The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-15
WAR TAXES.

etnsely loathe dragging war. nation inyolVed
in war should always hight as though it fully in
tended and expected to fight It's way 70 peace
within the year ensuing. To settle down into
war as a natural, permanent condiuon-to wage
n lazy, shftless war-ls st once disgracefu and
perilous. A nation at war is largely at the mercy
Of Jealous rivals who venture on insults and en-
erCachmonts which they would shrink from in
time OF peace. A war should always be waged
as q conaagration is resisted, and a nation which
has ceased to fight in earnest should cease 10 Bght
at all.
We cherish no hydrophobic horror Of public
debt. We can even admit that certain incidental
advantages result from its existence. But We
realize also that a public CcbJ may be sweled
impTUvidCntly, too rapidly, andi 70 an eEOrbitaut
amount. AID we hold that people 80 entirely
enyirOned as we are should TO the extent OF their
ability, pay rs they CO.
Hence we urge upon Congress the bodies,
promptest, most decisive action with regard to
the national finances If We must fight another
year for a true, honorable, beneicent peace, let
us bght fast, fight hard, and fight SO far as may
be, on our accruing resources. Borrowing forty
70 fifty cents and agreeing 70 pay q dollar is so
prodigal, so thuftess, 30 desperate a shift that
we would reduce it 20 the lowest practicable
dimensions.
The annual product of the industry of the loyal
States cannot be worth less than three thousand
millions OF dollars. The cost of maintaining our
Government and prosecuting with vigOr the war
for the Union, Is about one-third Of this amount.
We are paying, in various ways, about half this
large sum, and running in debt for the balance
If we paid all, 1t would require one-third of the
gross product OF our industry to carry on the war
through 1860 without contracting one dollar of
additional debt. Have we not the requisite fore
cast and public spirit to prosecute the war for the
next year on the basis of paying as we 90?
Yet, whenever we happen to speak of addi-
tOnal taxes, We are sure TO invoke q shower Of
HemonstNnces. Everybody seems to deprecate
ht any rate any increase Of taxation that is
likely TO fall on him. We lately observed that
an income taa Of twenty five per cent. with a
sound currency, would impose no additional
burden on the great body Of those who live on
fixed incomes, such as salaries rents, dividends
interest, &C. We say again that, If all these
important classes were required to pay an in
come tax of twenty-five per cent. next May,
and were thereby enabled to receive their in
comes in something nearly at par with specie
say greenbaCks worth 90 to 9j cents on the
dolar-thcy would actually have larger net
incomes, after paying that heavy tax, tnan they
now have. They would have fewer dollars TO
spend or invest than AZ present; but those dollars
would buy more Of almost everything than do
the larger number now at their disposal. Can
this need demonstration
90, you want to support the Government by
taxes on incomes, do you :" queries an indignant
clerk, and falls thereupon into unseemly frettng
and irOIhng. Why, no sir, we have no partially
should be raised in that particular way. We
have ahored to show, not that an income tax is
preferable, but that capitalists and receivers of
fixed salaries might better pay q high income tax
and secure thereby q sound currency than to
stumble on with the currency down at the heel as
Ut present.
Nearly all the grumblers insist that the farmers
are shametully favored by our present modes of
taxation, that they are rolling in wealth acquired
by selling butter AZ fifty and pork at twenty cents
per pound, that they eYade the payment ofincome
tax, &c. sc. If farmers fail TO pay income tax
with the rest of u.s. either the law or its interpre
tation should be so altered as to reach them. We
condemn all partalty and faYoritism. But it
should be borne in mind, first, that hitherto the
chief burden of taxation, especially for State and
municipal purposes has been borne by real estate,
and that nearly all but Federal taxation still
fsstens upon houses and farms.
In past years, farmer whose total income was
scanty two thousand dollars a year, paid more
taxes annually than many trader whose profits
exceeded five thousand dollars. Our clerks and
other salaTied men, who now complain of exces-
1iVe taxation, paid very little fOr the support of
Government IN former years of peaCe-nOt one
dollar where farmers OF equal incomes paid five.
il is but fair TO consider tins. Then i should be
noted that very few Of these grumblers are anX-
ions 10 beake themselves TO this vocation they
pronounce so favored and pctted.
J. clerkship falls vacant, hundreds eagerly
scramble for il; while the Government offers
choice land free Of cost to actual settlers, and
hnds far too few anxious to close the generous
pTot!er. Our cities are crowded to-day with men
fooking for clerkships or anything else that will
win bread; while our aggregate farm produce is
probably less in 1868 than twas in 1860, and good
farms are to-day cheaper than anything else bat
FEDERAL securities.
The Government must bRyo money. Il may
borrow some; hut at pre- ont rates, borrowing il
most improYdent IaXuuon must be increased
we do not say just hOY or where, but some
where and somehow, so 10 bring far more
money into the Treasury. Every one should be
deTisiDg and commenting ways of Teplenishing
the treasury instead of which, many seem 70 be
eonuiying how most 10 aeplete it. One talks OF
reducing duties on imports, so as 10 swell largely
our mpOriotOns-ignOriug the fact that we
already import more than we eau pay for and
are nstnntly drawn upon for specie TO pay the
balances aeruing against us in Europe. Most
men seem 10 think they are taxed eX0rbitautIy or
exc pti0nabiy; few say, Double our taxes, il
you must; but push on the war 10 speedy and
nc conclusion" Yet we are confident that is
just what the majority meant 20 say by their
votes IN our late Presidential election and we
trust that Congress will heed their appeal