Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-03-04
LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1913.
The war Tax.

The war-tax-ihat browning felicity of
war--the denouement of the tragedy, or
comedy, of elory-is coming at last: and ma
ny nalwho has never before thought Of
battles except as chapters Of romance nor
rs victories, save as superb visions TO be IN
dulged like day-dreams Of poetry-will
wake up to the disngreeable realization of
Il costly pleasure. Laurels are, after all, a
thing Of dollars and cents; trophies are ex-
changed for treasures; the reckoning is,
sooner or later, inevitable; and the fine sill
yer and gold OF a nation goes out, To be re-
turned as with the tinkling Of brass.
Direct taxes have ever been, in America,
the most odiouS TO the people who are call
ed nnou 10 pay them, who have, in conse-
squencc ,scentinualiy framed their financial
tsystenasSs,s, rs to make the hurshen Of sup
posing government an indirect one, which
nobody felt and every body had the option
to escape. Such 4 system, however, can
never long supply the immense demands of
war; aud from The FIRST moment of conflict
or rather, long before, IN anticipation Of
lit az the certain result of the election Of MIR.
/ Polk--1he true statesmen Of the land warn
! ed the people to expect the day when the
governments agents would call upon them
for their money. Ihe war of three
monrhsn has now lasted not quite twenty
one months; and these, with the exception
of the three last, have been months of pros
perty, mouths of even wealth. Bnt what
prosperity, what wealth, can stand long
against the levouring consumption of war;?
From the first meeting Of Congress, It has
been seen that direct taxation was impend-
ing. Congress has hesitated, not because
Of speculative, but practical difficulties IN
regard TO the usual means of raising money
hy loans or treasury notes, which would on
~ stave off the evil day for while, at the
cost Of some serious depreciation of'the gov
ernmeut credit. Withpeace reallyin pros
rect, loan might have suhserved the pub
lie necessity; with government adverse to
peace, bent, as there is so much reason to
apprehend, on the absolute extinction and
annexatinnof Mexico, and of course looking
70 n continuance of the war until the pur-
pose be accomplished, the loan Of to-day
would only defer the tax ill Tomorrow. 1t
is the war policy of the Administration
which preciptates, which eompels the evil
Of direct taxation Every body in Congress
feels this necessity; and, accordingly, MFR.
Wilmot's ainendment--in the nature of a
second pyoriso--is Immediately carried in
the House by the Irresistible vote of IS yeas
20 90 nays.
The amendment instrrcts the Committee
Of Ways and Means to report upon the cx-.
pediency Of tax of S5,000,0 600, to be levied,
annually, during the continuance Of the
war, and until the payment Of the debt cree
ated by the war, on g stocks, personalpro
seems sniall--bus it is only the beginning;
and it does not tax lands and houses-but
/ that il only a tub thrown to the whale---a
weak device of party-craft to gaia the hearts
I of the farmers and house-owners, who al
ways become the ultimate and real victims
of direct taxation
A tax of fivemllions on" stocks, person.
.al property and money at interestr' That
! is n neutrality-suspicious. worthy Of the
] Ton. David Wilmot. However inequita-
BILE il may al.-be in principle, a hard cspe-
4 rience has shown to those who are most in
terested, that, in practice. the great bufthen
Of tasa'ipn has always fallen, and perhaps
always will fdl,upon real estate. "Stoeks,
4 personal property and money at interest"
are protean things-IDagical entities, or non
entities, that can be spirited away, with a
/ hy-presto-hic e ubiqtte---from hand 80
hand--hidden away--asSigned away--cozen-
ed 'iway--the very foxes or wild geese Of. a
tax-gatherers' chase and a Legislators re-
meabrance. Lands and houses are g fixed
faets''-fhey are always Aerc-theY can be
neither hidden nor put temporarily out of
the way, nor undervalued The tax-maker
loves tbem--he can compute their ayaiiibil-
ity, and count upon their returns; and taxes
fly TO them as naturally AZ gnats TO the sun
Il has not been the practice OF the American
Government, moreover, 10 cast the burlben
OF state on one class of citizens. leaving an
other class 10 escape. Personal property
may he first called upon for contribution
Of five millions; it will not be long before
real properly will find itself IN equal requi-
sition. Those who vote for war must pay
for war
There j. this one circumstance, in NOR
al point of view, highly recommendatory of
direct war-taxes; they 60 further than any
thing else in awakening a love 0f peace,
and in rendering wars brief and infrequent
North ,amc,fean.