Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-09-05
[rrom the 1ndIanspolIs journal.

/ The Direct Tax Now and In Former Years,
We learn that the meaner class Of toiies
are endeavoring insidiously to stir up in
advance en- opposition to the collections
/ next year Of the direct tax 20 pay the sol
eiers. They represent to ignorant listen.
ers that such tax is entirely unpreceden-
ted and grievously oppressive. 1t might ba
well for them, before making such state.
ments, to look 8 little into the history Of
the country. During many years of our
national existence such tax has been lev.
led and not grudgingly paid. 1' f.ais '. t
In 1898 bill was passed providing for
ad rect tax upon land toAEay the debts Of
the Revolutionary War, and under that Law
such tax was levied and collected for
several successive years
The act Of 1898 was not near SO eduita-
BILE as the act of last session. 1t exempted
no lands or lots from taxation. The pres
ent act exempts i'suoh property belonging
to any individual who actually resides
thereon IS shall be worth the sum Of $780,"
according to g cash valuation thereof to be
taken on the first day Of next April. The
poor mans homestead is thus free from
taxation. 5000. d. .zs.
The act Of 1898 stopped with the imposi
tion of a tax upon land, and thus bore op-
pressively upon the agricultural classes.
The present law taxes the income of The
rich as wen, and thus makes the burden
fall more equally. Where an annual in
come, over and above all National, State
and local taxes assessed upon the property
from which the income is derived, exceeds
$500, 8 tax of 3 per cent is imposed upon
the excess Of the income over $500, except
that upon the portion Of ones income de
rived from interest upon Treasury Notes or
other United States Securities, the tax is
IL per cent. only.
The set Of 1898 did not allow State, if
it chose, to assume, -assess, collect and pay
the direct tax ss it assessed and collected
the taxes Of the State. The present act
does. and if the State pays the tax de-
duotion Of 10 per cent is allowed It is
nearly certain that the States will prefer
to raise the tax in their accustomed way,
thus saving the Is per cent. AMI making
the tax charge upon personal property
as we'll as land and incomes!
Any debt Of the General Government to
State, growing ont Of the present war, or
existing Otherwise, may be deducted, and
Is per cent. additional uDon suoh debts.
In 1873 another direct tax Law was lass
ed, to raise means to pay the expenses Of
the second war with England. II contin-
ned In force several years q 1t taxed lands
only, imposing no tax upon incomes.
The acts Of 1898 and 1918 we're earnestly
supported By the chiefs Of the party Of
Jefferson and Madison. They believed that
such tax was indispensably necessary to
sustain the national credit and 10 psy The
expenses Of the wars, anu rneJ nGu, tuere
fore, the courage and patriotism TO vote
for it. q sdi s55 .s.sf.la 1s5saolIa-I Iu|
The eEperienos of modern nations shows
that in order to keep the public securitiel
Of nation ct par, a certain and stablI
provision must be made=for the punctns
payment of interest. If that is done, theI
very seldom, IN the long run, sink nucl
below par. Whenever they do, whers thel
could have been maintained ct par, thl
amount Of the depreciation is dead loss t
the nation, to be supplied by burdensoml
taxation. : The nation is then in the condi
ton Of an unfortunate debtor, seeking t
retrieve his fortune through the tender ai'
of the usurer. 1t suffers the ruinous losse
Railways incident to deprecated credit
seeking relief in the shaving shop. IN
only solid basis for national securitiei
where thesdsbt Is large, isl tax upon land
1t is needless TO repeat, what We hay
heretofore noticed, that the direct tax bil
! does not tax watches and carriages. Tha
provision, originally in the bill, was struc
out by the Senate These things have b'
come 30 mueh articles Of necessity and al
so generally owned by persons Of moderat
/ means, that it was thought tax upon thei
t would impose an improper burden upo
7 persons sufficiently taxed under the oth'
t provisions Of the bill. -. s---. s.-T
! Anticipated Conflict in Europe--Iron Cln
i's War ships--Grear Ship Warrior.
e Advices from Europe, from good priva
: sources, writes 'Ion," of the Baltimore Su
( 20 to shpw1 that England and France "
g probably have enough to do at home witho
e troublino themselves with American affail