8
SYLVAN VALLEY NEWS
THE JEFFERSON IDEA.
How It Differs From Roosevelt’s
“Progressive Tax.”
THEOEIES or TWO MEN COMPAEED
Konnder of Democratic Party" Op
posed AH L.a'fVB Tending: to Create
IttonopolieK — The l*MHident’M Plan
Means Conflscation of Property and
Destruction of Natnral Rigrhts.
The presidout’s rocont utterance re
garding what he calls a “progressive
tax” on large fortunes has created a
seusation. A tax is a sum of money
levied and assessed at a certain rate
on the persons or property of citizens
by the government for public uses. The
president didn’t propose to levy a sum
of money at a certain rate, hut to pro
vide that no person should take by de
vise or descent more than “a certain
amount” and that the excess of any
fortune over that particular amount
should be taken by the government.
Such a taking of private property
would not, however, be taxation, but
confiscation. Congress could not in the
exercise of the taxing power limit the
extent of a man’s possessions. It can
not deprive any man of the natural
right to acquire and dispose of proper
ty. It cannot tax a man for the pur
pose of limiting the size of his estate
or the amount he shall will or be
queath to this person or that.
The president said that he favored
“a progressive tax on all fortimes (not
on all incomes) beyond a certain
amount, either given in life or be
queathed upon death, to any individual
(saying nothing of corporationst—a tax
so framed as to put it out of the pow
er of the owner of those enormous for
times to hand over more than a certain
amount to any one individual.”
A man -who didn’t know what a tax
is might think that the president real
ly meant to tax great fortunes and
exempt small ones. But tho whole
proposition is a mischievous fallacy. A
progressive tax which takes all above
a certain amoimt becomes confiscation
as to all above that amount. The
president’s proposition, then, is to fix
a limit to private fortunes and to con
fiscate, not to tax, all of such fortunes
above that limit. Now, if the federal
government, which he vras represent
ing when he made tho propoftiiion.
could do what he suggested, then there
w’ould be no need for taxation at all.
It conld fix the limit at, say. $1,000,000
for the time being and strip Carnegie.
Rockefeller, Morgan, Schiff, the Van
derbilts, the Goulds and the Astors as
a preliminary measure. That would
enable it to abolish tariff and internal
revenue taxes, postage, etc. And as
soon as the administration had spent
the proceeds of tho first general con
fiscation the limit of private fortunes
migh' be reduced to SlOO.OfMK then to
910,000, to $5,000, to $1,000 and finally
to 30 cents. This, we insist, is the
president’s theory.
Jefferson, the fotmder of the Demo
cratic party, exj>ressed the view that
large fortunes are dangerous to the
community in which they exist, but he
never dreamed of confiscation. His
idea was to abolish all laws which
tended to create monopolies and j)or-
petuities. to annul privileges. We can
get his idea more clearly by quoting
his ov.'n words. He said:
I proposed to abolish the lavi' of primo
geniture. • * • I .il.so obtainod leave to
bring: in n bill declaring tenants in tail
to liold their lands in fee simple. • • • The
tranPmis.=ion of vast properties from fron-
eration to generation in the same name
had raised up a distinct set of families,
who, being privileged by law in the per
petuation of their wealth, were thus
formf'd into a patrician order. * • • To
annul this privilege and instead of an
a.ristocracy of wealth, of more harm than
benefit to society, to make an openinj? for
*»n aristocracy of virtue and talejit, which
nature has wisely provided for the direc
tion of the interests of society, was deem
ed essential to a weil ordered republic.
To effect it no violence was necessary,
no deprivation of natural right, but,
rather, an enlarprement of It by a repeal
of the law. — Jefferson's Works, Vol. 1,
p. 3G.
The laws of entail and primogeniture
were abolished at the Revolution in ac
cordance %vith this view. l>ut rich
men are now reaching the same results
produced by those laws and evading
the statutes which repealed them by
means of putting their property in
trust for long periods for the use of
particular persons or by means of
•wills. The federal government cannot
reach the situation except by imposing
a graduated Income tax.
Men have a natural night, superior to
any legal right, to all the property
they can honestly acquire, aud no gov
ernment can destroy that right with
out destroying its own foundations.
The president’s speech, however, Incul
cates a violation of that natural right,
and to the extent that it does so It Is
the Ins.i»e cry of an anarchist.
The Democratic party will never fol
low the leader who would destroy
iiatural rights, and the talk of welcom
ing Roosevelt Into the party is a libel
upon the parrty. Let the Republicans
take care of their own anarchists and
socialists. That party made them; let
it keep them.
Read the Sylvan Valley News.
Partisan Politics.
The partisan persistence of the Re
publican managers in refusing to agree
on the bill to admit Olclahoma is en
tirely opposed to public opinion on this
question. The senate, for once at least,
is actually in agreement with the Dem
ocrats that .iustice be done to uearlj'
1,000,000 cltiztMis who have made their
homes in Oklahoma aud Indian Terri
tory. The question of the admission
of Arizona and New Mexico as one
state has been very properly left by
the senate amendment to the vote of
the people, but to this the liepublican
majority of the house refuses to agree.
When these stand pat members are
asking for indorsement next fall the
voters shotild give them a dose of their
own medicine and refuse to re-elect
those who would not trust the people.
=THREE STORES
What do they contain?
A very proper question:
Here are a few of our Leaders.
Roosevelt’M Plan.
President Roosevelt evidently thinks
tho Democrats will elect a majority of
the next congress, for he Is said to
have decided to call a special session
after March 4 for tho purpose of re
vising the tariff. He knows as well
as any one that if the Republicans
should again have a ma.iority of con
gress it would be useless to call a
special session, for the stand patters
would be In control.
In IVerv «arb.
The Republican bosses, who have
been somewhat staggered by the jolt
the people have lately given them, are
appearing in the garb of reformers so
as to get their feet In the trough again.
Civic Improvement l^iterature.
The Civic lnq»rovement league of
Columbia, S. 0.. an active branch of
the Amo*-icJin Civic association, has
received permission froni the board of
directors of the 'I'imrod librai’y to place
in one corner of the reading room a ta
ble containing civic improvement liter
ature. The use of this literature is
open to the public. At the beginning
the collection is small, though the writ
ings bear upon almost evei-y phase of
Improvement work. Additions will be
made from time to time as new publi
cations appear.
Congrres.s and Reform.
Speaker Cannon a few weeks ago
was certain that congress would ad
journ at an early date, and “the boys”
would go lK>me, mend their political
fences by pointing to what they had
accomplished and be triumphantly re
elected. But the speaker is now more
pessimistic and evidently feels that
“the boys” are not on easy street, for
he says: “I see no prospect of a very
early adjournment. We'll be here some
time yet.” And what makes the voters
disgusted is that the liepublican ma
jority has not put a law on the statute
books with a vestige of reform in it up
to date, and this is tiie party that
boasts of “doing things.”
Modern llypriene.
'i’he Doctor—Yes, the lungs are jier-
fectly sound, and the heart beats are
quite regular. You can eat that bird
with ev(,‘ry confidence^.
I>ea<lly ScrixMit JJiles
are as comtnoii in India as are stom
ach aibl liver (lisonJcrs with us. I'or
the later l.owever there Isa .sure i-eiii-
edy, lOlectric iiitters the great restor
ative medicine of which S. A. Brown
ot'Bennetsvilie, S. C., says; “They
restored my wife to perfect liealtli
after years of sufierinn- with dyspep
sia and a chronically torpid liver.”
Electrict Bitters cure chilis and fever,
malana, biliousness, lame back, kid
ney troubles and bladder disorders.
Sold on guarantee l.y Z. W. Xicliols
druggist. Price TjOc.
Some one has said a fj^ood word
for the Insurance companies at
last. A man has risen to remark
that at least they always gave
away good blotters and calenders.
That railroad employe who
saved $60,000 in six years on a
salary of $30 a week ought to be
a shining example to the govern
ment clerk in Washington who
has a hard time keeping out of
the hands of the loan shark.
What’s the good of keeping from him
Any good things you may see,
Tliat will lift his load of labor
Like llocky Mountain Tea.
—Z. W. Nichols.
Shoe Department.
MEN'S
Stetson's $5.00 to $6*00
Stern's 3,50 to 5*00
LADIHS
Stern's $1.50 to $3.50
CHILDREN
Stern's 35c to $2.50
Why let your shoe pinch when we
can give you comfort
Dry Goods and Notions Dept.
NEW SPRING GOODS
Our line of Dry Goods, Ladies' Belts,
Hose, Hand Bags, Embroidery, Rib
bons, etc., unequaled.
When you know they are at WHIT
MIRE & VERDERY'S it is unnecessary
to say more.
Clothing Department
MEN’S
Made-to-order Suits $15.00 to $35.00
Ready-Made Suits 6.50 to 20.00
CHILDREN
Ready-Made $1.50 to $6.00
The woolly sheep wins.
"We win with the wool.
We are believers in “all wool” and liave not
been afraid of the ])i-ice it w’as necessary to ])ay to
get the real article.
Gents Furnishing and Hat Dept.
The best known articles for Men's
Wear gain prestige when they
become Whitmire & Verdery Merchandise,
W. & V. Neckwear.
W. & V. Shirts.
W. & V. Hats.
Always up to date and the very lattest
thing out. PRICES RIGHT.
Our line of Groceries is the best that can be obtained.
A fresh lot of Bran and Shorts just received.
Whitmire & Verdery
Brevard Laundry
ICILLthe COUGH
and cure the Lillies
WITK
I'ndei- its new management and in the new situation at the TJght and
Power plant, the Laundry is now in jxjsition to receive and take care of
bu.siness as it lias never done before, and we ask your patronage.
f. King’s
Mqw Oiscovery
'OfiSUMPTION
OUGHS and
<OLDS
Price
50c &$ 1.00
Free Trial.
Town Office.
Surest and Q,uickest Cure for all
THROAT and I^XTNG TROUB
LES, or MONEY BACK.
I'or t he convenience of our customers we have established a receiving
and «listributing otiice at the old Laundry Htand. on Main street, near the
post office, and Have placed this end of the business in the elficient hands
of Mr. Arthur Kilpatrick, v.iio has just opened a first class lurniture store
in tlie buildin<>: and will liandle a complete line of furniture, iru^ttinj;,
shades, wall paper, »*tc., etc.
TO DELICATE WOMEN
You will never get well and strong, bright, hap
py, hearty and free from pain, until you build up your
constitution with a nerve refreshing, blood-making
tonic, like
It Makes Pale Cheeks Pink
It is a pure, harmless, medicinal tonic, made from vegetable
Ingredients, which relieve female pain and distress, such as headache,
bacicache, bowel ache, dizziness, chills, scanty or profuse menstru
ation, dragging down pains, etc.
It is a building, strength-making medicine for women, the only
medicine that is certain to do you good. Try it.
Sold by every druggest in $1.00 bottles.
Promptly obtained, or FEE RETURNED.
10 YEARS' EXPERIENCE. Our CHARGES ARE
THE LOWEST. Send mcKlel, photo or sketch for
expert search and free report on patentability.
INFRINGEMENT siiitfi conductod before all
courts. Patents obtained through ub, ADVER
TISED and SOLD. free. TRADE-MARKS, PEN«
SIONS and COPYRIGHTS quickly obtained.
Opposite U. 8. Patent OfTIoOi
WASHINGTON, D. 0.
ECZEMA,
Old Sores, Itching Piles,
Skin Diseases,
ABSOLUTELY CURED.
HERMIT SALVE,
25 AND 50 CENTS A BOX.
Sold by all Drujrtrists. Take no other.
Old Family Remedy 25 years.
HOLLISTER’S
Rocky Mountain Tea Nuggets
A Basj Mediolns for Busy People.
Brings Golden Health and B«newed Vigor.
A specific for Constipation, Indipestion, Lire
and Kidney Troubles, Fimplea, Eczemn, Impure
Blood, Bad Breath, Shisrgish Bowels, Headach
WHITE US A LETTER
freely and frankly, in strictest confid
ence, telling us all your symptoms and
troubles. We will send frse advice
(in plain sealed envelope), how to
cure them. Address: Ladies’ Advisory
Dept., The Chattanooga Medicine Co.,
Chattanooga, Tenn. ,
“YOU ARE FRIENDS
of mine,” writes A\rs. F. L. Jones, of
Gallatin, Tenn.:
“For since taking Cardui I have
gained 35 lbs., and am in better liealth
than for the past 9 years. 1 tell my
husband that Cardui is worth its
weight in gold to all suffering ladies.’*
and Backache. It's Rocky Mountain Tea in iiil)-
let form, 35 cents a box. Genuine made by
Houjster Dri'q Company, Madison, Wis.
bOLDEN NUGGETS FOR SALLOW PEOPLE
Dissolution Notice.
The partnership h<Tetofove existing under the
firm name and style of Bishop P'uette for t-on-
duftiuir a Hardware and PlmnbinR busines> in
Brevard, X. C.. is this day dissolved by mutual
consent. All indebted to the ilrm must call and
close their aeeounts at once. Parties havinir
claims iitrainst the firm will present same for
Immediuie settlement. Thi« Mav l. I90ri.
w. k‘. bishop,
S. F. PUET I E.