
Painting and Paperhanging
Good Paint Applied By Good
Palnton Frodaoot a Good
Job
Kambrick, Austin
& Thomas
DRUGGISTS
The Roxboro Courier
HIGH CLASS JOB
PRINTING
Roxboro Lumber Co.
Boy It From Us And Bank
The Difference
"Home Of Quality L amber"
Sergeant & Clayton
The Sta-Klean Store"
Phone Us Your Orders.
We Deliver Promptly.
HARRIS & BURNS
BARGAINS
Everything from head to
foot for men, women and
children.
GEO. W. KANE
BUILDER - CONTRACTOR
"No Job Too Big ? None
Too SmalL"
Carolina Power &
Light Co.
Home-Life Made Easiet
Ask the lady who has an
Electric Range.