The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-21

PuBLlsnIN0 Income RErUREs.-Ws ap
piled to Mr. Carter, Federal Assessor thu
: morning, for the privilege of copying 70
publication the income returns Of Rock Is
land city aud county. That gentleman in
formed US that he had not yet prepared BIZ
report, nor was it in sufficiently advanced
state to give Us any definite leading par,icu
lars. In this connection he expressed al
opinion that the publication OF the returni
was source Of more evil than good to ,hc
government and was besides frequently uu
Just and injurious to the parties whose names
appear on the rolls. If he had the disposal
Of the matter, he would object to any publ
cation being made but If it took place,
would furnish both papers with copy ofhis
report at the same time.
With Mr. Carter, we have always thought
that the publication Of the returns was un.
fair The world has no right to be furnish.
ed with an insight into business mans
private matters. For the government to
guage his prosperity, or adversely, as the
case may be, and then allow it to be herald.
cd forth through the columns Of the press
10 Taught with the most pernicious teuden
cies, There are so many petty passions and
Vanitles involved in it that an income return
IS one Of the most striking pictures Of the in.
ward workings Of the human heart extant.
One man with a portly income and pardon.
able vanity, pays tax on the very last dollar
Of his profits, and then falls back on an easy
conscience, and the reflection that his good
fortune will soon annoy his enemies, and
arouse the envy of his friends by staring
boldly from the public prints transitory
monumental his business success aud sagaci.
ty. 4 shrewder wording, with more avarice
than vanity, reports but half he las made
and secretly chuckles over bis simpler neigh
bors Men in desperate circumstances fire..
qaentIy report heavy incomes with the view
OF deceIylug others and obtaining credit
which IS not always used ia the most honor
able manner. To fortune hunters, intent on
the smiles and purses ofexpectant heiresses
the payment and publication Of the income
tax il as an application Of leechos to a
s~ooDing patient After all, on strictly
honest men, the income tax falls the hcav
lest and these, frequently exasperated by
their returns wBh the false ones of
richer acquainJaucea, determine that ifperju.
ryand swindIing are the game, they can meet
its responsibilities with as good grace as
anybody else And this determination is
pretty extensively carried out. To the less
fortunate, the ordeal Of having their insig
nidcant gains placed side by side with the
greater ones Of their friends, is, to say the
least, highly unpleasant While we DO not
wish it understood that our illustrations apply
in any bat u general way, we think, on the
whole, that our readers will bear us ont in
the belief that the interests Of the govern.
meut and society would be far better sub.
served if an order were issued preventing
all publications Of the income returns.
Fit should be asked why then we propoq.
ed to. publish it, we reply, that rs long as il
was intended to be laid before the public,
we desired to give it to our readers at as
early date as possible