The Bonham News (Bonham, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 82, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 2, 1915 Page: 4 of 8
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| Page Four
THE BONHAM SEMI-WEEKLY NEWS
THE NEWS
ESTABLISHED 1866
ASHLEY EVANS
L. E. DICUS -
- • - EDITOR
- BUSINESS MANAGER
he had the power to shove the era on this part of
Texas just now. Perhaps we are all too impatient
and a little waiting discipline may be good for its.
-o-o-
Colquitt helped Fergusori to solve the prison it, and no one man should assume the responsibi1-
problem by reducing the prison population by ity of liberating them, even though he be vested
several hftndred before he quit the job.—Mineola 1 with the power to do so. ytg
Monitor. Banner-Press would like to see Jthe convicts
Entered at the Post Office at Bonham, Texas, as Second
Class Mall Matter
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One Year - - - - . - - One Dollar
■lx Months - ...... Fifty Cents
Three Months......Twenty-fi?eOents
CLUBING RATES
Mews and Farm News (Dallas News) ... $1.75
Mews and Ft. Worth Record - 1.75
Mews and Hollands, Farm and Ranch - - » - 1.75
Hews and Progressive Farmer and Fertilizing
for Profit - - - - - - 1.50
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1915.
EXEMPTING FACTORIES FROM TAXATION
A bill has been introduced in the Texas legis-
lature, we are told by the newspapers, to exempt
cotton and woolen mills from taxation for a pe-
riod of ten years. How the author of the bill
expects to evade the constitution which prohibits
this thing we do r.ot know, but assuming that
such a thing is possible, the people of Texas
ought to express their disapproval of the meas-
ure. To thus exempt these mills might possibly
result in the building of a number of mills in the
State that would not otherwise be built. That
it would result in the building of many such mills
we can not believe.
Texas is not now an inviting field for mills
except those that manufacture the staple lines of
goods. It is not an especially inviting field for
them. If it were, mills would be building. If
there is not an opportunity for profitable opera-
tion of mills at present, the remitting of the small
tax that most of them pay will not be sufficient
inducement to men to build them.
It would obviously be impossible to exempt
mills that are to be built without exempting
those already built . To do that would necessi-
tate the levying of. that much more tax on other
classes of property.
Again, it would be unjust to tax other class-
es of factories while exempting cotton and woolen
mills. The mills that grind com and wheat, that
saw lumber, that make paper, the foundries that
make castings, the factories that turn out iron
products, the gins that seed cotton, all are as
much entitled to exemption from taxation as any
other.. If factories deserve to be relieved of
the burden of taxation, why not the individual
who works with toois or the land of the man wlfo
> tills it?
The argument that the exemption of thesr
mills from taxation for a term of years will re-
sult in the building of many that will, at the end
of the exemption period, be here to add Vastly
to our taxable values may be good and it may
not. If any grea‘: number of mills should be
built, it will be because the building of them will
be profitable to the builders, and at the end of
ten years who can say that the influence of the
mills may not be powerful enough to extend the
exemption period another ten years Our Na-
tional protective tariff has given us an example
of the power that protected industries have, and
the reluctance with which they surrender the
privileges on which the fatten.
To exempt any class from taxes is equiva-
lent to giving it subsidy—a special privilege—and
it is a proceeding that invariably ends in hurt to
the masses of the people. It is a thing our consti-
tution provides against, and we think wisely.
Taxation is for the benefit of all, and it should
be equally borne by all. • If any class needs ex-
emption it is not the class that has money with
which to build mills. It is unjust to tax the man
who has a little thousand dollar home to provide
government for the man who has a hundred
thousand or million dollar cotton mill that is ex-
empt. Texas needs factories,'but it will never"
get them just because it exempts them from tax
Ation, and even if it could get them- in this way
it would be paying a price too dear- for the bene-
fits it would reap.
What Texas should do is to make her tax
rate as low as possible and then make it apply as
nearly as possible to all alike.
-o-o-
Another one of our “personal liberties'’
gone to thunder! Congress ha* enacted a law
that imposes a fine of a thousand dollars and im-
prisonment on the person who tampers with a
private mail box. What business is it of the
National government to say what the citizens of
Texas may or may not do to the private mail
boxes of other citizens of Texas? Where arc
Hie immortal States’ right congressmen from
Texaa who permit such a blow at Texas’ rights?
President Wilson again predict* that an era of
prosperity is before this country. If any man is
in a position to know the president is- We believe
be does know, as far as man can know the future,
and the only thing we can wish further is thstf
Telephone communication between New York solve it.
and San Francisco has been completed, and if a
man has as much fortune as Uncle Andy he can
talk over the line when ever he feels that there is
danger of his dying rich.
That’s the oniy thing he ever did to hqlp
the
fees
-o-o-
That Alabama Congressman’s predictidn that
cotton will be worth twenty cents a pound next
fall is not going to help any towards'reducing
the cotton acreage., nor will his prediction come
true. >
—-o-o-
, Some men achieve distinction by !>eing ‘‘dif-
ferent,” and that Texas Senator who alone refus-
ed to vote to indorse President Wilson is different
alright.
--—-o-o—-
pnnmrra'jnnrraTrxTjnrro mnnnrff in
| WITH OUR EXCHANGES
Ctt&AJUL&gaJUULgJUUL&JULftOftgfrftflflftft
A gun has been designed for the protection
of the Panama canal which has a range of twehty-
cne miles and throws a projectile .weighing 2,400
pounds. But just as this announcement is made
and we can lean back in fancied security we hear
of a new German gun which has a range of twenty
eight miles, though it shoots a smaller charge.
That puts Germany seven miles ahead of us in
shooting equipment, and a seven-mile advantage
is a matter of serious moment.—Denison Herald.
If the German gun is as good as is claimed,
then our big gun is obsolete before it is ever placed
in position for defense- We are told every few
years that the battleships that cost us fi;om five
million to ten million dollars five years ago are al-
ready obsolete because some other nation has
built faster ships, better Ships, bigger ships. The
hundreds of millions of dollars that we have in-
vested in guns and ships and defenses will be abso-
lutely useless five or ten years from now. But
the people who are being taxed to pay for them
will still have the burden of debt on their shoul-
ders, and the debt will be growing. Why enslave
the people in debt in the effort to keep up with the
preparation other nations are making for war?
It is just as well that we should be enslaved by the
other nations, if we have to be, as it is to be en-
slaved by debt. America has no protection if it
is only her guns, and her ships that protect her.*
‘-:--0-0—-;-
We do not doubt the ability of women to
vote with judgment, and if only the good, sensi-
ble women would vote, then, indeed would that
good time we all seek, be near at hand. But
try as we may, we cannot but dislike the idea of
women mingling in political campaigns as voters.
It is perhaps prejudice. We may be wrong.
Hope we are—for we beligve women will sooner
or later be givpn the ballot.—McKinney Examiner
Yes, and if only the good, sensible men
could vote, then there * would be little need for
the woman to have the ballot to protect herself
and her children form unjqst legislation arid un-
holy social conditions. Like you, we dislike the
thought of women having to mix in polities, but
we also equally dislike to see woman have to abide
by law’s that she has no voice in making, suffer
from political and social wrongs that she has no
power to correct. We dislike to see her have to
-
make her living in the field, with needle, behind
the counter, at the washtub, or the loom, but con-
ditions are such that she has to do it. Further-
more, we hate to see woman denied a right that
is just as much her right as it is the man’s right.
And, so, we favor giving her what is justly hers—
a voice in the government. '
-o-o-
BRITISH NAVAL SUPREMACY
AND AMERICAN TRADE
placed at work at building roads. Begin at the
j Oklahoma line and construct- a Macadam or as-
i phalt highway to the Gulf coast, and when this
| is finished begin at some western point and build
| to the line on the east, and on and on until Texas
i becomes known far and wide for its thousands of -
| miles of good roads.
Then, when the cross State roads are com-
pleted, put the men to work btiilding roads in the
counties that need them most. And,^ in' this
connection, Banner-Press would like to see the con
victs do the work compensated the same as free
labor would cost-
■TT , ... ~ I Let the State ray its convicts $2.50 per day
Houston Chronicle. charge each man for his board and keep, and
“America is asking us to abrogate the power after deducting this expense, turn over to the de-
we have gained on the sea at so much expense,” Pendents of each family man the earnings above
says' the London Post, in discussing the ship Wil co^ anc* keep, and in case of the single men,
helmina and the contention of this government ^ W *° **
that she should not be seized. ' * i t„ „„„__e »•* ± , ,
t . . , . U1 ,* in the case of life termers who have no fam-
Let us state that problem in a different man- iiies their surp]us c£rnin?s could app|ied to a
State charities.
Because a man is a criminal and is confined
in a penal institution for the commission of crime
is no reason why his immediate 'family should be
deprived of his earning capacity and left to shift
lor themselves or become a burden upon charity
societies and philanthropists.
VOTE FOR WOMEN
ner.-
If England should seize the Whilhelmina,
which is an American ship, loaded with American
goods, chartered bv an American firm and con-
signed to an American agent, would England be
asking us to abrogate the commercial pow'er
which-we have built up at so great an expense?
The power that England argues for is a war
power; the power for which we contend is a
peace power. Which of these twain is wrorth
more to the world, or even to England herself ?» j Colliers Weekly.
The United States is not a party to this war.1 The steady advance, of the equal suffrage
From,th.e,ve7 th0“*h jg§ have dis- th?Monde^'reLTutonrS SSEWeSuttaS j
cussed it freely as a matter of right or wrong, amendment on the subject, received 174 votes in
we have tried to impress all belligerents that we the House of Representatives- It is the first
are not evincing interest as a nation. rime that such a resolution has been offered in
, If we sell food io Germany, wre do so not to Congress, and the line-up is worth noting; At-
encourage Germany as against England, but be- gr^sivls.’ 3
cause traffic in food is a legifimate business— pendent; negative 171 Democrats and 33 Republi-
more legitimate than the destruction of ships and cans. The Democrats were largely committed
shipping. . j the negative by the State right argument and by^ "
If we sell horses and ammunition to England, President Wilson’s pronouncement that suffrage
we do so not because of any national intent to U 0l State and not for National
c, i , ■ 4. n ' i , , . action. This vote bungs home to our politicians
help England as against Qermany, but because the fact that they can no longer dodge the issue,
the sale of these materials is recognized by inter- but must face it squarely.. The force and effect
national law, and because we believe it is our of this will be evident in the State campaigns to
right to keep our factories going and our people ke_ waged this fall. The plaint of the antis wras
emnloved voiced with much feeling and foolishness by one
T, T , j, , . i v- ,j, ,, Stanley E. Bowdle of Ohio, self-constituted
The London Post thinks we should forego the spokesman of
shipment of food to Germany, because in so do-
an unnumbeied multitude of gpod
women of America/' who ladled out the offensive '
ing we are virtually asking England to abrogate compliments and equallp offensive patronizing
peculiar to this kind. It is a fair description of
his speech to say that he bowdled. The antis
all do. He was defeated for re-election last fall.
Democratic leader Underwood voted ‘No’ on the
ground that suffrage is a state matter. Repub-
lican leader, Mann, voted in the affirmative. Wo-
the advantage she has gained on the' sea through
a five months campaign.
Were we to accede, it would be because we
heeded England’s request to abrogate the com-
mercial resources v;e have been a century in' de-
veloping- .
If England’s life is at stake because of the mo^an<? J?ore *be States 85 the years go
exigencies bf war is not America’s life at stake by' • s,uffra?e movement never loses ground
exigencies 01 war, is not Ameuca s Hie at stake once gamed, and the logic of our National life is
because of the exigencies of trade? j jn its favor. Our country is going to have a
And which of these two factors in human - broader and juster basis for its politics, and on
art-— that sure foundation w*ill work opt in confidence
J men now vote in nine of the States and will vote
end power the co-operative problems of our fu-
lure-
OLD-TIME DEMOCRACY
progress has played the more important
trade or war? 1
Which would England prefer, could she ex-
ercise her choice—to lie supreme in .a naval sense
or in a commercial sense ?
Which would give to her the best guaranty
of permanency, stability and a position, of su- j Houston Post.
periority? ' . Congressman Martin Dies believes in “old-
What is it tha> has made the United States 1 rime democracy ’- not the new-fangled kind with
which he says the farmers are being buncoed by
The farmers of Texas paid interest on one
hundred million dollars last yeap. The farmers
should be the last people to borrow money. The
farmers can not be prosperous and pay interest
and buy feed for their stock.—Italy News-Herald j
That is sound advice, maybe, but how the av -
erage farmer is to buy a home and make a living
without incurring some debt is a problem that
none have yet figured out. Many farmers as-
sume indebtedness that is not necessary, but to
say that farmers should not go in debt is to say
that fanners must not grow to be independent and
prosperous. But no farmer, we are ready to
agree, ought, under ordinary circumstances, to go
in debt for his feed or much of his provisions. To
go in debt for a reasonable amount in order to ac-
quire a home i* commendable.
great, and what is :t that has caused her influence
to be profoundly felt throughout the world ? Is it
the mintenance of great armaments, the creation
of a mighty navy and the gathering of land
through Conquest?
Decidedly not. It is the developing of OUC
resources, the enrichment of our people, the ex-
pansion of oar Commerce, and the demohstra-
tibn that there are victories for a nation beyond
those of which warriors can dream.
We do not grudge Great Britain the pride she
feels in her navy and what it has accomplished,
but we do claim the right to be as proud and as
jealous of our peaceful pursuits.
-o-o-
There is no material difference in paying a
subsidy and exempting from taxation. Both are
morally wrong, as is all legislation conferring
special privileges- The government should play
no favorites.—East Texas Register.
Go way! You’re a back- number. You are
even “agin” a protective tariff for our Texas
wool growers, cattle raisers and lumber mill*.
If women could vote in Texas, it’s dollars to
doughnuts that they wouldn’t have to be told
more than once that it’s time to pay poll tax.—
Orange Leader.
And it’s dollars to doughnuts that they world
pay their own poM tax a»d vote as they pleased.
* --o-o-
TEXAS PENITENTIARIES
Erenham Banner.
Governor Ferguson, in his first message to
the. Texas legislature, very appropriately di-
rects public attention to the fact that the penal
institutions of the State have been mismanaged.
It is to fie hoped, and Banner-Press belijeves
Governor Ferguson will continue his policy of call
ing attention to the bad conditions that exist at
ther
the penitentiaries, and, for that matter, any o
public institutions that are mismanaged.
Governor Ferguson thinks the state convicts
could be used profitably on the public highways.
Banner-Press thinks so, too. The idea of keep
ing some three thousand of more men Mpthinl the
walla is not conducive, in the first place, to mak-
ing better men out of them.
And, besides, it is expensive. But’ the ex-
pense of it would not be a matter of lamentation
n the l>est results were being Realized.
. The manner in which the Tdkas peniten
tiaries have been managed of late is a stigma
upon the functions of the State government that
it will takfr tiine to eradicate. The wholesale
pardoning* are a reflection upon the wisdom of
th.e juries which weighed the evidence and sent
these men to the penitentiary.
Men unfit for society ought to be deprived of
the opportunity of thrusting themselves upon
designing demagogues.
He says he knows the truth and he is going
to proclaim it, even at the risk of being voted
out of a seat in congress. Martin believes in
the game of politics, but he doesn’t believe in
playing beyond the limit.
“I believe, gentlemen of the house,” he said
in a speech Wednesday opposing the bill increas-
ing the pay of employes in the public health ser-
vice, “that a little innocent demagoguery is a
good thing in congress, but we are carrying it
too far. From this chamber and from the cham-
ber at the other end of this capitol we are edu
eating the people_ to.believe that the government
c ught to buy their produce, that the government
ought to find a job for them and pay them a
salary, that the government ought to look after
their health, that the government ought to take
care of them when they are old and in poverty. I
wish the American people to know that all the
government can do is to give the man fair and
equal chance in the race for life. I have made
Up my mind that I do not love an easy place in
congress well enough to keep on holding it and
eating the taxes of the people without telling
them the truth, and that we are deceiving them
about the functions of government and about
the duty that the government owes them and
what they ought to expect from the government. ’
Tell it to them, Martin. The truth it is
that maketf men free.
CAN THERE BE OBJECTIONS?
Commerce Journal.
A bill is-before the legislature giving grand
juries and commissioners court* the power to en-
ter and inspect all institutions in the state, which
would include convents, private hospitals, private
asylums, sectarian schools, etc. This would
seem to be a good and reasonable law and it is
surprising that some such legislation was not en-
acted long ago. The Catholics, if no one el*e,
should urge its passage, for assuming that the
long standing charges against their institutions
are untrue, it would afford a means of disproving
them and would go far toward* removing the
prejudice so much conaplaiaad of,
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Evans, Ashley. The Bonham News (Bonham, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 82, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 2, 1915, newspaper, February 2, 1915; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth974370/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bonham Public Library.