The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-18

woman question would soon be solved by
dropping out of sight.
THE INTERNAL RE VENUE TAXI
The internal revenue tax is the most onerous
to the people, the most difficult of collection,
and the most unsatisfactory in its applica-
ton of any of the means devised for raising
the money necessary to carry on the Govern
ment II falls unequally upon different
classes, and it opens the door for innumer-
able frauds of every description; and there
appears to be no way in which it can be
made to operate with impartiality, or yield
all that it ought to if honestly collected.
Not the least of the evils connected with
the imposition of this tax is the horde of
ofiice-holders that it fastens upon the public,
q very large number of whom are unable to
resist the temptations offered them to fill
their own pockets at the expense of the Trea-
sury. To do away with all the assessors,
collectors, and other agents of the Inter
nal Revenue Office would be positive benefit
to the nation. 1t would not only reduce the
public expenses, but it would force the men
who are now living upon the nation to go to
work and contribute their share towards ad-
vancing the prosperity of the country by
laboring in legitimate manner for their
bread and butter. II would also discourage
the great and increasing army of professional
politicians, whose rapacity is now melted by
the enormous number of fat Offices in the
gift of the Government and who would be
forced to turn their energies into other chan
nels if those offices were largely diminished.
Next to the total abolition of the internal
revenue tax, the things to be desired are its
more equal application and the reduction of
the force of agents now required for its col
lection. The Government cannot afford now,
and it will not probably for many years to
come be able, to give up the revenue obtained
in this manner; and the proposition now
under consideration by the Committee of
Ways and Means, to alter the method Of col
lecting the tax, only gets over the difficulties
of the present system by inaugurating one
open to even greater objections.
The proposition referred to was introduced
by Mr. Getz, of Pennsylvania, upon whose
motion the Committee on Ways and Means
was instructed to inquire into the expediency
of abolishing the Offices of collectors, asses
sors, and other agents, and of appropriating
the amount of tax required to be raised from
domestic sources among the several States
according to their population. This would
be much fairer way of apportioning the tax
than the one at present in operation, but
practically we fear that it would not be found
to work. 1t is as much as any of the States
and more than a good many of them, can do
to collect their own taxes; and if obliged to
collect those of the General Government ALSO
it would be found to be practically impossible
The proposition has lis advantages if it could
be carried out; but the State governments
will object very seriously to such an addi-
tional burden being placed upon them, not
withstanding the fact that the people are
directly interested in having the tax more
equally distributed and more economically
collected than it is at present. II is a serious
question as to whether this would not be
found the most expensive and difficult method
Of collection, and whether, taking it all in all,
it would not be found decidedly worse
method than the one it proposes to improve